SS Irish Pine (1919)
{{Short description|Cargo steamship sunk in 1942}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship career | Hide header = | Ship name =*West Hematite (1919-41)
| Ship owner =*United States Maritime Commission (1919- )
| Ship operator =*Cosmo Shipping Co (1919-21)
| Ship registry =*{{flagicon|United States|1912}} Seattle (1919-41)
| Ship route = Bordeaux - Rotterdam - Le Havre - New York (1919-21) | Ship ordered = | Ship builder = J F Duthie, Seattle, Washington | Ship original cost = | Ship yard number = 23 | Ship way number = | Ship laid down = | Ship launched = 26 April 1919 | Ship completed = June 1919 | Ship christened = | Ship acquired = | Ship maiden voyage = | Ship in service = | Ship out of service = 16 November 1942 | Ship identification =*United States Official number 218111 (1919-41)
| Ship fate = Torpedoed and sunk by U-608 | Ship notes = }} {{Infobox ship characteristics | Hide header = | Header caption = | Ship class = | Ship tonnage =*{{GRT|5,621}}
| Ship displacement = | Ship length =*{{convert|409|ft|7|in|m|2|abbr=on}} (West Hematite, 1930)
| Ship beam =*{{convert|54|ft|2|in|m|2|abbr=on}} (West Hematite, 1930)
| Ship height = | Ship draught = | Ship draft = | Ship depth =*{{convert|27|ft|7|in|m|2|abbr=on}} (West Hematite, 1930)
| Ship decks = | Ship deck clearance = | Ship ramps = | Ship ice class = | Ship sail plan = | Ship power = 1 x triple expansion steam engine | Ship propulsion = Single screw | Ship speed = {{convert|10.5|kn|km/h}} | Ship capacity = | Ship crew = 33 | Ship notes = Built to Design 1013 }} |
Irish Pine was a {{GRT|5621|link=off}} cargo ship which was built in 1919 for the United States Maritime Commission (USMC) and named West Hematite. She was chartered in 1941 by Irish Shipping Ltd and renamed Irish Pine. On 16 November 1942, Irish Pine was torpedoed and sunk by {{GS|U-608||2}}.
Description
The ship was built to Design 1013 by J. F. Duthie & Company, Seattle, Washington, was launched on 26 April 1919 and completed in June of that year.{{csr|register=MSI|id=2218111|access-date=3 December 2009}} The ship was {{convert|409|ft|7|in|m|2}} long, with a beam of {{convert|54|ft|2|in|m|2}} and a depth of {{convert|27|ft|2|in|m|2}}. She was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine which had cylinders of {{convert|24.5|in|cm}}, {{convert|41.5|in|cm}} and {{convert|72|in|cm}} bore and {{convert|48|in|cm}} stroke. It was built by the Llewellyn Iron Works, Los Angeles.{{cite web|url=https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/30/30b1293.pdf |title=Lloyd's Register, Steamers & Motorships|publisher=Plimsoll Ship Data |access-date=3 December 2009}} She could make {{convert|10.5|kn|km/h}}.
Irish Pine was recorded in Lloyd's Register as being {{convert|410|ft|4|in|m|2}} long, with a beam of {{convert|54|ft|m|2}} and a depth of {{convert|30|ft|2|in|m|2}}.
History
West Hematite was built for the USMC.{{cite web|url=http://uboat.net/allies/merchants/2434.html |title=Irish Pine |publisher=Uboat |access-date=3 December 2009}} She was initially chartered to Cosmo Shipping Co and was used on the Bordeaux – Rotterdam – Le Havre – New York route.{{cite web|url=https://www.libertyellisfoundation.org/ship |title=West Hematite |publisher=Ellis Island |access-date=3 December 2009}} On 16 February 1923, she ran aground in the Weser. The American cargo ship {{SS|Schroon||2}} went to her assistance and also ran aground.{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Casualty reports |date=17 February 1923 |page=19 |issue=43268 |column=G }} By 1933, she had passed to the United States Shipping Board (USSB). She was later withdrawn from service and placed in the reserve fleet.
File:The Seamen's Memorial - Limerick City (35173970954).jpg
On 26 September 1941, West Hematite was chartered from the USSB by Irish Shipping Ltd and renamed Irish Pine. {{SS|Irish Oak|1919|2}} was also chartered from the USSB.{{cite book|last=Forde|first=Frank|title=The Long Watch|publisher=New Island Books|location=Dublin|page=40|orig-year=1981|year=2000|isbn=1-902602-42-0}} On 4 August 1942, the Union-Castle Line's {{MV|Richmond Castle|1939|2}} was torpedoed and sunk by {{GS|U-176||2}} off Cape Farewell. Irish Pine rescued 15 of the 50 survivors and landed them at Kilrush.{{cite web |url=http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/1942/08/04.htm |title=August 4th, 1942 |publisher=Andrew Etherington |access-date=3 December 2009 |archive-date=23 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023090309/http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/1942/08/04.htm |url-status=dead }}
At 00:15 on 16 November 1942, Irish Pine was hit by a single torpedo from U-608. Although the 33 crew started to take to the lifeboats, the ship sank at 00:17, costing everyone on board their life. Her position was {{coord|42|45|N|58|00|W|display=inline, title}}, in the North Atlantic south of Cape Breton Island, Canada. Ireland had not declared war on Germany, and therefore Irish Pine was a neutral vessel.{{cite web|url=http://www.irishseamensrelativesassociation.org/Crews%201.htm |title=Neutral Irish registered vessels and their crews lost as a result of belligerent action during 1939 - 46 |publisher=Irish Seamen's Relatives Association |access-date=9 December 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081005032729/http://www.irishseamensrelativesassociation.org/Crews%201.htm |archive-date=October 5, 2008 }}
Official number and code letters
Official Numbers were a forerunner to IMO Numbers. West Hematite had the United States Official Number 218111. Irish Pine had the United Kingdom Official Number 159843.{{cite web|url=https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/42/42b0431.pdf |title=Lloyd's Register, Navires a Vapeur et a Moteurs|publisher=Plimsoll Ship Data |access-date=3 December 2009}}
West Hematite used the Code Letters LRGF from 1930 and KLCS from 1934.{{cite web|url=https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/34/34b0908.pdf |title=Lloyd's Register, Steamers & Motorships |publisher=Plimsoll Ship Data |access-date=3 December 2009}} Irish Pine used the Code Letters EINQ.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.irishships.com/irish_shipping_ltd.html Irishships - Irish Shipping Ltd]
- [http://www.irishseamensrelativesassociation.org/Irish%20Pine%20Crew.htm List of crew lost on Irish Pine] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100215073543/http://www.irishseamensrelativesassociation.org/Irish%20Pine%20Crew.htm |date=2010-02-15 }}
{{Design 1013 ships}}
{{Irish Shipping}}
{{1923 shipwrecks}}
{{November 1942 shipwrecks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Irish Pine}}
Category:Ships built by J. F. Duthie & Company
Category:Steamships of the United States
Category:Merchant ships of the United States
Category:Steamships of the Republic of Ireland
Category:World War II merchant ships of the Republic of Ireland
Category:Independent Ireland in World War II
Category:Maritime history of Ireland
Category:Maritime incidents in 1923
Category:Maritime incidents in November 1942
Category:Ships sunk by German submarines in World War II
Category:World War II shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean