SS Afric
{{Short description|English ship}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image |Ship image= SS Afric, Hobart.jpg |Ship caption = Afric at Hobart, Tasmania }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header= |Ship country = United Kingdom |Ship flag = {{Shipboxflag|United Kingdom|civil}} |Ship name = Afric |Ship owner = 25px White Star Line |Ship builder = Harland and Wolff, Belfast |Ship launched = 16 November 1898 |Ship maiden voyage = 8 February 1899 |Ship fate = Sunk by SM UC-66, 12 February 1917 }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header = |Header caption = |Ship class ={{sclass2|Jubilee|ocean liner}} |Ship tonnage = {{GRT|11948}} |Ship length = {{convert|550|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} |Ship beam = {{convert|63.3|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} |Ship power=Two four-cylinder quadruple-expansion steam engines |Ship propulsion=Two propellers |Ship speed= {{convert|13.5|kn|lk=in}} service speed |Ship capacity=*320 passengers
|Ship crew= |Ship notes= }} |
SS Afric was a steamship built for White Star Line by Harland and Wolff shipyards. She was of the {{sclass2|Jubilee|ocean liner|4}}, had a reported gross register tonnage of 11,948, and had a port of registry of Liverpool, England.{{Cite web|url=http://www.theyard.info/ships/ships.asp?entryid=322|title=Harland and Wolff – Shipbuilding and Engineering Works|website=www.theyard.info|access-date=2018-05-18}} Afric was launched on November 16, 1898, and was involved in shipping between Liverpool and Australia.{{cite book|last1=Kerbrech|first1=Richard De|title=Ships of the White Star Line|date=2009|publisher=Ian Allan Publishing|pages=78–79|isbn=978-0-7110-3366-5}}
Afric was the first of five Jubilee-class ships built by White Star Line for their new service to Australia, the others were {{SS|Medic|1899|2}}, {{SS|Persic||2}}, {{SS|Runic|1900|2}} and {{SS|Suevic||2}}. Afric was a single-funnel liner with a capacity for 320 third-class passengers on three decks, she also had substantial cargo capacity with seven cargo holds, most of them refrigerated for the transport of Australian meat.{{Cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article63677958|title=The S.S. Afric|date=1899-11-22|work=Portland Guardian (Vic.: 1876 – 1953)|access-date=2018-05-18|pages=3}}
Service history
Afric made her maiden voyage on 8 February 1899, between Liverpool and New York; this was considered a test run, and when she returned she underwent further work to prepare her for her intended career on the Australia service. She entered service between Liverpool and Sydney via Cape Town on 9 September 1899.
During the Boer War from 1900 to 1902, Afric was used to transport troops and horses to South Africa on the outbound part of her journey, returning them to the UK on the return journey.
Following the conclusion of the war, Afric settled into the routine of normal peacetime service, which was mostly uneventful, except for one incident in November 1913 when she ran aground and became stuck on a sandbank in the River Mersey whilst leaving the Canada Dock at Liverpool. After several unsuccessful attempts to free her, she was eventually pulled off the sandbank by tugs at high tide after her cargo had been removed by barges to lighten the ship.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article159215416 |title=THE GROUNDING OF THE AFRIC. |newspaper=Daily Commercial News And Shipping List |issue=7127 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=7 November 1913 |accessdate=8 September 2018 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}
Following the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, Afric was requisitioned by the Australian government in October 1914 for use as a troopship and was given the designation HMAT (His Majesty's Australian Transport) A19.File:SS Afric Troopship.jpg
In April/May 1915, she was refitted at Sydney to carry 549 troops and 500 horses. She completed six troopship voyages up to November 1916,{{cite web |title=A19 AFRIC |url=https://www.flotilla-australia.com/hmat.htm#A19 |publisher=Flotilla Australia |accessdate=24 July 2018}} however on 12 February 1917 she was sunk in the English Channel after being torpedoed by the German submarine {{SMU|UC-66}}, whilst sailing outbound between Liverpool and Plymouth, {{convert|12|mi}} south south-west of the Eddystone Lighthouse,{{cite web |title=Afric |url=https://uboat.net/wwi/ships_hit/75.html |website=uboat.net |accessdate=19 July 2018}} there were 145 survivors, but 22 people lost their lives.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1917/02/14/archives/liner-afric-sunk-17-men-missing-12000ton-white-star-steamer-is.html|title=LINER AFRIC SUNK; 17 MEN MISSING; 12,000-Ton White Star Steamer Is Believed to Have Been in Admiralty Service. 145 OF CREW ARE LANDED American on Saxonian Reaches Queenstown Wounded;- Other Ships Sunk. Three Other Ships Sunk. BERLIN REPORTS SINKINGS. Tells of Destruction of Ten Vessels on Feb. 12. LINER AFRIC SUNK; 17 MEN MISSING THE RYNDAM GETS BACK. Was Near English Coast When She Was Ordered Back. TWO MORE CUNARDERS HERE. The Laconia and the Ascania Saw No Submarines on Their Way Over.|date=1917-02-14|work=The New York Times|access-date=2018-05-16|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}
Wreck
File:Wreck Of The SS Afric White Star Liner.webm
The wreck lies at the position ({{coord|49|59|N|04|18|W}}) at a depth of around {{convert|70|m|ft|1|abbr=off}}, and has been filmed by divers.{{cite web |title=White Star liner 'Afric' - underwater video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaFDWmqJU34 |website=YouTube |publisher=FinnborgBraga |accessdate=23 July 2018}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{commonscat inline|Afric (ship, 1899)}}
{{Jubilee-class ocean liners}}
{{White Star Line ships}}
{{February 1917 shipwrecks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Afric, SS}}
Category:Maritime incidents in 1917
Category:Ships built in Belfast
Category:Passenger ships of the United Kingdom
Category:Ships built by Harland and Wolff