Klipfontein
Encyclopedia
The Klipfontein was a Dutch ocean liner
built in the mid 20th century.
in uncharted waters. She sunk in three hours time. All were saved by the ocean liner Bloemfontein Castle
under the command of Captain J.H.F. Ferguson.
Around 11.18 GMT, the Klipfontein struck an object below the waterline near Zavora Point and started sinking. Captain Oosterhuis radioed for help which was received at Beira station and by the nearby Bloemfontein Castle. The ship sank at 14:22 GMT, and six lifeboats were deployed. All 234 passengers were saved and safely aboard the Bloemfontein Castle at 15:45 GMT.
Newspapers from the time state that with the navigational equipment on board it is not likely that a reef
was the 'object'. The region has a couple of sunken ships from the war. According to reports, only one German U-boat
was torpedoed in shallow waters but was never charted.
The cargo was 1000 tons of copper
and manganese ore and 100 bales of wool
.
Some headlines in various newspapers of the time:
Ocean liner
An ocean liner is a ship designed to transport people from one seaport to another along regular long-distance maritime routes according to a schedule. Liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes .Cargo vessels running to a schedule are sometimes referred to as...
built in the mid 20th century.
Sinking of the Klipfontein
On 8 January 1953 the ocean liner Klipfontein struck a foreign object off the coast of MozambiqueMozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
in uncharted waters. She sunk in three hours time. All were saved by the ocean liner Bloemfontein Castle
MV Bloemfontein Castle
The MV Bloemfontein Castle was a passenger liner. She was launched at Harland & Wolff's yard at Belfast on 24 August, 1949 by Mrs Leif Egeland, wife of the High Commissioner for the Union of South Africa in London. She was completed on 25 March 1950. Built for Union-Castle Line's Intermediate...
under the command of Captain J.H.F. Ferguson.
Around 11.18 GMT, the Klipfontein struck an object below the waterline near Zavora Point and started sinking. Captain Oosterhuis radioed for help which was received at Beira station and by the nearby Bloemfontein Castle. The ship sank at 14:22 GMT, and six lifeboats were deployed. All 234 passengers were saved and safely aboard the Bloemfontein Castle at 15:45 GMT.
Newspapers from the time state that with the navigational equipment on board it is not likely that a reef
Reef
In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....
was the 'object'. The region has a couple of sunken ships from the war. According to reports, only one German U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
was torpedoed in shallow waters but was never charted.
The cargo was 1000 tons of copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
and manganese ore and 100 bales of wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
.
Some headlines in various newspapers of the time:
- "We thought it was a realistic drill".
- "Was it a wreck?"
- "The most comfortable shipwreck".