CS Ocean Layer
History | |
---|---|
United Kingdom | |
Name |
|
Owner |
|
Operator |
|
Builder | Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft |
Yard number | 508 |
Laid down | 1945 |
Launched | 1945 |
Completed | 1948 |
In service | 1948 |
Out of service | 15 June 1959 |
Identification | United Kingdom Official Number 181837 |
Fate | Caught fire and damaged. Declared a constructive total loss and consequently scrapped |
General characteristics | |
Class and type |
|
Tonnage | |
Length |
|
Beam | 15.44 m (50 ft 8 in) |
Depth | 5.64 m (18 ft 6 in) (1945–53), 6.48 m (21 ft 3 in) (1953–59) |
Installed power | Lenz steam engine, exhaust turbine |
Propulsion | Single screw propeller |
Speed | 11 knots (20 km/h) |
Crew | 83 (Ocean Layer) |
Ocean Layer was a 2,773
Description
As built, the ship was 109.55 m (359 ft 5 in) overall, 109.55 m (359 ft 5 in) between perpendiculars, with a beam of 50 ft 8 in (15.44 m). She had a depth of 18 ft 6 in (5.64 m).[1] As built, she was assessed at 2,774 GRT,[2] 5,450 DWT.[3]
The ship was propelled by a 1,800
History
The ship was built by
In December 1951, Empire Frome issued an SOS in the Atlantic Ocean whilst on a voyage from Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, Canada to Hull, Yorkshire. She reached Hull on 27 December, having suffered damage to her derricks and with lifeboats lost or damaged.[6] She was advertised for sale in April 1953,[1] and again in September.[7]
Empire Frome was purchased by Submarine Cables Ltd. In January 1954, Submarine Cables Ltd applied to the
In 1959, she was engaged to lay
She arrived at Falmouth, Cornwall on 19 June still on fire.[18] On 22 June, the Falmouth harbourmaster called the Cornwall Fire Brigade to attend the burning ship and extinguish the fire. Access was refused by the captain of Wotan, who claimed that maritime law dictated that it was his responsibility to extinguish the fire before handing the ship over. He said it would take two or three days before the fire was put out.[19] Ocean Layer was handed over to the port authorities at Falmouth on 25 June.[20]
At an inquiry into the loss of the ship, it was claimed that an electric heater in one of the cabins had been the cause of the fire.[21] The inquiry found that the probable cause was an electric stove had been placed under a crewman's bunk whilst still hot after being used, although disconnected from the electricity supply. The order to abandon ship had been given about 40 minutes after the fire started. Firefighting efforts were deemed ineffective. The emergency fire pump failed at an early stage because its power supply had been destroyed by the fire.[22] Declared a constructive total loss, Ocean Layer was scrapped at Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht, South Holland, Netherlands in December 1959.[2]
References
- ^ a b c "Ship for Purchase". The Times. No. 52601. London. 21 April 1953. col F, p. 1.
- ^ ISBN 1-85044-275-4.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ^ a b c d e "Ship for Sale". The Times. No. 50978. London. 26 January 1948. col E, p. 1.
- ^ a b c d e f Glover, Bill. "CS Ocean Layer". Atlantic Cable. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
- ^ "ON180000". The Mariners List. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
- ^ "Coasts Swept by Gales". The Times. No. 52194. London. 28 December 1951. col F, p. 4.
- ^ "Ship for Purchase". The Times. No. 52721. London. 8 September 1953. col B, p. 1.
- ^ "Official Notice - Proposal to Change a Ship's Name". The Times. No. 52819. London. 2 January 1954. col A, p. 2.
- ^ "News in Brief". The Times. No. 52871. London. 4 March 1954. col G, p. 4.
- ^ a b "CS Ocean Layer". People's Collection Wales. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
- ^ a b c "New Cable-laying ship named". The Times. No. 53339. London. 30 September 1955. col B, p. 5.
- ^ "The Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company Limited". The Times. No. 53503. London. 16 April 1956. col A-C, p. 16.
- ^ "News in Brief". The Times. No. 53608. London. 13 August 1956. col B, p. 7.
- ^ "Laying of Longest Ocean Cable". The Times. No. 53894. London. 16 July 1957. col E, p. 10.
- ^ "Cable Ship Fire Being Subdued". The Times. No. 54488. London. 16 June 1959. col E, p. 10.
- ^ a b "Crippled Cable Ship Taken in Tow". The Times. No. 54490. London. 18 June 1959. col E, p. 8.
- ^ ""Nothing Left" in Cable Ship". The Times. No. 54493. London. 22 June 1959. col C, p. 6.
- ^ "Rescue Vessel at Falmouth To-day". The Times. No. 54491. London. 19 June 1959. col C-E, p. 10.
- ^ "Firemen kept off Ocean Layer". The Times. No. 54494. London. 23 June 1959. col B, p. 7.
- ^ "Tug Skipper Hands Over Ocean Layer". The Times. No. 54497. London. 26 June 1959. col E, p. 8.
- ^ "Tribute to Cable Ship's Master". The Times. No. 54807. London. 25 June 1960. col A, p. 6.
- ^ "No Blame Fixed For Cable Ship Fire". The Times. No. 54830. London. 22 July 1960. col E, p. 7.
External links
- Photograph of Ocean Layer.
- Painting of Ocean Layer.
- Silent newsreel of Ocean Layer fire (British Pathé).