MV Port Fairy
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2017}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image |Ship image=Rcv Port Fairy FL17599.jpg |Ship caption= }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header= |Ship country=United Kingdom |Ship flag=60px |Ship name=MV Port Fairy |Ship namesake=Port Fairy, Victoria |Ship owner=Commonwealth and Dominion Line |Ship operator= |Ship registry= |Ship route= |Ship ordered= |Ship builder=Swan Hunter, Tyne and Wear |Ship yard number=1339 |Ship original cost= |Ship way number= |Ship laid down= |Ship christened= |Ship acquired= |Ship maiden voyage= |Ship in service= |Ship out of service= |Ship identification= |Ship fate=Sold to Embajada Cia. Naviera SA of Piraeus |Ship notes= }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header=title |Ship country=Greece |Ship flag={{Shipboxflag|Greece|naval}} |Ship name=MV Taishikan |Ship owner=Embajada Compania Naviera SA of Piraeus |Ship operator= |Ship registry= |Ship route= |Ship ordered= |Ship builder= |Ship original cost= |Ship yard number= |Ship way number= |Ship laid down= |Ship launched= |Ship completed= |Ship christened= |Ship acquired=1965 |Ship maiden voyage= |Ship in service= |Ship out of service= |Ship identification=Official number: 5528236{{csr|register=MSI|id=5528236|accessdate=22 June 2009}} |Ship fate=Broken up at Hong Kong on 4 June 1965 |Ship notes= }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption= |Ship class= |Ship displacement= |Ship tonnage=8072 GRT |Ship length={{convert|477.4|ft|m|abbr=on}} |Ship beam={{convert|63.4|ft|m|abbr=on}} |Ship draught= |Ship draft= |Ship propulsion=
|Ship speed={{convert|15|kn|km/h}} |Ship range= |Ship complement= |Ship sensors= |Ship EW= |Ship armament= |Ship armour= |Ship armor= |Ship aircraft= |Ship aircraft facilities= |Ship notes= }} |
MV Port Fairy was a UK merchant vessel built in 1928 by Swan Hunter for the Commonwealth & Dominion Line Ltd (or "Port Line") shipping company and sold in 1965 to Embajada Compania Naviera SA of Piraeus. Named after the coastal town of Port Fairy in Australia, she was renamed Taishikan for her final commercial voyage to Hong Kong where she was scrapped.
Career
=Construction=
Port Fairy, 8072 GRT, was built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson at Wallsend in 1928. She had a length of {{convert|147|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, a beam of {{convert|19.3|m|ftin|abbr=on}} and a service speed of 15 knots.{{Cite web|url=http://iancoombe.tripod.com/id42.html|title = Port Line}}
=Pre-War=
In 1930 her refrigeration equipment was modified and she carried the first cargo of chilled meat (instead of frozen meat) from Australia; she later worked the same cargo from New Zealand.
=World War II=
Port Fairy had an eventful war employed as an ammunition ship.
Sailing in fast convoy OL8 from Liverpool to Canada on 22 October 1940, Port Fairy collided with the Canadian destroyer Margaree in rough seas about {{convert|300|mi|km|0}} west of Ireland (position {{coord|53|24|N|22|50|W}}.{{cite web|url=http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/5419.html|title=U-boat.net (HMCS Margaree)|accessdate=2008-05-14}}{{cite web|url=http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-19D-Diana.htm|title=Naval History.net|accessdate=2008-05-14}}). Margaree sank quickly; her captain, four officers and 136 crew were lost. Port Fairy rescued 34 of the survivors.
On 9 July 1943 the small Convoy Faith, comprising Port Fairy, the troopships Duchess of York and California, with escorts Iroquois, Douglas and Moyola, sailed Greenock for Freetown, Sierra Leone.Munro, A. (2006). The Winston Specials - Troopships via the Cape 1940-1943. Maritime Books, {{ISBN|1-904459-20-X}} Two days later, when the convoy was about 300 miles west of Vigo, it was attacked by 3 Focke-Wulf Fw 200 aircraft of Kampfgeschwader 40{{cite web|url=http://www.mercantilemarine.org/showthread.php?t=110&page=2 |title=Mercantile Marine.com |accessdate=2008-06-20 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727080235/http://www.mercantilemarine.org/showthread.php?t=110&page=2 |archivedate=2011-07-27 }} based at Merignac, near Bordeaux. The precision high-altitude bombing left both Duchess of York and California blazing.{{cite web|url=http://members.iinet.net.au/~gduncan/maritime-1a.html|title=Maritime Disasters of World War II|accessdate=2008-06-20}} Port Fairy picked up 64 RAF survivors from Duchess of York. Both Duchess of York and California were abandoned, and in the early hours of 12 July they were sunk by torpedoes from their escorts as it was feared the flames from the ships would attract U-boats.
Towards the end of the attack, the remnants of the convoy were joined by the British frigate Swale which had sailed Gibraltar two days earlier for a scheduled rendezvous. Port Fairy was detached to Casablanca with Swale as escort shortly after midnight, for fear of further attacks. Nevertheless, the two ships were attacked the following evening by two Fw 200s returning from a reconnaissance mission. Despite the interception of the two bombers by two US Navy PBY Catalinas which strafed and badly damaged one of themRagnarsson, R. (2006). US Navy PBY Catalina Units of the Atlantic War, page 65. Osprey Publishing, {{ISBN|1-84176-910-X}} Port Fairy was hit on the port quarter by a 50 kg bomb which breached the hull, started a fire, and disabled her steering. Ammunition in adjacent cargo spaces was jettisoned and compartments flooded to minimize the risk of explosion. A bucket chain was set up to douse the fire, meanwhile Swale came alongside and played her own hoses on the blaze, which was extinguished by 2300 hrs. After two more air attacks, during which no further hits were sustained, both ships completed the remaining 500 nm to Casablanca without incident, Port Fairy steering by her engines.
=Post-War=
On 25 December 1953, while operating on the Montreal - Australian New Zealand service, both engines failed owing to contaminated lubrication oil and the ship drifted for three days towards the rocks of Fatu Hira atoll. Plans were put in place to rig a temporary sail, but as this was being done one of the engines was repaired and the ship made port at 5 knots.
=Disposal=
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://archive.today/20120909210941/http://www.red-duster.co.uk/PORT6.htm MNA Website - Red Duster.co.uk]
{{October 1940 shipwrecks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Port Fairy}}
Category:Merchant ships of the United Kingdom
Category:World War II merchant ships of the United Kingdom
Category:Ships built by Swan Hunter