SS Jumna
{{Short description|Steam passenger liner sunk during World War II}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2021}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image |Ship image= |Ship caption= }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header= |Ship country= United Kingdom |Ship flag= {{shipboxflag|UK|civil}} |Ship name= Jumna |Ship namesake= Jamuna |Ship owner= 18px James Nourse, Ltd |Ship operator= |Ship registry= London |Ship route= |Ship ordered= |Ship builder= A Stephen & Sons, Kelvinhaugh |Ship original cost= |Ship yard number= 522 |Ship laid down= |Ship launched= 24 January 1929 |Ship sponsor= |Ship completed= April 1929 |Ship maiden voyage= |Ship acquired= |Ship in service= |Ship out of service= |Ship identification= *UK official number 161216
|Ship fate= Sunk by shellfire, 25 December 1940 |Ship notes= }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption= |Ship type= passenger liner |Ship tonnage= {{GRT|6078}}, {{NRT|3746}} |Ship displacement= |Ship length= {{cvt|423.9|ft|abbr=on}} |Ship beam= {{cvt|55.9|ft|abbr=on}} |Ship draught= {{cvt|25|ft|1|in|abbr=on|2}} |Ship depth= {{cvt|28.1|ft|abbr=on}} |Ship decks= |Ship power= 612 NHP |Ship propulsion= *2 × triple expansion engines
|Ship speed= {{convert|11|kn|km/h}} |Ship capacity= |Ship crew= 64 |Ship armament= DEMS |Ship sensors= |Ship notes= sister ships: Saugor, Ganges }} |
SS Jumna was a steam passenger liner that was built in Scotland in 1929 and sunk with all hands by a German cruiser on Christmas Day 1940. She was a ship in the fleet of James Nourse, Ltd, whose trade included taking indentured labourers from India to the British West Indies.
Jumna was named after the Jamuna river, a tributary of the Ganges. This was the second ship in the Nourse Line fleet to be called Jumna. The first Jumna was a sailing ship that was built in 1867, sold in 1898 and reported in 1899.{{cite web |url= http://www.sunderlandships.com/view.php?year_built=&builder=&ref=157117&vessel=JUMNA |title=Jumna (1867) |work=Wear Built Ships |publisher=Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust |access-date=25 February 2021}} The third was a motor ship that was built in 1962, renamed in 1972 and scrapped in 1985.{{cite web |url= http://clydeships.co.uk/view.php?year_built=&builder=&ref=4994&vessel=JUMNA |title=Jumna (1962) |work=Scottish Built Ships |publisher=Caledonian Maritime Research Trust |access-date=25 February 2021}}
Building
In 1928 Caird & Company of Greenock built a passenger steamship for James Nourse Ltd.{{cite web |url= http://clydeships.co.uk/view.php?year_built=&builder=&ref=4045&vessel=SAUGOR |title=Saugor |work=Scottish Built Ships |publisher=Caledonian Maritime Research Trust |access-date=25 February 2021}} In 1929 Alexander Stephen and Sons, Kelvinhaugh, Glasgow built a sister ship for her. Jumna was launched on 24 January and completed that April.{{cite web |url= http://clydeships.co.uk/view.php?year_built=&builder=&ref=17110&vessel=JUMNA |title=Jumna (1929) |work=Scottish Built Ships |publisher=Caledonian Maritime Research Trust |access-date=25 February 2021}} In 1930 Harland and Wolff built a third sister ship, Ganges.{{cite web |url= http://clydeships.co.uk/view.php?year_built=&builder=&a1Page=2&ref=9147&vessel=GANGES |title=Ganges |work=Scottish Built Ships |publisher=Caledonian Maritime Research Trust |access-date=25 February 2021}}
When they were new, Saugor, Jumna and Ganges were the biggest ships in the Nourse Line fleet.{{cite web |url= http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/nourse.shtml |last1=Swiggum |first1=Susan |last2=Kohli |first2=Marjorie |title=Nourse Line |work=TheShipsList |date=3 May 2006 |access-date=25 February 2021}} Jumna was {{cvt|423.9|ft|abbr=on}} long, her beam was {{cvt|55.9|ft|abbr=on}} and her depth was {{cvt|28.1|ft|abbr=on}}. Her tonnages were {{GRT|6078}} and {{NRT|3746}}.
Jumna{{'}}s main propulsion was from a pair of three-cylinder triple-expansion steam engines. Exhaust steam from the low-pressure cylinder of each piston engine powered a Bauer-Wach steam turbine. Each turbine drove the same shaft as its triple-expansion engine via double reduction gearing and a Föttinger fluid coupling.{{cite book |url= https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/30/30b0617.pdf |year=1930 |title=Lloyd's Register |chapter=Steamers & Motorships |publisher=Lloyd's Register |access-date=25 February 2021}} Between them the two piston engines and two turbines gave Jumna a speed of {{convert|11|kn|km/h}}.{{cite web |url= https://wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?149733 |last1=Vleggeert |first1=Nico |last2=Allen |first2=Tony |title=SS Jumna (+1940) |work=Wrecksite |access-date=25 February 2021}}
Jumna was registered in London and her UK official number was 161216. Her code letters were LDBH until 1933–34, when they were superseded by the call sign GSTH.{{cite book |url= https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/34/34b0438.pdf |year=1934 |title=Lloyd's Register |chapter=Steamers & Motorships |publisher=Lloyd's Register |access-date=25 February 2021}}
Second World War service
On 13 September 1939, in the first month of the Second World War, Jumna left Singapore. She called at Colombo, Bombay, Rangoon and Calcutta, and then sailed via Cape Town to the Caribbean, reaching Trinidad on New Year's Eve 1939.{{cite web |url= http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/ports/index.html?search.php?vessel=JUMNA~armain |last=Hague |first=Arnold |title=Ship Movements |work=Port Arrivals / Departures |publisher=Don Kindell, Convoyweb |access-date=25 February 2021}}
Jumna left Trinidad on 5 January 1940, called at Barbados, San Juan, Jobos, San Pedro de Macorís, Kingston, Havana, Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo Bay and Júcaro. On 3 March 1940 she left Júcaro for Halifax, Nova Scotia. She joined Convoy HX 28, which left Halifax on 8 March and reached Liverpool on 2 April.{{cite web |url= http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/hx/index.html?hx.php?convoy=28!~hxmain |last=Hague |first=Arnold |title=Convoy HX.28 |work=HX Convoy Series |publisher=Don Kindell, Convoyweb |access-date=25 February 2021}} Jumna continued via Southend-on-Sea to Southampton, where she arrived on 24 April.
On 28 April 1940 Jumna left Spithead for the Indian Ocean. She sailed via convoys OA 138GF{{cite web |url= http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/oa/index.html?oa.php?convoy=138GF!~oamain |last=Hague |first=Arnold |title=Convoy OA.138GF |work=OA Convoy Series |publisher=Don Kindell, Convoyweb |access-date=25 February 2021}} and OG 28F, which took her as far as Gibraltar.{{cite web |url= http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/og/index.html?og.php?convoy=28F!~ogmain |last=Hague |first=Arnold |title=Convoy OG.28F |work=OG Convoy Series |publisher=Don Kindell, Convoyweb |access-date=25 February 2021}} She then continued via Malta, the Suez Canal and Aden to Colombo, where she arrived on 22 June 1940 before calling at Rangoon and Calcutta.
On 14 July 1940 Jumna left Calcutta on her next trip to the Caribbean. She called at Cape Town, and on 28 August reached Trinidad. She called at Barbados, Kingston, Nuevitas, Caibarién and Havana, and reached Galveston, where she arrived on 5 October.
On 12 October 1940 Jumna left Galveston for Bermuda, where she joined Convoy BHX 83.{{cite web |url= http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/bhx/index.html?bhx.php?convoy=83!~bhxmain |last=Hague |first=Arnold |title=Convoy BHX.83 |work=HX Convoy Series |publisher=Don Kindell, Convoyweb |access-date=25 February 2021}} This merged at sea with Convoy HX 83, which reached Liverpool on 7 November.{{cite web |url= http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/hx/index.html?hx.php?convoy=83!~hxmain |last=Hague |first=Arnold |title=Convoy HX.83 |work=HX Convoy Series |publisher=Don Kindell, Convoyweb |access-date=25 February 2021}}
File:Bundesarchiv DVM 10 Bild-23-63-24, Schwerer Kreuzer "Admiral Hipper".jpg
On 16 December 1940 Jumna left Liverpool bound for Calcutta via Freetown. She was the commodore ship of Convoy OB 260, carrying the convoy commodore, Rear-Admiral Henry Maltby.{{cite web |url= https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/13809949/henry-bradford-maltby |title=Rear Admiral (Commodore 2nd Class) Henry Bradford Maltby |work=Find A Grave |date=31 March 2006 |access-date=25 February 2021}} On 19 December OB 260 dispersed at sea.{{cite web |url= http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/ob2/index.html?ob.php?convoy=260!~obmain |last=Hague |first=Arnold |title=Convoy OB.260 |work=OB Convoy Series |publisher=Don Kindell, Convoyweb |access-date=25 February 2021}}
On Christmas Day 1940 the {{ship|German cruiser|Admiral Hipper}} attacked Jumna in the Atlantic Ocean north of the Azores. The cruiser shelled Jumna, sinking her and killing all 44 passengers and 64 crew aboard.
Fate of sister ships
Neither of Jumna{{'}}s sister ships survived the war. On 27 August 1941 {{GS|U-557||2}} sunk Saugor by torpedo, killing 59 of her complement.{{cite web |url= https://wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?59799 |last1=Allen |first1=Tony |last2=Vleggeert |first2=Nico |title=SS Saugor (+1941) |work=Wrecksite |access-date=25 February 2021}} On 6 April 1942 Ganges sank with the loss of 15 of her complement after colliding with the Clan Line steamship Clan Macfarlane.{{cite web |url= https://wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?31688 |last1=Allen |first1=Tony |last2=Vleggeert |first2=Nico |title=SS Ganges (+1942) |work=Wrecksite |access-date=25 February 2021}}
References
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{{December 1940 shipwrecks}}
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Category:Maritime incidents in December 1940
Category:Ships built in Glasgow
Category:Ships lost with all hands
Category:Steamships of the United Kingdom