SS Tivives (1911) facts for kids
The SS Tivives was a cool ship built in 1911. It was made for the United Fruit Company to carry passengers and refrigerated fruit. This means it had special cold rooms to keep fruit fresh!
The ship was built in Belfast by a company called Workman, Clark & Company, Ltd. It was first named Peralta but got the name Tivives before it was even finished.
When it was new, the ship sailed under the British flag. But in 1914, when a big war started in Europe, it changed to the United States flag. This was because its owner was an American company.
During World War I, the US Navy used the Tivives from 1918 to 1919. It was called USS Tivives then. After the war, it went back to carrying fruit and people for the United Fruit Company.
In World War II, the Tivives helped again. It was working for the War Shipping Administration, which managed ships for the war effort. Sadly, on October 21, 1943, German planes attacked and sank the ship off the coast of Algeria.
Quick facts for kids History |
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|---|---|
| Name | Tivives |
| Owner |
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| Operator |
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| Port of registry |
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| Builder | Workman, Clark & Company, Ltd. |
| Launched | 1 August 1911 as Peralta |
| Completed | 1911 |
| Fate | Sunk in air attack 21 October 1943 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 4,596 GRT4,290 DWT |
| Length |
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| Beam |
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| Draft | mean 22 ft 6.5 in (6.9 m) |
| Depth | 29 ft 1 in (8.9 m) |
| Propulsion | Triple expansion steam, cyl 27 in (0.69 m), 45 in (1.14 m) and 75 in (1.91 m) with 54 in (1.37 m) stroke. Five single ended Scotch boilers 13 ft 6 in (4.1 m) diameter by 11 ft 6 in (3.5 m) long. |
| Notes | As USS Tivives (5 July 1918 – 25 April 1919) the ship had a complement of 91 and was armed with a 5-inch gun and a 3-inch gun. |
Contents
Building the Tivives
The Tivives was built by Workman, Clark & Company, Ltd. in Belfast. It was launched on August 1, 1911. The ship was originally going to be named Peralta, but its name was changed to Tivives before it was finished.
This ship was built to very high standards. It met the rules for British and American ships. This meant it was safe for passengers and cargo.
The Tivives had nice rooms for passengers. Some cabins could even connect to make family suites. There were also special "cabins de luxe" on the upper deck.
For cargo, the ship had eight refrigerated (cooled) rooms. These were perfect for carrying fresh fruit. The ship was powered by a steam engine. It used five large boilers to make the steam.
On October 28, 1911, the Tivives left Belfast for its sea trials. This is when a new ship is tested to make sure everything works. After that, it sailed to Holyhead to pick up its first passengers. Then, it began its regular trips to the West Indies and the United States.
Early Journeys and Flag Change
The Tivives was one of three new ships that started a regular route on January 6, 1912. It sailed between New York and Limon, Costa Rica. It also stopped in Jamaica and Panama.
Some people think the name Tivives came from Spanish words meaning "your food." But it's more likely that the United Fruit Company named it after a place in Costa Rica. The company often used names of places for their ships.
The Tivives was part of United Fruit's "Great White Fleet." It had very comfortable passenger areas. The cabins even had air conditioning! Passengers could control the temperature in their rooms. This made 24-day cruises very pleasant.
In 1914, a big war started in Europe. The US Congress passed a new law. This law let foreign-built ships owned by American companies change to the US flag. The United Fruit Company had wanted to do this for a long time.
On September 10, 1914, the Tivives was the first ship to switch flags. It changed from British to US registry in Boston.
Tivives in World War I
On July 5, 1918, the US Navy took over the Tivives. It became a Navy ship called USS Tivives. It was used by the Naval Overseas Transportation Service.
On July 13, the ship was loaded with beef and trucks. It joined a group of ships called a convoy heading to France. It arrived on July 28 and unloaded its cargo.
The Tivives then joined a convoy returning to New York. It arrived on August 26. It loaded more beef and sailed back to France on September 2. The ship made another trip with beef, arriving in France on November 6. This was the same day the war ended!
After the war, the ship made two more trips. It carried beef to Europe and military equipment back to the US. Its last Navy trip ended on March 27, 1919. The USS Tivives was officially taken out of Navy service on April 25, 1919.
Back to Regular Service
After its time with the Navy, the Tivives went back to the United Fruit Company. It continued its regular trips carrying passengers and fruit.
In 1933, the company decided to update five of its ships, including the Tivives. The Tivives got better passenger facilities. Its speed was also increased from about 13 knots (24 km/h) to 14 knots (26 km/h).
Tivives in World War II
On May 29, 1942, the Tivives was given to the War Shipping Administration (WSA). This was a US government agency that managed ships during World War II. The United Fruit Company still operated the ship for the WSA.
On October 21, 1943, the Tivives was part of a convoy of ships. They were sailing off the coast of Algeria. German aircraft attacked the convoy. They fired at and torpedoed the Tivives.
The ship sank quickly. Sadly, one of the 48 civilian crew members and one of the 25 Navy Armed Guard members were lost. The other people on board, including six staff members from the convoy leader and one passenger, were rescued. They were saved by a Free French ship called HMS La Malouine.
