SS Hispania (1912) facts for kids
SS Hispania
|
|
Quick facts for kids History |
|
|---|---|
| Name | Hispania |
| Owner | Svenska Lloyd AB |
| Operator |
|
| Builder | Antwerp Engineering Co Ltd, Hoboken |
| Yard number | 59 |
| Launched | 1912 |
| Completed | December 1912 |
| Out of service | 18 December 1954 |
| Homeport |
|
| Identification |
|
| Fate | Sank 18 December 1954 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Cargo ship |
| Tonnage | 1,323 gross register tons (GRT) |
| Length | 236 ft 8 in (72.14 m) |
| Beam | 37 ft 3 in (11.35 m) |
| Depth | 16 ft 2 in (4.93 m) |
| Installed power | 1 triple expansion steam engine |
| Speed | 9.5 knots (17.6 km/h) |
| Crew | 21 |
The SS Hispania was a Swedish cargo ship built in Belgium in 1912. She was powered by a special type of steam engine called a triple-expansion engine. Sadly, the Hispania sank in the Sound of Mull in Scotland on December 18, 1954, after hitting a hidden rock.
Contents
The Ship's Journey: From Building to War
The Hispania was built by a company called Antwerp Engineering Co Ltd in Hoboken, Belgium. She was launched in 1912 and finished being built in December of that year. The ship was owned by a Swedish company named Svenska Lloyd AB.
World War II and the Hispania's Capture
During World War II, the Hispania was sailing with a cargo of peanuts from Senegal and Morocco to France. In June 1940, she was attacked and badly damaged. The ship was then held in Bordeaux, France.
On October 8, 1940, the ship was taken over by the Vichy Government, which was the French government at the time. They tried to claim the ship as a "war prize," meaning they wanted to keep it because of the war. Most of the crew were allowed to go back to Sweden, but the captain and a mechanic had to stay.
In April 1941, the Hispania was officially declared a war prize, and ownership went to the Kriegsmarine, which was the German navy. The original owners, Svenska Lloyd AB, did not agree with this decision.
Return to Sweden
In February 1942, the Hispania was ordered to sail to Rotterdam under the control of the German navy. Later that year, in November, the German navy stopped controlling the ship. The very next day, a German fast boat attacked, causing one death and two serious injuries.
Finally, on December 19, 1942, the Hispania was given back to Svenska Lloyd AB after they paid a fee. The ship left Rotterdam on January 1, 1943, and sailed back to its home port in Gothenburg, Sweden.
The Sinking of the Hispania
On December 18, 1954, the Hispania was on its way from Liverpool, England, to Varberg, Sweden. The weather was stormy. The captain tried to steer the ship through the Sound of Mull in Scotland.
Hitting the Rock
However, the ship hit a large rock known as Sgeir More (which means "Big Rock" in Scottish Gaelic). The Hispania began to tilt to one side. The captain quickly gave the order to abandon ship.
The crew lowered the lifeboats and rowed safely to shore. Sadly, Captain Ivan Dahn refused to leave his ship and went down with it as it sank. The other twenty crew members were all saved. At the time of the sinking, the Hispania was carrying a cargo of asbestos, rubber sheeting, and steel.
The Hispania Wreck Today
The wreck of the Hispania is still sitting upright and mostly whole on the seabed. It is located in about 85 feet (26 m) of clear water at 56°33′55″N 5°59′13″W / 56.56528°N 5.98694°W.
Diving on the Wreck
Divers can visit the Hispania wreck, but only during "slack water." This is a short period when the ocean currents are very weak, usually about 1 to 2 hours before high or low tide near the Scottish town of Oban. The wreck is in the northern part of the Sound of Mull, facing the shore and close to a red channel buoy.
The water temperature around the wreck changes with the seasons. It can be around 14 °C in summer but drop to as low as 5 °C in winter. In the summer, divers need to be careful of stinging jellyfish that float over the wreck. Their long tentacles can get caught on the ropes divers use.
Studying the Wreck
The Sound of Mull Remote Sensing Project (SOMAP) was an underwater study that explored all the shipwrecks in the Sound of Mull. They used special sonar equipment to map the seabed and learn about the Hispania.
SOMAP found that the ship had been salvaged (meaning parts were removed) throughout the 1950s by a group called the Scarborough Sub-Aqua Club. Since then, because the wreck is so popular with divers, all the valuable metal parts (non-ferrous artifacts) have been taken. Before SOMAP, no archaeological studies had been done on the site. The ship's horn was taken in the 1960s by a diver and is now on display in Scarborough.
Recent Changes to the Wreck
In 1999, a scallop dredger (a type of fishing boat) accidentally caused minor damage to the wreck. Its fishing gear pulled down one of the masts and scraped the ship. Also, strong currents have created a "scour pit" on one side of the ship, which is causing the Hispania to slowly tilt into this dip in the seabed. In November 2002, the Puffin Dive Centre in Oban bought the wreck of the Hispania.
How the Hispania Moved: Propulsion
The Hispania was powered by a triple expansion steam engine. This engine was built by the North East Marine Engine Co Ltd in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It had large cylinders that helped it develop 175 horsepower (130 kW) of power. This allowed the ship to travel at a speed of 9.5 knots (17.6 km/h).
Ship Identification Numbers
Before modern IMO Numbers, ships had Official Numbers. The Hispania had the Swedish Official Number 5396. It also used special Code Letters for communication. From 1930 to 1944, its code letters were JTCB. From 1934 onwards, they were SEWG.
