HMS Evadne facts for kids
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|} HMS Evadne (FY 009) was a special kind of yacht that was changed into a warship for the Royal Navy during World War II. Today, this ship is still around and is known as the yacht Marala.
Contents
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom |
|
| Name |
|
| Namesake | Evadne |
| Owner |
|
| Builder | Camper and Nicholsons, Southampton |
| Yard number | 388 |
| Launched | February 1931 |
| Completed | 1931 |
| Identification |
|
 United Kingdom |
|
| Name | Evadne |
| Commissioned | September 1939 |
| Identification | FY 009 |
| Fate | Returned to civil use as a yacht |
 Panama |
|
| Name | Marala |
| Identification |
|
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Armed yacht |
| Displacement | 581 tons |
| Length | 58.83 m (193 ft 0 in) |
| Beam | 8.08 m (26 ft 6 in) |
| Draught | 3.35 m (11 ft 0 in) |
| Propulsion | Two 8cyl MAN 750 bhp (560kw) diesel engines |
| Speed | 15.5 knots (28.7 km/h; 17.8 mph) |
| Complement | 45 |
| Armament |
|
Building the Evadne Yacht
The Evadne was a large motor yacht with two propellers. It was built in 1931 by a company called Camper and Nicholsons in Southampton, England. The yacht was first planned for an engine maker named Montague Napier. However, he passed away before the ship was finished.
The ship was launched in February 1931. It was known as "388" during its tests. Later, in December 1931, the yacht was sold to Richard Fairey. He owned Fairey Aviation, a company that made airplanes. Mr. Fairey then renamed the yacht Evadne.
Evadne Goes to War
When World War II began, the British Navy needed more ships. In September 1939, they hired the Evadne. The yacht was then changed into an anti-submarine ship. It was given the name HMS Evadne and joined the Royal Navy.
Patrols in the Irish Sea
HMS Evadne was first based in Liverpool, England. Its job was to patrol the Irish Sea and do other important duties. In 1940, it was specially equipped to hunt submarines. The ship then helped check other vessels and escorted groups of ships called convoys. It worked from bases in Holyhead, Milford Haven, and Liverpool.
Anti-Submarine Duties in Bermuda
In July 1942, Evadne sailed across the Atlantic Ocean with a group of escort ships. It then went to Bermuda. There, its main task was to find and stop enemy submarines. It worked near the Royal Naval Dockyard in Bermuda.
Fighting U-boats in Gibraltar
Evadne stayed in Bermuda until March 1944. Then, it was sent to Gibraltar, a British territory. It was based there until the war ended.
On February 19, 1945, Evadne found a German U-boat called U-300. Evadne attacked the U-boat with depth charges, which are special bombs that explode underwater. The U-300 was badly damaged. A few days later, on February 22, other British ships finished sinking the U-300. Nine of the 50 crew members on the U-boat were lost.
Evadne returned to Portsmouth, England, on September 6, 1945. The next month, it was taken out of naval service.
Back to Being a Yacht
After the war, Evadne became a private yacht again. By September 1950, it was sold to a British company. The yacht was renamed Zapala. It was used by an American businessman named R. J. Reynolds Jr.. He was from the famous R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. He planned to use the yacht for a trip around the world.
Today, the yacht is still sailing in the Mediterranean Sea. It is now known as MY Marala. It even still has its original engines!
Marala on Film
The Evadne, now called Marala, was used in a movie. It was the setting for the 2001 film The Cat's Meow. In the movie, it pretended to be the yacht Oneida, which belonged to a famous newspaper publisher named William Randolph Hearst.
External links
- The History of the Superyacht Marala
