RMS Fort Victoria
{{EngvarB|date=January 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image | Ship image = SS Willochra.jpg | Ship caption = The ship as Willochra }} {{Infobox ship career | Hide header = | Ship flag = {{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|civil}} | Ship name =*Willochra (1912–19)
| Ship owner =*Adelaide Steamship Co (1912–19)
| Ship operator =*Adelaide Steamship Co (1912–13)
| Ship registry =*Port Adelaide (1912–19)
| Ship route = United States – Australia – New Zealand (1912–19) | Ship ordered = | Ship builder = William Beardmore & Company, Dalmuir | Ship original cost = | Ship yard number = 507 | Ship way number = | Ship laid down = | Ship launched = 14 August 1912 | Ship completed = 7 February 1913 | Ship christened = | Ship acquired = | Ship maiden voyage = | Ship in service = | Ship out of service = 18 December 1929 | Ship identification = *UK official number 122744
| Ship fate = Sunk by collision | Ship notes = }} {{Infobox ship characteristics | Hide header = | Header caption = | Ship type = passenger ship | Ship tonnage = {{GRT|7784}}, {{NRT|4532}} | Ship displacement = | Ship length = {{cvt|411.7|ft|abbr=on}} | Ship beam = {{cvt|56.7|ft|abbr=on}} | Ship draught = | Ship depth = {{cvt|34.1|ft|abbr=on}} | Ship decks = 2 | Ship power = 762 NHP | Ship propulsion = *2 × screws | Ship speed = {{convert|16|kn|km/h}} | Ship capacity = | Ship crew = | Ship passengers = 400 1st class (Fort Victoria) | Ship notes = }} |
Fort Victoria was a {{GRT|7784|link=off}} passenger steamship that was built in 1912 as Willochra. During the First World War she was requisitioned for use as a troopship. In 1920 she was sold and renamed Fort Victoria, serving until lost in a collision in 1929.
History
William Beardmore & Co Ltd built the ship at Dalmuir, West Dunbartonshire as yard number 507. She was launched as Willochra on 14 August 1912 and completed on 7 February 1913{{csr|register=MSI|id=1122744|access-date=31 October 2009}} for the Adelaide Steamship Company.{{cite web |url= https://www.clydeships.co.uk/view.php?&ref=2077 |title=Willochra |work=Scottish Built Ships |publisher=Caledonian Maritime Research Trust |access-date=23 June 2023}} Her identical sister ships, also built by William Beardmore and Company, were {{ship|HMAT|Warilda||2}} (1911) and {{ship|HMAT|Wandilla||2}} (1912).
In 1913, Willochra was chartered by the Union Steamship Company of New Zealand.{{cite web |url=http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/unionnz.html |title=Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand |publisher=The Ships List |access-date=31 October 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091010100509/http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/unionnz.html |archive-date=10 October 2009 |df=dmy-all }} In November 1914, Willochra was requisitioned, as a troopship making numerous journeys with reinforcements to the war, notably Egypt, and returning with wounded.{{cite web |url=https://www.flotilla-australia.com/hmnzt.htm |title=Flotilla Australia }}{{Cite web |url=http://merchant-navy-ships.com/index.php?id=7,0,0,1,0,0 |title=Adelaide Steamship |publisher=Merchant Navy Ships |access-date=31 October 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101121101132/http://merchant-navy-ships.com/index.php?id=7%2C0%2C0%2C1%2C0%2C0 |archive-date=21 November 2010 |df=dmy-all }} In 1918 she was requisitioned by the UK for transatlantic duties and painted in dazzle camouflage. At the end if the war she repatriated German prisoners to Europe.
In 1919, Willochra was sold to Furness Withy. She was refitted and renamed Fort Victoria.{{cite book | first =Keith | last =Eastlake | year =1998 | title =Sea Disasters, the truth behind the tragedies | pages =20 | publisher =Greenwich Editions | location =London N7 |isbn=0-86288-149-8 }} Initially, she was operated by the Quebec Steamship Company, Montreal but in 1921 she was transferred to the Bermuda & West Indies Steamship Co, Hamilton, Bermuda. Both companies were owned by Furness Withy.
On 18 December 1929, Fort Victoria sailed from New York Harbor for Hamilton with just over 200 passengers on board. The weather at the time was dense fog, and Fort Victoria stopped to await an improvement in conditions. While anchored, she was hit by the Clyde-Mallory Line's {{SS|Algonquin||2}}, a liner which was on a voyage from Galveston, Texas to New York. Algonquin cut into the port side of Fort Victoria. Distress calls were made by both ships, which were answered by the United States Coast Guard and other ships in the area. All on board Fort Victoria were rescued before the ship sank later that day. The position of the wreck is {{coord|40|28|27|N|73|53|13|W}}.{{cite web|url=http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?23080 |title=SS Fort Victoria (+1929) |publisher=Wrecksite |access-date=31 October 2009}} To replace Fort Victoria, a contract was given to Vickers-Armstrong's to build Monarch of Bermuda, which entered service in 1933.{{cite web|url=http://www.furnessbermudaline.com/index_files/Page1207.htm |title=About Furness Bermuda Line |publisher=Furness Bermuda Line |access-date=31 October 2009}}
Description
The ship was a {{GRT|7714|link=off}} cruise ship. She was {{convert|411|ft|7|in|m|2}} long with a beam of {{convert|56|ft|7|in|m|2}}. She had two screws, each driven by a quadruple expansion engine. The combined power of her twin engines was rated at 762 NHP, and gave her a speed of {{convert|16|kn|km/h}}. As Fort Victoria she was fitted up for 400 first class passengers, and had no accommodation for other classes.{{cite web |url= http://www.timetableimages.com/maritime/images/fur24b1.htm |title=Bermuda Steamship Service |publisher=Timetable images |access-date=31 October 2009}}
Model
A boardroom model of Willochra is in the possession of the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum, Newport Beach, California.{{cite web|url=http://www.thenrg.org/MIS/newprtbh.html?nauticalresearchguild=27762dc40d3a25861882fd3777bc45c2 |title=Newport Harbor Nautical Museum |publisher=The Nautical Research Guild |access-date=31 October 2009}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20111002120944/http://www.photoship.co.uk/JAlbum%20Ships/Old%20Ships%20F/slides/Fort%20Victoria-01.html Colour postcard of SS Fort Victoria]
- [http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=196874 Monochrome postcard of Fort Victoria]
{{1929 shipwrecks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fort Victoria}}
Category:Merchant ships of Canada
Category:World War I merchant ships of Canada
Category:Merchant ships of Australia
Category:Merchant ships of Bermuda
Category:Steamships of Bermuda
Category:Maritime incidents in 1929
Category:Iron and steel steamships of Australia