SS Uganda (1952)
Uganda in Helsinki's South Harbour in the early 1980s
| |
History | |
---|---|
United Kingdom | |
Name |
|
Namesake | Uganda |
Owner |
|
Operator |
|
Port of registry | London |
Route |
|
Builder | Barclay Curle & Co, Glasgow |
Yard number | 720 |
Launched | 15 January 1952 |
Maiden voyage | 2 August 1952 |
Out of service | 25 April 1985 |
Identification |
|
Honours and awards | Falkland islands , 1982 |
Fate | Scrapped in 1992 |
General characteristics | |
Type |
|
Tonnage | |
Length | |
Beam | 71.4 feet (21.8 m) |
Draught | 25 feet 3+1⁄2 inches (7.709 m) |
Depth | 35.0 feet (10.7 m) |
Installed power | 12,300 shp |
Propulsion | 2 × steam turbines, twin propellers |
Speed |
|
Capacity |
|
Crew | 287 |
SS Uganda was a British
Passenger liner
Uganda was launched on 15 January 1952, completed six months later and made her
Increasing competition from civil aviation reduced the market for passenger sailings between Britain and East Africa, leading BI to withdraw Uganda from the route in 1967.
Cruise ship
BI had
In her new rôle Uganda sailed her first voyage on 27 February 1968. On 21 October 1969 while she was cruising in the North Atlantic in international waters off Cape Trafalgar a Spanish shore battery opened fire. Several shells landed within 1⁄2 nautical mile (1 km) of the ship.[1]
Uganda continued for 14 years cruising mainly in
Falklands service
In 1982 Uganda was a hospital ship in the Falklands War with the call sign of "Mother Hen". She was called up for military duty while on cruise 276 and discharged her 315 cabin passengers and 940 school children, who were on an educational cruise, in Naples. When Uganda docked in Naples, reporters turned up their microphones to hear a ship full of school children singing Rule, Britannia![2]
Uganda had a three-day refit in
The
Uganda co-ordinated the movements of the three British and three Argentine ambulance ships Almirante Irízar, Bahía Paraíso and Puerto Deseado. She conducted 504 surgical operations, treated 730 casualties including 150 Argentinians, and made four rendezvous with the Argentine ships.[1] In deference to the TV series M*A*S*H she was nicknamed NOSH - Naval Ocean-going Surgical Hospital.[3]
By 10 July 1982 her role as a hospital ship was over and the crew held a party for 92 Falkland children more in keeping with her peacetime role. On 13 July 1982 Uganda was deregistered as a hospital ship and the red crosses were painted out.[1] Two days later she went back to Grantham Sound, to embark the men of the 7th Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles and their equipment, before sailing for the UK on 18 July 1982. She arrived at Southampton on 9 August 1982,[1] 113 days after she had sailed to join the Task Force. In this time she had sailed 26,150 miles, consumed 4,700 tons of fuel, received more than 1,000 helicopter landings on her flight deck and 3,111 personnel had been transferred to or from her.[citation needed]
Post war
Uganda was refitted again at Falmouth in November 1983. She completed her charter in 1985, reached Falmouth on 25 April 1985 and was laid up in the River Fal on 4 May 1985.[1]
Triton
On 29 April 1986 the Triton Shipping Company of
In popular culture
In 1970 Uganda was used in the Children Foundation Film All at Sea.