SS Narva
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2017}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image | | Ship caption = }} {{Infobox ship career | Hide header = | Ship name =*Aletta Noot (1943-45)
| Ship owner =*Franz Haniel & Cie GmbH (1943-45)
| Ship operator =*Franz Haniel & Cie GmbH (1943-45)
| Ship registry =*{{Flagicon|Nazi Germany}} Duisburg (1943-45)
| Ship route = | Ship ordered = | Ship builder = Gävle Varvs & Verkstads Nya AB | Ship original cost = | Ship yard number = | Ship way number = | Ship laid down = | Ship launched = 1943 | Ship completed = | Ship commissioned = | Ship decommissioned = | Ship christened = | Ship acquired = | Ship maiden voyage = | Ship in service = | Ship out of service = 22 December 1957 | Ship identification =*Code Letters GQFP (1945-57)
| Ship fate = Sank | Ship notes = }} {{Infobox ship characteristics | Hide header = | Header caption = | Ship type = Cargo ship | Ship tonnage =*{{GRT|2,000}} (1943-45)
| Ship displacement = | Ship length = {{convert|255|ft|5|in|m|2|abbr=on}} | Ship beam = {{convert|41|ft|1|in|m|2|abbr=on}} | Ship height = | Ship draught = {{convert|18|ft|8|in|m|2|abbr=on}} | Ship depth = {{convert|18|ft|3|in|m|2|abbr=on}} | Ship decks = | Ship deck clearance = | Ship ramps = | Ship ice class = | Ship sail plan = | Ship power = Compound steam engine | Ship propulsion = Screw propeller | Ship speed = | Ship capacity = | Ship crew = 28 (Narva) | Ship notes = | Ship armament = }} |
{{location map|North Sea|width=304
|lat=57.467
|long=3
|caption=Location of the sinking of Narva.
}}
Narva was a {{GRT|2044|link=off}} cargo ship that was built in 1943 as Aletta Noot by Gävle Varvs & Verkstads Nya AB, Gävle, Sweden for German owners. She was seized by the Allies at Flensburg, Germany in May 1945, passed to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and renamed Empire Confederation. In 1946, she was sold into merchant service and renamed Narva. On 22 December 1957, she foundered whilst going to the aid of another ship in distress.
Description
The ship was built in 1943 by Gävle Varvs & Verkstads Nya AB, Gävle.{{cite book | first = and Sawyer, L A| last = Mitchell, W H | year = 1995| title = The Empire Ships| publisher = Lloyd's of London Press Ltd| location = London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong|isbn=1-85044-275-4}}
The ship was {{convert|255|ft|6|in|m|2}} long, with a beam of {{convert|41|ft|1|in|m|2}} a depth of {{convert|18|ft|3|in|m|2}}. Her draught was about {{convert|18|ft|8|in|m|2}}. She had a GRT of 1,991 and a NRT of 1,076.{{cite web|url=https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/45/45a1192.pdf|title=LLOYD'S REGISTER, STEAMERS & MOTORSHIPS|publisher=Plimsoll Ship Data|access-date=11 June 2010}}
The ship was propelled by a compound steam engine which had two cylinders of {{convert|15+1/2|in|cm}} and two cylinders of {{convert|35+1/2|in|cm}} diameter by {{convert|35+1/2|in|cm}} stroke. The engine was built by Christensen & Meyer, Hamburg.
History
Aletta Noot was built for Franz Haniel & Cie GmbH. Her port of registry was Duisburg.{{cite web|url=https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/44/44b0038.pdf |title=LLOYD'S REGISTER, NAVIRES A VAPEUR ET A MOTEURS |publisher=Plimsoll Ship Data |access-date=10 June 2010}}
In May 1945, Aletta Noot was seized by the Allies at Rendsburg, Germany. She was passed to the MoWT and renamed Empire Confederation. Her port of registry was changed to London The Code Letters GQFP and United Kingdom Official Number 180728 were allocated. She was operated under the management of Springwell Shipping Co Ltd. In 1946, she was sold to the Scottish Navigation Co Ltd, Glasgow and was renamed Narva. She was operated under the management of Glen & Co, Glasgow. Narva was recorded as {{GRT|2044|link=off}}.
On 22 December 1957, Narva was on a voyage from Hudiksvall, Sweden to Grangemouth, Scotland with a cargo of woodpulp.{{cite web|url=http://www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/rp_578_final_report_revsion_2-2.pdf |title=Update of mortality for workers in the UK merchant shipping and fishing sectors - Table 3.6a, Details of major shipping disasters that led to the loss of seven or more seafarers in UK merchant shipping, 1946-2005 |publisher=Maritime and Coastguard Agency |access-date=11 June 2010}} Narva received a distress call from {{SS|Bosworth}}, which was listing badly. It was whilst she was going to the aid of Bosworth that she foundered {{convert|180|nmi|km}} east of Aberdeen ({{coord|57|28|N|3|00|E}}) with the loss of all 28 crew. A distress call was issued at 02:30 UTC. The TS Leda went to the aid of Narva, which was down by the bow with her propeller high in the air when Leda arrived at 03:30. The crew were at the stern of the ship but none of them jumped into the sea so that Leda could rescue them. Narva ceased to register on the radar screen of Leda at 05:40. A Royal Norwegian Air Force Catalina from Sola was despatched to search for survivors, but only found deck cargo and an upturned lifeboat. Two RAF Coastal Command Shackletons were also despatched from RAF Kinloss, as were two from RAF Ballykelly. A Royal Danish Air Force Catalina also assisted in the search, which was coordinated from RAF Pitreavie.{{cite news|title=Crew Of 28 Missing in North Sea|newspaper=The Times |date=23 December 1957 |url=http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itw/infomark/5/242/79075701w16/purl=rc1_TTDA_0_CS100882839&dyn=6!xrn_1_0_CS100882839&hst_1?sw_aep=kccl}} (subscription required for online article)
On 23 July 1958, a question was asked in Parliament by George Lawson, MP as to whether a date had been set for an inquiry into the loss of Narva. The Rt. Hon. Airey Neave, then Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation replied that the inquiry would open in Glasgow on 12 November 1958.{{cite web|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1958/jul/23/ss-narva-inquiry |title=s.s. "Narva" (Inquiry) |work=Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) |date=23 July 1958 |access-date=11 June 2010}} The inquiry lasted two days,{{cite news |title=Loss of the "Narva" a mystery |newspaper=The Times |date=15 November 1959 |url=http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itw/infomark/5/242/79075701w16/purl=rc1_TTDA_0_CS86072175&dyn=22!xrn_13_0_CS86072175&hst_1?sw_aep=kccl }} (subscription required for online article) it determined that the cause of the loss of Narva was through water entering her forward hold through unknown causes, with no fault being found on the part of the crew.{{cite news |title=Loss of ship still unexplained |newspaper=The Times |date=6 February 1959 |url=http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itw/infomark/5/242/79075701w16/purl=rc1_TTDA_0_CS67984454&dyn=8!xrn_15_0_CS67984454&hst_1?sw_aep=kccl }} (subscription required for online article)
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?92459
{{Empire ships}}
{{1957 shipwrecks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Narva}}
Category:Ships built in Sweden
Category:Steamships of Germany
Category:World War II merchant ships of Germany
Category:Ministry of War Transport ships
Category:Steamships of the United Kingdom
Category:Merchant ships of the United Kingdom