SS Clan Alpine (1942)
Encyclopedia
{|Clan Alpine was a 7,168 GRT cargo ship
which was built in 1942 for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) as Empire Barrie. She was sold to Clan Line Steamers Ltd
in 1947 and served with them until 1957 when she was sold to Bullard, King & Co Ltd and renamed Umvoti. In 1959 she was sold back to Clan Line and renamed Clan Alpine. She was sold for scrap in 1960 and wrecked in a cyclone
in October 1960 at Chittagong
, East Pakistan
, finally being scrapped in February 1961.
, Sunderland as yard number 615. She was launched on 17 January 1942 and completed in April 1942. Empire Barrie was built for the MoWT and was initially placed under the management of Allan, Black & Co. In 1944, management passed to Cayzer, Irvine & Co Ltd.
aircraft to Casablanca
, Morocco
. JL166, JL175, JL 179, JL185, JL188 and JL219.
Empire Barrie was a member of a number of convoys during the Second World War.
SL 134
Convoy SL 134 sailed from Freetown
, Sierra Leone
on 28 July 1943 and arrived at Liverpool
on 19 August. Empire Barrie was in carrying a cargo of manganese
ore from Takoradi
, Gold Coast
.
SC 144
Convoy SC 144 which sailed from Halifax, Nova Scotia
on 11 October 1943 and arrived at Liverpool on 27 October. Empire Barrie was carrying general cargo and bound for London
.
KMS 37
Convoy KMS 37 sailed from Liverpool on 25 December 1943 and arrived at Gibraltar
on 7 January 1944. Empire Barrie was carrying general cargo and ammunition and was bound for Port Sudan
, Aden
and Dar es Salaam
.
MKS 47
Convoy MKS 47 sailed from Port Said
on 19 April 1944
fumes from a makeshift brazier they had set up in their cabin whilst the ship was in dry dock
at Glasgow
undergoing repairs. In 1957 she was sold to Bullard, King and Co Ltd and renamed Umvoti, serving with them until 1959 when she was sold back to Clan Line and renamed Clan Alpine. She was sold to Japan
ese shipbreakers, with delivery scheduled for November 1960. Although in good condition, her maximum speed of 10.5 knots (20.6 km/h) made her too slow for the route she was employed on (United Kingdom
- East Africa
- India
- Pakistan
- Ceylon - Australia
).
for Chittagong, via Glasgow
, the Suez Canal
, Assab
, Djibouti, Aden
, Bombay, Cochin and Tuticorin. She arrived at Chittagong at 01:30hrs on 31 October and anchored to await a berth at the docks. Orders had been received at Bombay for Clan Alpine to proceed to Vizag or Rangoon to embark cargo bound for Japan after she had discharged her cargo at Chittagong. This was to be delivered before she made her way to Onomichi
for scrapping.
It was reported that a cyclone was heading for Chittagong, and by 18:35 hrs there were reports that the wind was exceeding Force 12
. Although Clan Alpine engine was at "Full Ahead" she was being dragged astern up the Sandwip Channel at 35 knots (68.6 km/h) dragging both anchors with her. A 35 feet (10.7 m) storm surge
had struck the area. The Chittagong Meteorological Office recorded windspeeds in excess of 120 knots (235.2 km/h) at the height of the cyclone.. It was later revealed that the wind had peaked at 135 knots (264.6 km/h). At 18:50 hrs, the eye of the storm passed over the ship and at 19:25 hrs a bump was felt and it was reported that the ship had run aground. The engines were stopped, but a request was made for them to be restarted as the ship was apparently near rocks. The rocks were quickly revealed to be the tops of palm trees
.
The engines and two of the three boilers were shut down, leaving one boiler supplying steam to run the generators and other auxiliary equipment. Clan Alpine had come to rest upright, some 11 miles (17.7 km) upstream of the Karnaphuli River
mouth at Skonai Chori (22°25′N 91°44′E). A message was sent by radio to Clan Line's head office in London informing them of the situation. The reply received asked for confirmation of the position of Clan Alpine. The President of Pakistan
, General Mohammed Ayub Khan paid a visit to the ship by helicopter
. The crew were made honorary members of the Chittagong Club, which enabled them to use bungalow
s owned by the club as a break from staying aboard the ship.
Salvage engineers assessed that it was practical to salvage the ship, but not economical to do so. To keep the boilers supplied with water, sea water was pumped on board during each high tide, using a diesel powered fire pump. The generators were only used at night to help preserve stocks of fresh water on board ship. Clan Alpine was carrying 2,400 tons of general cargo. A road was constructed linking the ship with the main Chittagong highway, and the cargo was discharged into lorries by using the ship's steam winches. The last of the cargo was unloaded on 4 January 1961. Queen Elizabeth II
and Prince Philip
visited the ship during the time that she was stranded. Clan Alpine was declared a constructive total loss, and sold on 14 February 1961 to East Bengal Trading Corporation Ltd and scrapped in situ
. She was sold for about £50,000
.
. The ship had the UK Official Number 169016. Empire Barrie and Clan Alpine used the Code Letters
BDRD.
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
which was built in 1942 for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) as Empire Barrie. She was sold to Clan Line Steamers Ltd
Clan Line
The Clan Line was a passenger and cargo shipping company that operated in one incarnation or another from the late nineteenth century and into the twentieth century.-Foundation and early years:...
in 1947 and served with them until 1957 when she was sold to Bullard, King & Co Ltd and renamed Umvoti. In 1959 she was sold back to Clan Line and renamed Clan Alpine. She was sold for scrap in 1960 and wrecked in a cyclone
Tropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
in October 1960 at Chittagong
Chittagong
Chittagong ) is a city in southeastern Bangladesh and the capital of an eponymous district and division. Built on the banks of the Karnaphuli River, the city is home to Bangladesh's busiest seaport and has a population of over 4.5 million, making it the second largest city in the country.A trading...
, East Pakistan
East Pakistan
East Pakistan was a provincial state of Pakistan established in 14 August 1947. The provincial state existed until its declaration of independence on 26 March 1971 as the independent nation of Bangladesh. Pakistan recognized the new nation on 16 December 1971. East Pakistan was created from Bengal...
, finally being scrapped in February 1961.
History
Empire Barrie was built by J L Thompson & Sons LtdJ.L. Thompson and Sons
J.L. Thompson and Sons was a shipyard on the River Wear, Sunderland, which produced ships from the mid-18th century until the 1980s. The world-famous Liberty Ship was among the designs to be created, produced and manufactured at the yard's base at North Sands....
, Sunderland as yard number 615. She was launched on 17 January 1942 and completed in April 1942. Empire Barrie was built for the MoWT and was initially placed under the management of Allan, Black & Co. In 1944, management passed to Cayzer, Irvine & Co Ltd.
War Service
In May 1943, Empire Barrie delivered 24 SpitfireSupermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
aircraft 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...
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
. JL166, JL175, JL 179, JL185, JL188 and JL219.
Empire Barrie was a member of a number of convoys during the Second World War.
SL 134
Convoy SL 134 sailed from 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...
on 28 July 1943 and arrived at 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...
on 19 August. Empire Barrie was in carrying a cargo 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 from Takoradi
Sekondi-Takoradi
Sekondi-Takoradi, population 335,000 , comprising the twin cities of Sekondi and Takoradi, is the capital of the Western Region of Ghana. It is Ghana's fourth largest city and an industrial and commercial center. The chief industries are timber, plywood, shipbuilding and railroad repair and...
, Gold Coast
Gold Coast (British colony)
The Gold Coast was a British colony on the Gulf of Guinea in west Africa that became the independent nation of Ghana in 1957.-Overview:The first Europeans to arrive at the coast were the Portuguese in 1471. They encountered a variety of African kingdoms, some of which controlled substantial...
.
SC 144
Convoy SC 144 which sailed from Halifax, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
on 11 October 1943 and arrived at Liverpool on 27 October. Empire Barrie was carrying general cargo and bound for London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
KMS 37
Convoy KMS 37 sailed from Liverpool on 25 December 1943 and arrived at 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...
on 7 January 1944. Empire Barrie was carrying general cargo and ammunition and was bound for Port Sudan
Port Sudan
Port Sudan is the capital of Red Sea State, Sudan; it has 489,725 residents . Located on the Red Sea, it is the Republic of Sudan's main port city.-History:...
, Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
and Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam , formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. It is also the country's richest city and a regionally important economic centre. Dar es Salaam is actually an administrative province within Tanzania, and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: ...
.
MKS 47
Convoy MKS 47 sailed from Port Said
Port Said
Port Said is a city that lies in north east Egypt extending about 30 km along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Suez Canal, with an approximate population of 603,787...
on 19 April 1944
Postwar
In 1945, Empire Barrie was sold to Clan Line Steamers Ltd and renamed Clan Alpine She was the fourth Clan Line ship to bear that name. In 1952, she underwent a series of tests with the .. On 3 February 1956, six crewmembers were killed by carbon monoxideCarbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide , also called carbonous oxide, is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that is slightly lighter than air. It is highly toxic to humans and animals in higher quantities, although it is also produced in normal animal metabolism in low quantities, and is thought to have some normal...
fumes from a makeshift brazier they had set up in their cabin whilst the ship was in dry dock
Dry dock
A drydock is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform...
at Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
undergoing repairs. In 1957 she was sold to Bullard, King and Co Ltd and renamed Umvoti, serving with them until 1959 when she was sold back to Clan Line and renamed Clan Alpine. She was sold to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese shipbreakers, with delivery scheduled for November 1960. Although in good condition, her maximum speed of 10.5 knots (20.6 km/h) made her too slow for the route she was employed on (United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
- East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
- India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
- Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
- Ceylon - 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...
).
Final voyage
On 16 September 1960, Clan Alpine sailed from the MerseyRiver Mersey
The River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire....
for Chittagong, via Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
, Assab
Assab
Assab is a port city in the Southern Red Sea Region of Eritrea on the west coast of the Red Sea. In 1989, it had a population of 39,600. Assab possesses an oil refinery, which was shut down in 1997 for economic reasons...
, Djibouti, Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
, Bombay, Cochin and Tuticorin. She arrived at Chittagong at 01:30hrs on 31 October and anchored to await a berth at the docks. Orders had been received at Bombay for Clan Alpine to proceed to Vizag or Rangoon to embark cargo bound for Japan after she had discharged her cargo at Chittagong. This was to be delivered before she made her way to Onomichi
Onomichi, Hiroshima
is a city located in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, facing the Inland Sea.As of January 1, 2008, the city has an estimated population of 148,085 and a population density of 520 persons per km². The total area is 284.85 km²...
for scrapping.
It was reported that a cyclone was heading for Chittagong, and by 18:35 hrs there were reports that the wind was exceeding Force 12
Beaufort scale
The Beaufort Scale is an empirical measure that relates wind speed to observed conditions at sea or on land. Its full name is the Beaufort Wind Force Scale.-History:...
. Although Clan Alpine engine was at "Full Ahead" she was being dragged astern up the Sandwip Channel at 35 knots (68.6 km/h) dragging both anchors with her. A 35 feet (10.7 m) storm surge
Storm surge
A storm surge is an offshore rise of water associated with a low pressure weather system, typically tropical cyclones and strong extratropical cyclones. Storm surges are caused primarily by high winds pushing on the ocean's surface. The wind causes the water to pile up higher than the ordinary sea...
had struck the area. The Chittagong Meteorological Office recorded windspeeds in excess of 120 knots (235.2 km/h) at the height of the cyclone.. It was later revealed that the wind had peaked at 135 knots (264.6 km/h). At 18:50 hrs, the eye of the storm passed over the ship and at 19:25 hrs a bump was felt and it was reported that the ship had run aground. The engines were stopped, but a request was made for them to be restarted as the ship was apparently near rocks. The rocks were quickly revealed to be the tops of palm trees
Arecaceae
Arecaceae or Palmae , are a family of flowering plants, the only family in the monocot order Arecales. There are roughly 202 currently known genera with around 2600 species, most of which are restricted to tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate climates...
.
The engines and two of the three boilers were shut down, leaving one boiler supplying steam to run the generators and other auxiliary equipment. Clan Alpine had come to rest upright, some 11 miles (17.7 km) upstream of the Karnaphuli River
Karnaphuli River
Karnaphuli is a wide river in the south-eastern part of Bangladesh. Originating from the Lushai hills in Mizoram, India, it flows southwest through Chittagong Hill Tracts and Chittagong into the Bay of Bengal. A large hydroelectric power plant using Karnaphuli river was built in the Kaptai...
mouth at Skonai Chori (22°25′N 91°44′E). A message was sent by radio to Clan Line's head office in London informing them of the situation. The reply received asked for confirmation of the position of Clan Alpine. The President of Pakistan
President of Pakistan
The President of Pakistan is the head of state, as well as figurehead, of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Recently passed an XVIII Amendment , Pakistan has a parliamentary democratic system of government. According to the Constitution, the President is chosen by the Electoral College to serve a...
, General Mohammed Ayub Khan paid a visit to the ship by helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
. The crew were made honorary members of the Chittagong Club, which enabled them to use bungalow
Bungalow
A bungalow is a type of house, with varying meanings across the world. Common features to many of these definitions include being detached, low-rise , and the use of verandahs...
s owned by the club as a break from staying aboard the ship.
Salvage engineers assessed that it was practical to salvage the ship, but not economical to do so. To keep the boilers supplied with water, sea water was pumped on board during each high tide, using a diesel powered fire pump. The generators were only used at night to help preserve stocks of fresh water on board ship. Clan Alpine was carrying 2,400 tons of general cargo. A road was constructed linking the ship with the main Chittagong highway, and the cargo was discharged into lorries by using the ship's steam winches. The last of the cargo was unloaded on 4 January 1961. Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
and Prince Philip
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
visited the ship during the time that she was stranded. Clan Alpine was declared a constructive total loss, and sold on 14 February 1961 to East Bengal Trading Corporation Ltd and scrapped in situ
In situ
In situ is a Latin phrase which translated literally as 'In position'. It is used in many different contexts.-Aerospace:In the aerospace industry, equipment on board aircraft must be tested in situ, or in place, to confirm everything functions properly as a system. Individually, each piece may...
. She was sold for about £50,000
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
.
Propulsion
She was powered by a triple expansion steam engine of 2510 hp which was built by George Clark (1938) Ltd, Sunderland. Steam was supplied by three Scotch boilers. Electricity was supplied by two Bellis & Morcom steam powered generators.Official number and code letters
Official Numbers were a forerunner to IMO NumbersIMO ship identification number
The IMO ship identification number is made of the three letters "IMO" followed by the seven-digit number assigned to all ships by IHS Fairplay when constructed. This is a unique seven digit number that is assigned to propelled, sea-going merchant ships of 100 GT and above...
. The ship had the UK Official Number 169016. Empire Barrie and Clan Alpine used the Code Letters
Code letters
Code letters were a method of identifying ships before the introduction of modern navigation aids. Later, with the introduction of radio, code letters were also used as radio callsigns.-History:...
BDRD.
