HMS Perth facts for kids
Quick facts for kids History |
|
|---|---|
| Name |
|
| Namesake | 1915: Perth |
| Owner |
|
| Operator | 1915:  Royal Navy |
| Port of registry | |
| Route | 1919: Dundee – Tilbury |
| Builder | Caledon, Dundee |
| Yard number | 240 |
| Launched | 15 April 1915 |
| Completed | July 1915 |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | scrapped in 1962 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | coastal liner |
| Tonnage | 2,502 GRT, 1,418 NRT |
| Length | 280.2 ft (85.4 m) |
| Beam | 40.2 ft (12.3 m) |
| Draught | 17 ft 8 in (5.38 m) |
| Depth | 17.7 ft (5.4 m) |
| Installed power | 345 NHP |
| Propulsion | triple-expansion engine |
| Speed | 14 knots (26 km/h) |
| Sensors and processing systems |
|
| Armament | in WW1: 3 × 4.7 inch guns |
HMS Perth was a steamship built in Scotland in 1915. This ship had a long life and several names. She was first called Perth, then Lafonia in 1946, and Valfiorita in 1950. She was finally taken apart, or scrapped, in Italy in 1962.
Perth was designed to carry both passengers and cargo along the coast. However, she was finished during World War I and became an armed ship for the Royal Navy. In World War II, she was changed again to help rescue people from sinking ships.
After the wars, Perth returned to carrying goods and people. She worked for different companies, including the Dundee, Perth & London Shipping Company and the Falkland Islands Company.
The Dundee, Perth & London Shipping Company had six ships named Perth. Our ship, built in 1915, was the fifth. She is also the only ship in the Royal Navy ever to be called Perth.
Contents
Building a Ship: HMS Perth's Early Life
The Perth was built by the Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Company in Dundee, Scotland. Her building number was 240. She was launched into the water on April 15, 1915, and was ready for service by July of that year.
Perth was similar in size to another ship, the Dundee. Perth was about 280 feet (85 meters) long and 40 feet (12 meters) wide. She weighed about 2,502 gross tons.
The ship had a special engine called a triple-expansion steam engine. This engine gave her 345 horsepower and allowed her to travel at a speed of 14 knots (about 26 kilometers per hour).
When she was first built, Perth was registered in Dundee. Her official identification number was 123346.
Perth's Role in World War I
The British Navy, called the Admiralty, took over Perth as soon as she was built. They turned her into an armed boarding steamer. This meant she was equipped with three large 4.7 inch guns. She officially joined the Royal Navy as HMS Perth.
By October 1915, Perth was ready for duty. She was sent to the East Indies Station, which covered a large area including the Red Sea and Indian Ocean. She sailed from Scotland in November, passing through places like Gibraltar and the Suez Canal. She arrived at Perim island in December. Perim was an important naval base and a place for ships to refuel.
Perth patrolled the Red Sea, visiting many ports to keep the sea lanes safe.
On June 15, 1916, Perth took part in a big attack on the Ottoman Army in Jeddah. Perth and another warship, HMS Fox, sailed into the harbor. They fired their guns at the town walls. A seaplane from HMS Engadine also dropped bombs on Ottoman positions.
This attack helped local forces who were fighting the Ottomans. The Ottoman soldiers in Jeddah surrendered the next day. This victory cut off supplies to another Ottoman group defending Mecca, which then fell a few weeks later.
Perth needed repairs after her duties. She visited the Royal Indian Navy dockyard in Bombay twice for maintenance.
Encounter with a German Submarine
On August 22, 1918, Perth left Perim for the last time. She sailed back towards home waters, joining a convoy of ships. On October 1, while crossing the Bay of Biscay, Perth spotted a German submarine, the SM U-139.
Perth fired her guns at the submarine. The U-boat fired back, hitting Perth and sadly killing two of her crew members. The submarine then dived and torpedoed two cargo ships in the convoy. Perth quickly rescued the crew from one of the sinking ships. She then buried her lost crew members at sea.
After this battle, Perth went to Pembroke Dock for repairs. She then continued escorting convoys until the war ended. When the Armistice of 11 November 1918 was signed, Perth was in Gibraltar. She returned to England in November and was given back to her owners in December 1918.
Life as a Passenger and Cargo Ship
Between the two World Wars, Perth went back to her original job. She carried cargo and passengers between Dundee and ports on the east coast of England, like Tilbury. Sometimes, she even sailed to the Netherlands.
Over time, fewer people traveled by ship, so Perth mostly sailed only during the summer months. By 1920, Perth had wireless telegraphy equipment, which allowed her to send and receive messages. By 1934, she also had an echo sounding device to measure the depth of the water.
World War II Service: A Convoy Rescue Hero
In 1940, the Navy needed Perth again for World War II. She was changed into an ocean boarding vessel. She also became a convoy rescue ship. This meant she would sail with convoys and rescue sailors from ships that were attacked. She had special equipment, like high-frequency direction finding, to help locate things.
During the Battle of the Atlantic, Perth sailed in over 60 convoys. She rescued 455 sailors, making her one of the most successful rescue ships of the war.
Later Years: Lafonia and Valfiorita
In 1946, a company called the Falkland Islands Company bought the ship. They renamed her Lafonia. Four years later, in 1950, an Italian company bought her and changed her name to Valfiorita. She was registered in Rome. By 1959, she was still equipped with direction finding gear.
In 1960, another Italian company bought her. She was finally taken apart for scrap metal in San Giorgio di Nogaro, Italy, starting in November 1962.
See also
- SS Dundee, a similar ship that also served as an armed boarding steamer.
