SS Vaderland (1900)

Coordinates: 56°10′N 12°14′W / 56.167°N 12.233°W / 56.167; -12.233
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Vaderland, seen in 1910
History
Name
  • 1900: Vaderland
  • 1915: Southland
OwnerInternational Navigation Company
Operator
Port of registry
Route
OrderedJuly 1899
Builder
Yard number341
Launched12 July 1900
Maiden voyageAntwerp – Southampton – New York, 8 December 1900
FateSunk on 4 June 1917 by U-70
Notes
General characteristics
TypeOcean liner
Tonnage11,899 GRT
Length560 ft 10 in (170.94 m)
Beam60 ft 2 in (18.34 m)
Propulsion
  • 2 ×
    propeller shafts
  • 2 ×
    quadruple-expansion steam engines
Speed15 knots (28 km/h)
Capacity
  • Passengers:
  • 342
    first class
  • 194 second class
  • 626 third class
Crew121
Notestwo
masts

SS Vaderland was an

launched in July 1900 for the Red Star Line service between Antwerp and New York. During her passenger career, the ship initially sailed under British registry, but was re-registered in Antwerp in 1903. Vaderland was a sister ship to Zeeland and a near sister ship to Kroonland and Finland
.

After the beginning of the

Halifax to Liverpool. While under the operation of White Star–Dominion in 1915, she was renamed Southland to avoid the German
-sounding Vaderland.

In September 1915, Southland was torpedoed in the Aegean Sea by German submarine UB-14 with the loss of 40 men. The ship was beached, repaired, and returned to service in August 1916. While in service between the United Kingdom and Canada on 4 June 1917, Southland was torpedoed a second time, this time by U-70; she was sunk off the coast of Ireland with the loss of four lives.

Early career

In July 1899, the Red Star Line announced plans for the construction of four large steamers. Two ships, Vaderland and Zeeland at John Brown & Company of Clydebank in Scotland, and two others, Kroonland and Finland, were to be built at William Cramp & Sons in Philadelphia.[1] Owned by American Line and managed by International Navigation Co. Ltd. London, she was 11,899 gross register tons, and after modification provided accommodation for 342 first-class, 194 second-class, and 626 third-class passengers.

Launched on 12 July 1900, Vaderland began her maiden voyage on 8 December 1900 when she left

North Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine on 22 July 1906; John A. Allen was lost, but all seven people aboard her survived.[2] On 19 January 1907 she collided with the British steamer Naworth Castle in the English Channel off the Goodwin Sands; Naworth Castle sank.[3] Forty-two members of the 1912 United States Olympic Team returned from Stockholm, Sweden, to New York City aboard Vaderland on 31 July 1912.[4]

On 22 September 1914 Vaderland commenced Liverpool – New York sailings under the British flag and in December 1914 was chartered to White Star–Dominion for three Liverpool - Halifax - Portland sailings. In 1915 she was requisitioned as a troopship. In 1915 she was renamed Southland as the Dutch word vaderland was considered too similar to the German Vaterland.

Mediterranean and first torpedo attack

Southland at Alexandria, April 1915 embarking troops for Gallipoli

Southland was later used in the Mediterranean to carry troops of the 6th Essex regiment and two companies of l/7th Essex, transported from

Mudros harbour. Southland eventually limped back to Mudros assisted by HMS Racoon
and was repaired.

The sinking was reported as

"A Splendid story is told of the sinking of the transport Southland in the Mediterranean Sea. When the torpedo struck the vessel reeled and the order was given to abandon the ship. There was never a cry or sign of fear. The Australian soldiers merely came briskly on deck singing 'Australia Will Be There.'

The troops all went to their stations and lowered the boats in an orderly manner. The subalterns searched the interior of the ship for wounded and finally came on deck to find only the general staff on board. They helped to lower the last boats and got into a half swamped one themselves. Fourteen persons were killed by the explosion and twenty two were drowned including Brigadier General Linton."[8][9][10]

Survivors of HMT Southland after torpedo hit September 1915
Survivors of HMT Southland after torpedo hit September 1915

A record of this event is recorded in the war diary of Captain Herbert Franklin Curnow:

"Thursday 2 September

Up 6am. Drew 120 rounds of ammunition and iron and landing rations. Pulled into Lemnos and dropped anchor about 10am. The Military Landing Officer came on board, got my disembarkation return and meantime informed us that the Southland having on board 2 Aus Div H.Q 6th Inf Bge HQ., 21 Bt 1 Coy 23rd Btn. some A.S.C. A.M.C. & Signalling details had been torpedoed behind us. Later ascertained about 25 lives lost including Col Linton, Brigadier. Turned in soon after dinner."

However, a member of Australian unit reported one crew shot for behaving improperly.

James Martin
whose experiences, and those of his friend Cecil Hogan, were described in a book by Anthony Hill.

The sinking was depicted in the painting Sinking of the Southland[11] by Fred Leist, who was appointed an official war artist in September 1917, and attached to the 5th Division AIF. Colonel Linton is buried in East Murdos Military Cemetery on the Greek island of Lemnos.[10]

North Atlantic and second torpedo attack

Southland was repaired and returned to White Star–Dominion for Liverpool–Quebec–Montreal service in August 1916, but on 4 June 1917 was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-70 while 140 nautical miles (260 km) northwest of Tory Island off the Irish coast at position (56°10′N 12°14′W / 56.167°N 12.233°W / 56.167; -12.233) with the loss of 4 lives.[12][13]

Notes

  1. ^ Bonsor, p. 840.
  2. ^ Department of Commerce and Labor Bureau of Navigation Thirty-Ninth Annual List of Merchant Vessels of the United States for the Year Ending June 30, 1907, Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1907, p. 376.
  3. ^ "Belgian Merchant P-Z" (PDF). Belgische Koopvaardij. Retrieved 1 December 2010.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ "Olympic Athletes Welcomed Home: Forty-two of the Victorious American Team Arrive on the Vaderland" (PDF). The New York Times. New York. 1 August 1912. Retrieved 29 April 2012.[dead link]
  5. ^ Burrows, p.61.
  6. ^ [1], Royal Australian Corps of Signals, History
  7. ^ a b [2], Matthews
  8. ^ London Gazette, Sinking of the Southland, a story of heroism, 'Gazette's' Special Service, London, Nov. 16
  9. ^ the commander of the 6th Brigade, Colonel R. Linton Archived 2008-05-15 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ a b "Casualty Details: Linton, Richard". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  11. ^ AWM Collection Record: ART09829 "ART09829 - Sinking of the Southland | Australian War Memorial". Archived from the original on 9 February 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2008. Sinking of the Southland
  12. ^ Bonsor, p. 855.
  13. ^ [3] Shipping Times site

References

Further reading

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=SS_Vaderland_(1900)&oldid=1218203189"