MV Port Fairy
Encyclopedia
MV Port Fairy was a UK merchant vessel
built in 1928 for the Commonwealth & Dominion Line Ltd (or "Port Line") shipping company and sold in 1965 to Embajada Compania Naviera SA of Piraeus
. Named after the coastal town of Port Fairy
in Australia
, she was renamed Taishikan for her final commercial voyage to Hong Kong
where she was scrapped.
, was built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson at Wallsend
in 1928. She had a length of 147 m (477ft 5in), a beam of 19.3 m (63ft 5in) and a service speed of 15 knots.
; she later worked the same cargo from New Zealand
.
Sailing in fast convoy OL8 from Liverpool
to Canada
on 22 October 1940, Port Fairy collided with HMCS Margaree in rough seas about 300 miles (483 km) west of Ireland
(position 53°24′N 22°50′W.). Margaree sank quickly; her captain, four officers and 136 crew were lost. Port Fairy rescued 34 of the survivors.
On 9 July 1943 the small Convoy Faith
, comprising Port Fairy, the troopship
s Duchess of York and California
, with escorts HMCS Iroquois
, HMS Douglas and HMS Moyola, sailed Greenock
for Freetown
, Sierra Leone
. Two days later, when the convoy was about 300 miles west of Vigo, it was attacked by 3 Focke-Wulf Fw 200
aircraft of Kampfgeschwader 40 based at Merignac
, near Bordeaux
. The precision high-altitude bombing left both Duchess of York and California blazing. Port Fairy picked up some RAF survivors from Duchess of York. Both Duchess of York and California were abandoned, and in the early hours of 12 July they were sunk by Royal Navy torpedo attack as it was feared the flames from the ships would attract U boats.
The following day the remnants of the convoy were joined by frigate HMS Swale
which had been despatched from Gibraltar
in response to the attack. Detached to Casablanca
with Swale as escort, the two ships were attacked west of Gibraltar by two Fw 200s returning from a reconnaissance mission. Despite the interception of the two bombers by two US Navy PBY Catalina
s Port Fairy was hit on the port quarter by a 50 kg bomb which breached the hull and set the ship on fire. Ammunition in adjacent cargo spaces was jettisoned and compartments flooded to minimise the risk of explosion. A bucket chain was set up to douse the fire and Swale came alongside and played her own hoses on the blaze, which was extinguished by 2300 hrs. After two further air attacks, during which no hits were sustained, both ships arrived in Casablanca.
. Renamed Taishikan, she made her final commercial voyage to Hong Kong
, where she was broken up.
Merchant vessel
A merchant vessel is a ship that transports cargo or passengers. The closely related term commercial vessel is defined by the United States Coast Guard as any vessel engaged in commercial trade or that carries passengers for hire...
built in 1928 for the Commonwealth & Dominion Line Ltd (or "Port Line") shipping company and sold in 1965 to Embajada Compania Naviera SA of Piraeus
Piraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
. Named after the coastal town of Port Fairy
Port Fairy, Victoria
Port Fairy is a coastal town in south-western Victoria, Australia. It lies on the Princes Highway in the Shire of Moyne, west of Warrnambool and 290 km west of Melbourne, at the point where the Moyne River enters the Southern Ocean.-History:...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, she was renamed Taishikan for her final commercial voyage to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
where she was scrapped.
Construction
Port Fairy, 8072 GRTGross Register Tonnage
Gross register tonnage a ship's total internal volume expressed in "register tons", one of which equals to a volume of . It is calculated from the total permanently enclosed capacity of the vessel. The ship's net register tonnage is obtained by reducing the volume of non-revenue-earning spaces i.e...
, was built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson at Wallsend
Wallsend
Wallsend is an area in North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. Wallsend derives its name as the location of the end of Hadrian's Wall. It has a population of 42,842.-Romans:...
in 1928. She had a length of 147 m (477ft 5in), a beam of 19.3 m (63ft 5in) and a service speed of 15 knots.
Pre-War
In 1930 her refrigeration equipment was modified and she carried the first cargo of chilled meat (instead of frozen meat) from AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
; she later worked the same cargo from New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
World War II
Port Fairy had an eventful war employed as an ammunition ship.Sailing in fast convoy OL8 from Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on 22 October 1940, Port Fairy collided with HMCS Margaree in rough seas about 300 miles (483 km) west of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
(position 53°24′N 22°50′W.). Margaree sank quickly; her captain, four officers and 136 crew were lost. Port Fairy rescued 34 of the survivors.
Convoy Faith
Convoy Faith was an Allied convoy of World War II that suffered heavy casualties after being attacked by German Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor long-range bomber aircraft on the night of 11/12 July 1943. The convoy departed Greenock, Scotland on 8 July bound for Freetown in Sierra Leone and...
, comprising Port Fairy, the troopship
Troopship
A troopship is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime...
s Duchess of York and California
SS California (1923)
SS California was a British steam-powered passenger ship of 16,792 tons built in 1923 for the Henderson Brothers Ltd, Glasgow.-Construction:...
, with escorts HMCS Iroquois
HMCS Iroquois (G89)
-External links:** at Haze Gray and Underway*...
, HMS Douglas and HMS Moyola, sailed Greenock
Greenock
Greenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
for Freetown
Freetown
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean located in the Western Area of the country, and had a city proper population of 772,873 at the 2004 census. The city is the economic, financial, and cultural center of...
, Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
. Two days later, when the convoy was about 300 miles west of Vigo, it was attacked by 3 Focke-Wulf Fw 200
Focke-Wulf Fw 200
The Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor, also known as Kurier to the Allies was a German all-metal four-engine monoplane originally developed by Focke-Wulf as a long-range airliner...
aircraft of Kampfgeschwader 40 based at Merignac
Mérignac
Mérignac can refer to Bordeaux - Mérignac Airport.Mérignac is also the name of several communes in France:* Mérignac, Charente* Mérignac, Charente-Maritime* Mérignac, Gironde...
, near Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
. The precision high-altitude bombing left both Duchess of York and California blazing. Port Fairy picked up some RAF survivors from Duchess of York. Both Duchess of York and California were abandoned, and in the early hours of 12 July they were sunk by Royal Navy torpedo attack as it was feared the flames from the ships would attract U boats.
HMS Swale (K217)
HMS Swale was a River class frigate of the Royal Navy from 1942–1955, loaned to the South African Navy for six months at the end of the Second world War.-Construction:Swale was built to the RN's specifications as a Group I River class frigate...
which had been despatched from Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
in response to the attack. Detached to Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
with Swale as escort, the two ships were attacked west of Gibraltar by two Fw 200s returning from a reconnaissance mission. Despite the interception of the two bombers by two US Navy PBY Catalina
PBY Catalina
The Consolidated PBY Catalina was an American flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s produced by Consolidated Aircraft. It was one of the most widely used multi-role aircraft of World War II. PBYs served with every branch of the United States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other...
s Port Fairy was hit on the port quarter by a 50 kg bomb which breached the hull and set the ship on fire. Ammunition in adjacent cargo spaces was jettisoned and compartments flooded to minimise the risk of explosion. A bucket chain was set up to douse the fire and Swale came alongside and played her own hoses on the blaze, which was extinguished by 2300 hrs. After two further air attacks, during which no hits were sustained, both ships arrived in Casablanca.
Post-War
On 25 December 1953, while operating on the Montreal - Australian New Zealand service, both engines failed owing to contaminated lubrication oil and the ship drifted for three days towards the rocks of Fatu Hira atoll. Plans were put in place to rig a temporary sail, but as this was being done one of the engines was repaired and the ship made port at 5 knots.Disposal
By 1965 Port Fairy was the oldest ship in the fleet, and was sold for £126,000 for scrap to Embajada Compania Naviera SA of PiraeusPiraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
. Renamed Taishikan, she made her final commercial voyage to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, where she was broken up.