HMS Princess Irene
HMS Princess Irene
| |
History | |
---|---|
United Kingdom | |
Name | Princess Irene |
Owner | |
Operator | Royal Navy |
Port of registry |
|
Builder | William Denny and Brothers Ltd |
Yard number | 1006 |
Launched | 20 October 1914 |
Fate | Exploded and sank 27 May 1915 |
General characteristics | |
Type |
|
Tonnage | 5,394 GRT |
Length | 395 ft (120 m) |
Beam | 54 ft (16 m) |
Draught | 17 ft (5.2 m) |
Installed power | 4 steam turbines |
Speed | 22.5 knots (41.7 km/h) |
Crew | 225 |
Notes | Sister ship Princess Margaret |
HMS Princess Irene was a 5,394 GRT ocean liner which was built in 1914 by William Denny and Brothers Ltd, Dumbarton, Scotland for the Canadian Pacific Railway. She was requisitioned by the Royal Navy on completion and converted to an auxiliary minelayer. On 27 May 1915, she exploded and sank off Sheerness, Kent, while being loaded with mines prior to a deployment mission, with the loss of 352 lives.
Description
Princess Irene was 395 feet (120 m) long, had a beam of 54 feet (16 m), and a draught of 17 feet (5.2 m). Her four
History
Princess Irene was built by William Denny and Brothers Ltd, Dumbarton, for the Princess fleet of the Canadian Pacific Railway Coast Service. Her hull was launched on 20 October 1914.[1] With her sister ship Princess Margaret, she was built to serve on the Vancouver – Victoria – Seattle route.[2] Her port of registry was Victoria.[3] Princess Irene was requisitioned by the Royal Navy on her completion in 1915 and converted to an auxiliary minelayer.[4] She had a complement of 225 officers and men.[2] On 8 May 1915, Princess Irene and Princess Margaret laid a minefield northwest of Heligoland, with Princess Irene laying 472 mines.[5][6]
Loss
In May 1915, Princess Irene was moored in Saltpan Reach, on the
Wreckage was flung up to 20 miles (32 km) away, with people near
The victims whose bodies were recovered were buried at Woodlands Road Cemetery,
A Court of Inquiry was held into the loss of Princess Irene. Evidence was given that priming of the mines was being carried out hurriedly and by untrained personnel. A faulty primer was blamed for the explosion.[2] Following the loss of HMS Natal on 30 December 1915 and HMS Vanguard on 9 July 1917, both caused by internal explosions, suspicion was raised at the inquiry into the loss of Natal that sabotage was to blame for the loss of all four ships. A worker at Chatham Dockyard was named as a suspect, but a thorough investigation by Special Branch cleared him of any blame.[8]
Memorials
A memorial to those lost on Bulwark and Princess Irene was erected at the Dockyard Church, Sheerness in 1921. It was dedicated by
Another memorial was placed in Woodlands Road Cemetery, Gillingham, as part of the Naval Burial Ground.[17]
Media coverage
On 19 November 2002, the story of Princess Irene was covered by
The remains of Princess Irene at 51°25.80′N 0°41.60′E / 51.43000°N 0.69333°E
References
- ^ )
- ^ a b c d e f "Loss of HMS Princess Irene". Great War Primary Document Archive. Retrieved 21 May 2011.
- ^ a b c "Complete destruction". The Times. No. 40866. London. 28 May 1915. col 3, p. 8.
- ^ a b c d e Ingleton 2010, p. 50.
- ^ Naval Staff Monograph No. 29 1925, pp. 202–203
- ^ Corbett 1921, p. 400
- ^ a b "Flames 300 feet high". The Times. No. 40866. London. 28 May 1915. col E, p. 8.
- ^ a b c Ingleton 2010, p. 51.
- ^ "The Princess Irene". The Times. No. 40867. London. 29 May 1915. col F, p. 3.
- ^ a b "Princess Irene disaster". The Times. No. 40869. London. 1 June 1915. col F, p. 5.
- ^ "Princess Irene blown up". The Times. No. 40866. London. 28 May 1915. col E, p. 8.
- ^ "The Princess Irene". The Times. No. 40868. London. 31 May 1915. col B, p. 3.
- ^ "Loss of the Princess Irene". The Times. No. 40881. London. 15 June 1915. col B, p. 8.
- ^ "Memorials at Sheerness". The Times. No. 42731. London. 27 May 1921. col C, p. 18.
- ^ "Bulwark and Princess Irene". The Times. No. 42732. London. 28 May 1921. col B, p. 7.
- ^ "Portsmouth Naval War Memorial". The Times. No. 43782. London. 14 October 1924. col C, p. 19.
- ^ "HMS Bulwark and HMS Irene War Memorial, Woodlands Road Cemetery". www.geograph.org.uk. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
- ^ "Making History". BBC Radio Four. Retrieved 21 May 2011.
- ^ "England – East coast: River Medway, Garrison Point to Folly Point" (Map). Admiralty charts. UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO). Vol. 1834.
Sources
- Corbett, Julian S. (1921). Naval Operations: Volume II. History of the Great War. London: Longmans, Green and Co.
- Monograph No. 29: Home Waters Part IV: From February to July 1915 (PDF). Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). Vol. XIII. Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1925.
- Ingleton, Roy (2010). Kent Disasters. Barnsley: Pen & Sword. ISBN 978-1-84563-116-1.
Further reading
- Hendy, John (2001). Blown to Eternity! The Princess Irene Story. Ramsey: Ferry Publications. ISBN 1-871947-61-8.