MV Tower Grange
Encyclopedia
MV Tower Grange was a cargo ship
completed by William Doxford & Sons
Ltd in Sunderland in 1940. She was owned by Tower Steamships Co Ltd and managed by Counties Ship Management
Co Ltd of London (CSM), both of which were offshoots of the Rethymnis & Kulukundis shipbroking
company.
William Henry Williamson had sailed from Calcutta
bound for Trinidad
and the UK with a mixed cargo of 8,332 tons including 1,800 tons of manganese
ore. She called at Cape Town
on 27 October. AT 0834 hrs on 17 November the U-boat
U-154 sighted her sailing unescorted in the western Atlantic, but Tower Grange steered a zigzag course that prevented attack. At 0639 hrs the next morning U-154 fired a spread of three torpedoes but Tower Grange evaded them. At 0701 hrs U-154 fired a second spread, two of which hit Tower Grange, killing four crew and two gunners and sinking her about 250 miles northeast of Cayenne
, French Guiana
.
Tower Grange's survivors abandoned ship but the lifeboats became separated. After six days the Anchor Line cargo steamer SS Castalia rescued Captain Williamson and 29 crew on 23 November and landed them on Trinidad four days later. Two days later the Scottish cargo steamer SS Baron Belhaven rescued the First Officer
and ten other survivors on 25 November and took them to Trinidad.
SS Empire Morley and renamed her Tower Grange. In 1959 she was transferred to a new Rethymnis & Kulukundis Company, London & Overseas Freighters
, who renamed her London Trader. In 1950 LOF sold her to new owners who registered her under the Panama
nian flag of convenience
as Nico. She was scrapped in Etajima
, Japan in 1969.
Bulk carrier
A bulk carrier, bulk freighter, or bulker is a merchant ship specially designed to transport unpackaged bulk cargo, such as grains, coal, ore, and cement in its cargo holds. Since the first specialized bulk carrier was built in 1852, economic forces have fueled the development of these ships,...
completed by William Doxford & Sons
William Doxford & Sons
William Doxford & Sons Ltd, often referred to simply as Doxford, was a British shipbuilding company.-History:The Company was established by William Doxford in 1840. From 1870 it was based in Pallion, Sunderland, on the River Wear in Northeast England. The Company was managed by William Doxford's...
Ltd in Sunderland in 1940. She was owned by Tower Steamships Co Ltd and managed by Counties Ship Management
Counties Ship Management
Counties Ship Management Co. Ltd. was an ocean-going merchant shipping company based in the United Kingdom. During the Second World War CSM merchant ships made a substantial contribution to supplying the British war effort, at a cost of 13 ships lost and 163 officers and men killed.-Founding of...
Co Ltd of London (CSM), both of which were offshoots of the Rethymnis & Kulukundis shipbroking
Shipbroking
Shipbroking is a financial service, which forms part of the global shipping industry. Shipbrokers are specialist intermediaries/negotiators between shipowners and charterers who use ships to transport cargo, or between buyers and sellers of ships.Some brokerage firms have developed into large...
company.
Sinking
In 1942 Tower Grange under CaptainCaptain (nautical)
A sea captain is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of the vessel. The captain is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel complies with local and international laws, as well as company and flag...
William Henry Williamson had sailed from Calcutta
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
bound for Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
and the UK with a mixed cargo of 8,332 tons including 1,800 tons of manganese
Manganese
Manganese is a chemical element, designated by the symbol Mn. It has the atomic number 25. It is found as a free element in nature , and in many minerals...
ore. She called at Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
on 27 October. AT 0834 hrs on 17 November the 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...
U-154 sighted her sailing unescorted in the western Atlantic, but Tower Grange steered a zigzag course that prevented attack. At 0639 hrs the next morning U-154 fired a spread of three torpedoes but Tower Grange evaded them. At 0701 hrs U-154 fired a second spread, two of which hit Tower Grange, killing four crew and two gunners and sinking her about 250 miles northeast of Cayenne
Cayenne
Cayenne is the capital of French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France located in South America. The city stands on a former island at the mouth of the Cayenne River on the Atlantic coast. The city's motto is "Ferit Aurum Industria" which means "Work brings wealth"...
, French Guiana
French Guiana
French Guiana is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department located on the northern Atlantic coast of South America. It has borders with two nations, Brazil to the east and south, and Suriname to the west...
.
Tower Grange's survivors abandoned ship but the lifeboats became separated. After six days the Anchor Line cargo steamer SS Castalia rescued Captain Williamson and 29 crew on 23 November and landed them on Trinidad four days later. Two days later the Scottish cargo steamer SS Baron Belhaven rescued the First Officer
Chief Mate
A Chief Mate or Chief Officer, usually also synonymous with the First Mate or First Officer , is a licensed member and head of the deck department of a merchant ship...
and ten other survivors on 25 November and took them to Trinidad.
Replacement ship
In 1947 Tower Steamships bought the 1944-built Empire shipEmpire ship
The Empire ships were a series of ships in the service of the British Government. Their names were all prefixed with "Empire". Mostly they were used during World War II by the Ministry of War Transport , who owned the ships but contracted out their management to various shipping lines. Some ships...
SS Empire Morley and renamed her Tower Grange. In 1959 she was transferred to a new Rethymnis & Kulukundis Company, London & Overseas Freighters
London & Overseas Freighters
London & Overseas Freighters Ltd. was an ocean-going merchant shipping company that for most of its history was based in the United Kingdom.-Counties Ship Management:...
, who renamed her London Trader. In 1950 LOF sold her to new owners who registered her under the Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
nian flag of convenience
Flag of convenience
The term flag of convenience describes the business practice of registering a merchant ship in a sovereign state different from that of the ship's owners, and flying that state's civil ensign on the ship. Ships are registered under flags of convenience to reduce operating costs or avoid the...
as Nico. She was scrapped in Etajima
Etajima
Etajima is an island in Hiroshima Bay located in southwestern Hiroshima Prefecture.From the city of Hiroshima the island is about 7km out at sea. The island is about 6km from the city of Kure. It is connected to Kure by two bridges....
, Japan in 1969.