SS Glitra
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2017}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image |Ship image=SS Glitra.jpg}} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header= |Ship country= United Kingdom |Ship flag= {{shipboxflag|UK|civil}} |Ship name= *1881: Saxon Prince
|Ship owner= *1881: James Knott
|Ship operator= *1881: James Knott
|Ship registry= *1881: North Shields
|Ship ordered= |Ship builder= CS Swan & Hunter, Wallsend |Ship yard number= 51 |Ship laid down= |Ship launched= 3 March 1881 |Ship completed= April 1881 |Ship acquired= |Ship in service= |Ship out of service= |Ship identification= *UK official number 137431
|Ship fate= Captured and scuttled, 20 October 1914 }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption= |Ship type= |Ship tonnage= {{GRT|866}}, {{NRT|527}} |Ship displacement= |Ship length= {{cvt|215|ft|abbr=on}} |Ship beam= {{cvt|30.7|ft|abbr=on}} |Ship height= |Ship draught= |Ship depth= {{cvt|13.8|ft|abbr=on}} |Ship sail plan= |Ship power= 99 NHP |Ship propulsion= Compound steam engine |Ship speed= {{convert|9|kn|km/h}} |Ship capacity= |Ship crew= |Ship notes= }} |
SS Glitra was a steam cargo ship that was launched in 1881 as Saxon Prince. In 1896 she was renamed Glitra. In 1914 she became the first British merchant vessel to be sunk by a U-boat in the First World War.
Building and ownership
Saxon Prince was the first steamship to be built for James Knott, a successful owner of collier brigs. She was also the first ship to which Knott gave a name ending in "Prince", which became a characteristic of his future Prince Line.{{sfn|Burrell|1992|p=69}}
CS Swan & Hunter built Saxon Prince at Wallsend, launching her on 3 March 1881 and completing her that April. She had an iron hull and a two-cylinder compound steam engine.{{cite web |url= http://www.tynebuiltships.co.uk/S-Ships/saxonprince1881.html |title=Saxon Prince |work=Tyne Built Ships |publisher=Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust |access-date=1 February 2021}} Her UK official number was 79247, her code letters were VLQW and Knott registered her in North Shields.{{cite book |author=Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen |year=1882 |title=Mercantile Navy List |page=128 |url= https://www.crewlist.org.uk/data/viewimages?name=Saxon+Prince&year=1882&steamsail=Steam&submit=Enter |publisher=Board of Trade |via=Crew List Index Project |access-date=1 February 2021}}
In 1895 Knott restructured his business as Prince Line (1895) Ltd and sold Saxon Prince to Christian Salvesen. In 1896 Salvesen renamed her Glitra and registered her in Leith.{{cite book |author=Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen |year=1898 |title=Mercantile Navy List |page=147 |url= https://www.crewlist.org.uk/data/viewimages?&name=Glitra&steamsail=Steam&submit=Enter&year=1898 |publisher=Board of Trade |via=Crew List Index Project |access-date=1 February 2021}}{{cite Uboat.net |id=2544 |name=Glitra |type=1ship |access-date=24 March 2008}}
Capture and sinking
On 20 October 1914 Glitra was en route from Grangemouth to Stavanger in Norway laden with coal, iron plate and oil when {{SMU|U-17|Germany|2}}, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Johannes Feldkirchener, stopped and searched her {{convert|14|nmi|km}} west-southwest of Skudenes, Rogaland, Norway, in accordance with prize law. Her crew was ordered into the lifeboat(s),Note: sources disagree as to whether Glitra{{'}}s crew left in one lifeboat or more than one. and once all were safely off the ship a German boarding party scuttled Glitra by opening her seacocks.{{cite web |url= http://www.naval-history.net/WW1LossesBrMS1914-16.htm |title= British Merchant Ships Lost to Enemy Action Part 1 of 3 – Years 1914, 1915, 1916 in date order |work=Naval History |date=2 August 2011 |access-date=20 January 2013}}{{sfn|Burrell|1992|p=65}}
One source states that U-17 towed the lifeboat(s) toward the Norwegian coast.{{sfn|Burrell|1992|p=65}} Another states that the Royal Norwegian Navy 1. class torpedo boat {{HNoMS|Hai}}, which was on neutrality protection duty, observed the incident but did not intervene as it was in international waters, and that after U-17 left, Hai towed the lifeboat(s) to the port of Skudeneshavn.{{sfn|Hegland|Lilleheim|1998|p=43}}
References
{{reflist}}
Bibliography
- {{cite book |last=Burrell |first=David |year=1992 |title=Furness Withy 1891–1991 |place=Kendal |publisher=World Ship Society |isbn=0-905617-70-3}}
- {{cite book |last1=Hegland |first1=Jon Rustung |last2=Lilleheim |first2=Johan Henrik |year=1998 |title=Norske torpedobåter gjennom 125 år |place=Hundvåg |publisher=Sjømilitære Samfund ved Norsk Tidsskrift for Sjøvesen |isbn=82-994738-1-0 |language=no}}
{{October 1914 shipwrecks}}
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Category:Maritime incidents in October 1914
Category:Scuttled vessels of the United Kingdom
Category:Ships built by Swan Hunter
Category:Ships sunk by German submarines in World War I
Category:Steamships of the United Kingdom