World Ship Society Southend Branch

News and Views

Newsletter Edition 33 Edited 14th June 2021

Chairman & Secretary Stuart Emery [email protected]

News & Views Coordinator Richard King [email protected]

Notes

Thanks go to Tony, Colin, Stuart, Phil and Eddie for their contributions

Contents

News

Visitors

Quiz Tony

Type 31

Little Ships that keep our river going Part 2 PLA

Colins pictures

One fact Wonder Battle of Matapan

Shipbuilding The Tyne – Vickers Armstrong -Walker -Part 2

Short History of a Line – MOL

Quiz

News Fjord1 orders two eco-friendly ferries from Tersan

HAV DESIGN The ferries will operate on two routes in Norwegian operator Fjord1 has ordered two eco-friendly car and passenger ferries from Turkey’s Tersan shipyard.

Scheduled for delivery in the second quarter of 2023, the 248-person ferries have been designed by Norway-based firm HAV Design and will be able to accommodate 80 cars and six trailers. Both 84-metre-long vessels will have a battery-powered propulsion system, which can be charged via shore power while passengers are disembarking in port. They will also have a diesel-electric backup system to allow them to operate in either fully electric, hybrid or diesel-electric mode.

Once in service, the vessels will operate on the routes between Stranda and Liabygda, and Eidsdal and Linge. Aurora Botnia successfully completes first sea trials

RAUMA MARINE CONSTRUCTIONS Aurora Botnia pictured during her sea trials Wasaline’s new car and passenger ferry Aurora Botnia has successfully completed her first sea trials.

The vessel, which is nearing completion at the Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) shipyard in Finland, underwent three days of tests to assess operational performance.

Aurora Botnia will be the first car and passenger ferry in the world with a Clean Design class notation, which signifies that it has been designed and built to significantly exceed the requirements of the MARPOL Convention for the prevention of pollution from ships. The main engines will operate primarily on low-emission LNG fuel to minimise sulphur, nitrogen and carbon dioxide emissions. The ship also has an electric power system that can be used in ports and in future, she will be able to be powered by biogas.

Preparations are underway for RMC to deliver Aurora Botnia to Wasaline in Vaasa, Finland. The date of the handover, the maiden voyage and the start of ticket sales will be announced next week. Once in service, the vessel will operate between Vaasa and Umeå in Sweden.

Brodosplit builds largest square-rigged cruise ship in the world

BRODOSPLIT Brodosplit shipyard in Split, Croatia, has completed the construction of Golden Horizon, the largest square-rigged cruise ship in the world, for UK cruise operator Tradewind Voyages. Golden Horizon is 162 metres long and has five masts with 36 cross sails that have a total area of 6,347 square metres. She can accommodate 272 passengers in 140 luxury cabins as well as 159 crew members.

The ship features a library and large lounges, one of which extends across three decks. On the open decks, there are three bars and three pools, including one for diving.

Along with her sails, the ship is equipped with two independent electric propulsion motors. The larger motor provides 2,500 kilowatt hours of power, while the smaller unit provides 1,700. The engines will be able to operate for 400 hours without refuelling.

The ship has been designed to sail worldwide, including in the polar regions. She will be able to reach speeds of between 16 and 20 knots under sail, while the engines will enable a speed of up to 17 knots.

Large Iranian navy ship sinks after catching fire Iran’s army confirmed crew safely evacuated after vessel caught fire under unclear circumstances.

Tehran, Iran – One of Iran’s largest navy ships has sunk after catching fire near the Strait of Hormuz under unclear circumstances.

The Kharg, named after an island nearby that serves as a key oil terminal, caught fire in the early hours of Wednesday local time and more than 20 hours of rescue operations failed to save it, the army said.

Royal Yacht Britannia replacement to enter service in four years, Prime Minister says work on the new flagship, which will be crewed by the , will start next year

An artist's impression of how the new yacht could look CREDIT: UK Government The new national flagship to replace the Royal Yacht Britannia and give British businesses a new global platform will enter service in four years, Boris Johnson has announced. ...

E flexer floated out at Weihai Shipyard

Stena Line The new vessel is currently under construction CMI Jinling Weihai Shipyard in China Stena Line’s new extended E-Flexer ferry has been floated out at CMI Jinling Weihai Shipyard in Weihai, China.

The new vessel was ordered in 2018 and is the fourth of five E-Flexer ferries designed and built by Stena Line in collaboration with sister company Stena RoRo. The fourth and fifth vessel in the series will be 240 metres long with a load capacity of 2,600 lane metres, with 50 per cent more cabins and beds, 30 per cent increased passenger capacity and an additional 15 per cent cargo capacity compared to the first three ships.

The E-Flexer ferries are up to 30 per cent more energy efficient than existing vessels in the fleet, and can be converted for operation on methanol or LNG fuel. The two longer vessels will be equipped to use shore power during port calls, which also allows for them to be converted to battery hybrid operation in the future. Visitors

Kyoto Express Built 2005 93750 GRT Owner Hapag Lloyd Current Position Port Said

HMM St Petersburg Built 2020 232311 GRT Owner HMM

Current Position en route to Suez

Luna Maersk Built 2002 50688 GRT Owner Maersk Shipping

Current Position En route en route to Piraeus

Glovis Captain Built 2015 59954 GRT Owner Hyundai Glovis

Current Position En route to Baltimore

Sea 2 Built 1999 10862 GRT Owner Feng Li Maritime

Current Position En route to Grimsby

Andros Built 2010 3212 GRT Owner Andros Marine

Current Position North Sea

Akadimos Built 2015 96424

Current position en route to Algeciras

Konstantinos M Built 2012 20928 GRT Owner c/o Thalkat Shipping

Current Position En route to Ust-Luga

Stenberg Built 2003 11935 Owner Stentank

Current Position En route to Gothenburg

Glovis Comet Built 1996 55680 GRT

Current position En route to Bremerhaven

Quiz Questions Edition 33

MARITIME QUIZ JUNE 2021 ANSWERS

Here are the answers to 16 ships that have been in the news recently. What were the questions?

1. BLUEBOTTLE 2. ZEBU 3. COTE D’OPALE 4. ALF POLLACK 5. KM KARYA INDAH 6. MAKRAN 7. NICOLA FAITH 8. HMS DRAGON 9. JAG ANAND 10. X-PRESS PEARL 11. EVER ACE 12. HMS ANSON 13. HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH 14. KHARG 15. QUEEN MARY 16. LIVA GRETA 17. USS PAUL IGNATIUS 18. OOCL DURBAN 19. PELICAN OF LONDON 20. PRIDE OF BURGUNDY

Type 31 Frigates

The names of the five future frigates, to be built by Babcock in Rosyth, were revealed during First Sea Lord’s Seapower conference.

With the approval of the Queen, the ships are to be named HMS Active, Bulldog, Campbeltown, Formidable and Venturer – with the Royal Navy saying the names were drawn from “warships and whose deeds and missions are intended to reflect and inspire current and future Royal Navy operations.”

The names were selected to represent ‘key themes and operations’ that are set to dominate the mission of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines.

Formidable will represent carrier operations; Bulldog, the operational advantage in the North Atlantic; Active, the forward deployment of ships across the globe; Venturer, the drive for technology and innovation; and Campbeltown representing the Royal Marines new Future Commando Force.

The five new Type 31 Frigates and in-development Type 26 Frigates will replace the Royal Navy’s outgoing Type 23 Frigates. The first steel for the five new Type 31 ships is due to be cut this summer and are all due to be in service by 2028.

The name HMS Active was previously used by Type 21-class , HMS Active, built by then Vosper Thornycroft in the 1970s. Active saw service during the Falkland’s war.

HMS Bulldog was previously used by a B-class notable for having captured a complete German Enigma machine and codebooks during WW2 from the German U-110 in 1941.

HMS Campbeltown was previously used for a Batch 3 Type 22 frigate and a Town-class destroyer transferred from the US Navy to the Royal Navy during WW2. The Town-class Campbeltown participated in the raid on St Nazaire.

An Illustrious-class previously held the name HMS Formidable. The ship participated in Operation Torch, the allied invasion of in 1942.

HMS Venturer was a British Submarine notable for sinking two German U-boats and five Merchant ships during WW2. HMS Venturer is known as the only submarine to sink another submarine while both were underwater.

THE LITTLE SHIPS THAT KEEP OUR RIVER GOING

PART 2: P.L.A. VESSELS

MARINE SERVICES VESSELS

LONDON TITAN: She was built by Manor Marine in Portland to a design by MacDuff Ship Design, being launched in February 2015. She is classed as a Mooring Maintenance Vessel, and reportedly cost £7 million. Her dimensions are 36.5m x 13.5m x 2.2m and she is439 grt. She replaced two 40-year-old workboats, the Crossness and the Hookness. Propulsion machinery is 3 Caterpillar C32 diesels of 1000 hp each. She is tasked with keeping the tidal Thames clear of obstructions, but she can also lay and recover navigation buoys, remove wreckage, small scale dredging and diving surface support. She is UK flagged.

DRIFTWOOD 11 and 111: These were built by Delta Shipyards for the PLA in 1989 and 1990 respectively. Their function is the collection of driftwood and other debris from the tidal Thames, but they also have a hydraulic crane, burning gear and salvage pumps. Propulsion machinery is twin Caterpillar 3306 DITA engines giving 235 bhp and a max. speed of 8 knots. Their length is 14.4m and their draft is 1.35m, and their displacement is 62 tons. She is UK flagged.

P.L.A. DIVER: She was built by Searle Williams on a Blyth 33 hull in 1992. She is equipped for marine services and commercial surface diving support operations. She is 10m long with a draft of 1m, and weighs 7 tons, She is powered by 2 Volvo TAMDDDD 63L engines of 318bhp, giving 25 knots.

RECOVER: She is a Thames Oil Spill Clearance Association (TOSCA) vessel. Funded in part by the terminals that handle oil and oil products, the service has two purpose built craft, each designed to collect and/or contain oil spills in the first critical hours after a spillage. She was built by Prout Catamarans on a Panther 61 hull with a length of 16.5 m. She is powered by twin Caterpillar 3406E engines, each giving 700bhp and a top speed of 21 knots. She carries a Lamour brush pack system for collecting oil from the surface of the sea.

RESPOND: She is the second TOSCA vessel, and was built by RTK Marine of Poole. Her length is 12.7m and her draft 0.5m. She has twin Volvo Penta AD/41 DP engines giving 165 bhp through outboard drives and a top speed of 25 knots. She has a bow ramp to allow beach landings for clearance purposes.

HARBOUR SERVICES VESSELS

CHELSEA and RICHMOND: These are classed as Harbour Service Vessels and are used in the PLA’s Upper District. They were built by Ecocats Ltd. in 2006/7, and their dimensions are 10m x 4m, and their displacement is 3.9 tons. They are powered by twin Yanmar diesel outboards.

LAMBETH, KEW, SOUTHWARK and BARNES: These are Harbour Service Vessels serving the Middle and Lower districts of the tidal Thames. They were built by Alnmarintec of Alnwick, Northumberland. They are aluminium catamarans with deep Vee hulls, They are 13.5m x 4.8m and displace 11 tonnes. Two John Deere 200hp marine diesels give a top speed of 21 knots.

HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEY VESSELS

MAPLIN

MAPLIN: She is a hydrographic survey vessel, built by C.Truk in Colchester in 2015. She is a17m long by6.1m wide composite hulled catamaran, and is powered by twin Volvo D13- 700s combined with Rolls-Royce FF41 water jets. She has a retractable hull mounted multi- beam sonar, plus a moonpool, an A-frame and a deck crane.

THAME

THAME: She is also a hydrographic survey vessel, built in 2012 by South Boats Special Projects as a crew transfer vessel. She was bought by the PLA in 2017 and converted for hydrographic use and renamed. She is 14.2m x 5.3m x 0.8. and displaces 14 tonnes. She is powered by twin Caterpillar C9 ACERT 510 hp diesels coupled to Hamilton HJ364 water jets.

YANTLET

YANTLET: A hydrographic survey vessel, she is a Nelson 44 catamaran built by Souter Marine in 1995.She is 13.4m long with a 1.0m draft and a displacement of18.5 tonnes, and is powered by twin Cummings 6CTA 8.3 diesels giving a total of 860 bhp and a top speed of 22 knots.

GALLOPER

GALLOPER: A hydrographic survey vessel, built by Cheetah Marine on the Isle of Wight in 2008. She is 8m x 4m with a draft of 0.3m. She has twin Honda 135hp outboard engines giving a top speed of 30 knots.

PILOT CUTTERS

Pilot cutters are used to take pilots between the three pilot stations (Gravesend, Harwich & Ramsgate) and the ships entering or leaving the Port of London. Three dedicated pilot cutters, Patrol, Guide & Leader are based at Gravesend. The six cutters used at Ramsgate are operated by Estuary Services Ltd, which is jointly owned by the PLA and Medway Ports.

LEADER

LEADER: She was built in 2018 by Goodchild Marine and is a plug-in hybrid. She can run on her batteries for about 40 n. miles on one charge at 15 knots. Diesel engines can boost the speed up to 19 knots.

GUIDE

GUIDE: She was built in 1991 by Halmatic, being bought by the PLA in 2018 from Estuary Services Ltd. She is 14.83m long with a 1.4m draft. She is powered by twin Caterpillar 3406E, giving 550 bhp and a top speed of 22 knots.

PATROL

PATROL: She was built by Halmatic in 1982 on an RNLI Arun-type hull, bought from Estuary Services Ltd by the PLA in 1994. She had a major refit in 1998. She is 16.4m long with a 2.0m draft. She is powered by twin Scania DSI 16 engines giving 1100 bhp and a top speed of 20 knots.

Colins Pictures

Ionic- Bitter Lakes

Irbid Jon -Aqaba

Ivis Ibis- Bitter Lakes

Jongleur- Creeksea

Kamya -Phu My

Kasuga Phu My

One Fact Wonder Battle of Matapan

OFW Battle of Matapan

29th of March 1941 saw a decisive naval action in the Mediterranean between the Royal and Australian Navies and the Italian Regia Marina now known as the Battle of Cape Matapan.

Regia Marina was charged with sweeping the RN from the Med.

Under German pressure the Italians reluctantly embarked on a voyage to destroy or hinder the activities of the RN protecting convoys to Greece, hindered by a lack of coordinated air support and a convoluted chain of command the Italians suffered monumental losses which effectively kept them in port until their capitulation in 1943

Mavis Batey a cryptographer at Bletchley Park cracked the Italian Enigma cipher to flag up the impending operation, to conceal the fact that the Code had been broken a Sunderland was despatched to shadow the Italian fleet and give the impression that they had been randomly sighted.

Sir Andrew B Cunningham, ABC to his crew was an able Commander and keen advocate of air power, he had been training his crews in night operations, this with the support of radar made his fleet a potent force. At the end of the battle as they were picking up Italian survivors the fleet was bombed by German aircraft, Cunningham gave orders to depart the scene also making a signal to the Italian High Command giving the position of survivors and requesting a hospital ship. He was thanked. https://youtu.be/sV4lZJGsMm4 Link to film of the Battle BATTLE OF CAPE MATAPAN

The Italian navy was forced into a foray in strength near by political pressure, mainly from their German allies. They were not properly supported by air power, mainly through inter-service rivalry.

The main difference between the performance of the two fleets was expertise in night fighting. The Mediterranean fleet had been practising this under Admiral Cunningham since before the war. Another key factor was that the Italians did not have effective radar. Although the Italian ships were generally faster than those of the Royal Navy, their gunnery systems were outdated. The British also had the advantage of being able to decode Italian radio signals via Bletchley Park.

Overall, it was a textbook victory for the Royal Navy, who were able to bring overwhelming force to bear at the critical time in the battle. Italy lost 3 heavy and two , and their modern Vittorio Veneto was damaged by a from a Fairey Albacore flown from HMS Formidable.

Whilst the Battle of Taranto may have been a tremendous psychological defeat, Matapan was the military defeat that finished the Italian navy. The next time that the Italian fleet came out in force was two years later, to surrender.

Andrew Cunningham, 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope -

My father served on HMS Warspite in the Mediterranean under Admiral Cunningham for whom he had such an admiration that when we returned home at the end of his war within the family his nickname was Cunningham, They all took part in the Battle of Matapan in March 1941

Battle summary of Cape Matapan

At the end of March 1941, Hitler wanted the convoys supplying the British Expeditionary force in Greece stopped, and the Italian Navy was the only force able to attempt this Cunningham stated in his biography: "I myself was inclined to think that the Italians would not try anything. I bet Commander Power, the Staff Officer, Operations, the sum of ten shillings that we would see nothing of the enemy. Under pressure from Germany, the Italian Fleet planned to launch an attack on the British Fleet on 28 March 1941. The Italian commander, Admiral Angelo Iachino, intended to carry out a surprise attack on the British Cruiser Squadron in the area (commanded by Vice- Admiral Sir Henry Pridham-Wippell), executing a pincer movement with the battleship Vittorio Veneto. Cunningham though, was aware of Italian naval activity through intercepts of Italian Enigma messages. Although Italian intentions were unclear, Cunningham's staff believed an attack upon British troop convoys was likely and orders were issued to spoil the enemy plan and, if possible, intercept their fleet. Cunningham wished, however, to disguise his own activity and arranged for a game of golf and a fictitious evening gathering to mislead enemy agents (he was, in fact, overheard by the local Japanese Consul). After sunset, he boarded HMS Warspite and left . Cunningham, realising that an air attack could weaken the Italians, ordered an attack by the Formidable's Albacore torpedo-bombers. A hit on the Vittorio Veneto slowed her temporarily and Iachino, realising his fleet was vulnerable without air cover, ordered his forces to retire. Cunningham gave the order to pursue the Italian Fleet An air attack from the Formidable had disabled the cruiser Pola, and Iachino, unaware of Cunningham's pursuing battlefleet, ordered a squadron of cruisers and destroyers to return and protect the Pola. Cunningham, meanwhile, was joining up with Pridham-Wippell's cruiser squadron. Throughout the day several chases and sorties occurred with no overall victor. None of the Italian ships were equipped for night fighting, and when night fell, they made to return to Taranto. The British battlefleet equipped with radar detected the Italians shortly after 22:00. In a pivotal[ moment in naval warfare during the Second World War, the Barham, Valiant and Warspite opened fire on two Italian cruisers at only 3,800 yards destroying them in only five minutes. Although the Vittorio Veneto escaped from the battle by returning to Taranto, there were many accolades given to Cunningham for continuing the pursuit at night, against the advice of his staff. After the previous defeat at Taranto, the defeat at Cape Matapan dealt another strategic blow to the Italian Navy. Five ships—three heavy cruisers and two destroyers— were sunk, and around 2,400 Italian sailors were killed, missing or captured. The British lost only three aircrew when one torpedo bomber was shot down. Cunningham had lost his bet with Commander Power but he had won a strategic victory in the war in the Mediterranean. The defeats at Taranto and Cape Matapan meant that the Italian Navy did not intervene in the heavily contested evacuations of Greece and Crete, later in 1941.

Shipbuilding on the Tyne - Vicker s Armstrong High Walker Part 2 1958-72

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II launched HMS Dreadnought (S101) on Trafalgar Day (21st October) 1960, the first nuclear-powered submarine, built by Vickers-Armstrongs Ltd, at Barrow.

HMS Dreadnought built by Vickers Armstrong 1960

1968 the High Walker Yard was sold to Swan Hunter following government pressure

1977, saw the entire UK shipbuilding industry subsumed into a public concern know as British Shipbuilders Corporation, with its headquarters in Newcastle.

By 1982 over half of the original shipyards had been closed. The yard at Barrow, returned to private ownership, was sold to an employee led consortium who resurrected its relationship with the Vickers brand by naming the new company as Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Limited. This also included the Cammel Laird subsidiary at Birkenhead on Merseyside.

High Walker meanwhile, returned to Swan Hunter although it was no longer building ships rather than operating as an outfitting centre and administrative offices.

1956 City of Ripon for Ellermans Lines 7713 GRT

1978 Benvannoch 1979 Broken up Kaohsiung

1956 Hinnites for Shell Bermuda 12211 GRT

1976 Broken up Inchon

1957 Alvenus for Alvion SS 21468 GRT

1970 Trader 1972 Sank in Mediterranean

1957 HMS Scarborough for Royal Navy Whitby Class Frigate

1977 Broken up Blyth 1957 Antenor for Ocean SS

1970 Glenlochy 1972 Dymas 1973 Kaiyun 1983 Broken up China

1957 Achilles for Ocean SS 7974 GRT

1972 Dardanus 1972 Kaigo 1982 Broken up Calcutta 1957 Empress of for Canadian Pacific

1970 Ocean Monarch 1975 Broken up

1958 HMS Eastbourne for Royal Navy Whitby Class frigate

1985 Broken up Inverkeithing

1958 Canto for Jensens Rederi 16710 GRT 1985 Broken up Chittagong

1958 Ajax for China Mutual SS 7974 GRT 1972 Deucalion 1973 Kailok 1982 Broken up Kaohsiung

1958 Pacific Envoy for Furness Withy 9439 GRT

1967 Loch Ryan 1970 Pacific Envoy 1971 Aegis Strength 1974 Broken up Hong Kong

1958 Pacific Stronghold for Furness Withy 9439 GRT

1970 Aegis Honor 1972 Broken up Singapore

1958 Esso Durham for Esso Petroleum 23862 GRT

1969 Durham 1972 Courier 1975 Broken up Kaohsiung

1959 Garonne for Orient Steamship 24513 GRT

1973 St Thomas 1976 Broken up New

1959 Memnon for China Mutual SS 8634 GRT

1975 Stentor 1977 Owerri 1978 Europe 1987 Primus 1988 Broken up Alang 1959 Esso for Esso Petroleum 24125 GRT

1960 Major explosion at Milford Haven 1972 Winson 1975 Sank under tow

1960 Melampus for Ocean SS 8511 GRT

1967-75 Trapped in Bitter Lake 1975 Annoula II 1982 Broken up Gadani Beach

1960 Illyric for Shaw Savill 11256 GRT

1978 Carmila 1979 Broken up Kaohsiung

1960 Betwa frigate for Government of India 1988 Broken up

1960 Beas frigate for Government of India 1992 Broken up

1961 Serenia for Shell Tankers 42082 GRT

1977 Converted to shuttle tanker 1987 Broken up Kaohsiung

1961 Empress of Canada for Canadian Pacific 22784 GRT

1972 Mardi Gras 1993 Olympic 1995 Apollon 1997 Olympic 2004 1998 Apollon 1998 Apollon 1 2003 Apollo 2003 Broken up Alang

1962 City of Eastbourne 10006 GRT for Ellermans

1971 City of Toronto 1978 Kota Cantik 1984 Broken up Kaohsiung

1962 Northern Star for Shaw Saville & Albion 24371 GRT

1975 Broken up Kaohsiung when the steam turbine engines became uneconomic coupled with poor maintenance

1963 HMS Penelope for Royal Navy Leander Class Frigate

1991 Presidente Eloy Alfaro 2008 Post Broken up

1963 Esso Edinburgh for Esso Petroleum 31685 GRT

1976 Broken up Kaohsiung

1963 Esso Newcastle for Esso Petroleum 31 729 GRT

1977 Converted to floated production facility 1977 WP no 1 1980 Exxon Santa Ynez

1963 City of Glasgow for Ellermans 9710 GRT

1971 City of Ottawa 1978 Kota Chahaya 1985 Broken up Nantong

1964 Laurentic for Shaw Savill & Albion 7751 GRT

1980 Spartan Reefer 1984 Broken up Gadani Beach

1965 Keta Patrol vessel for Ghananian Government

1965 Regent Pembroke for Regent Petroleum 36 779 GRT

1968 Texaco Pembroke 1978 Broken up Kaohsiung

1965 Beaveroak for Canadian Pacific

1970 CP Ambassador 1974 Atalanta 1979 Converted to Container ship 1980 Zim Atlanta 1980 Atalanta 1980 New Penguin 1981 Flamingo 1984 Broken up Gadani Beach

1966 HMS Glamorgan Destroyer for Royal Navy

1982 Hit by Argentinian Missiles and repaired 1986 sold to Chile 2005 sank under tow to scrapyard

1966 HMS Minerva for Royal Navy-frigate

1994 Broken up Alang

1966 Aranui for New Zealand Government 4542 GRT for service between North and South Island

1985 Najd III 1994 Broken up Chittagong 1966 Priam for Oceans SS 12904 GRT

1979 Lengthened 1979 Oriental Champion 1985 Hit by Iraqi missile 1986 Broken up Kaohsiung

1967 Peisander for Ocean SS 12094 GRT

1978 Oriental Exporter 1979 Converted to a container ship 1981 Main Express 1984 Oriemtal Exporter 1986 Broken up Kaohsiung

1967 Prometheus for Ocean SS 12094 GRT

1979 Oriental Merchant 1980 Converted to a container ship 1986 Broken up Kaohsiung

1967 Protesilaus for China SN 12049 GRT

1978 Oriental Importer 1985 Broken up Kaohsiung

1967 Radnorshire for Glen Line 12089 GRT

1972 Perseus 1978 Kwangsi 1982 Asian Dragon 1983 Saudi Zam Zam 1984 Broken up China

1968 Albright Pioneer for James Fisher 6870 GRT

2000 Raider 2001 Broken up Aliaga

1968 Albright Explorer for James Fisher 6870 GRT

1991 Broken up Alang

1969 HMS Bacchante for Royal Navy frigate Leander Class

1982 Wellington for RNZN 2005 Sank as an artificial reef

1972 Rostam for Iranian Navy Frigate

1985 Sabalan 1988 Damaged by US bomb

Short History of a Line -Mitsui O S K Lines

Founded in 1964 following the merger of Osaka Shosen Kaisha founded in 1878 and Mitsui Steamship Co Ltd founded in 1942. At the time with 83 vessels, it was the largest shipping company in Japan

OSK was founded in 1884 when 55 shipowners combined their operations, The main one was Sumitomo zaibatsu with 93 vessels.

For the first few years it worked the coastal routes of western Japan. In 1890 OSK started an Osaka -Pusan and a Korean coastal route

Between 1893-96 the company was re capitalised and granted subsidies by the Government of Taiwan for Osaka-Taiwan services and in1898 the company began to operate on the Yangtze

In 1898 efforts were made to rationalise the organisation of OSK to penetrate the Chinese market and to begin the first OSK Ocean route from Hong Kong to Tacoma in 1908

1911 OSK started Kobe to Bombay.

1918 The company opened a Bombay to Marseilles route Further routes were opened to San Francisco, Australia, and South America

1920 Saw the commencement of a route to New York

1930 Five new motor ships were ordered to serve an express route to New York

During the 30’s OSK and NYK made an agreement whereby OSK abolished its Puget Sound route and took over the monopoly of the east coast of South America route.

Profits peaked in 1941

Mitsui Bussan Kaisha- Mitsui Line was originally the trading department of Mitsui Bussan Kaisha set up in 1876 with exclusive rights to market coal from the state-owned mines. It started with chartered vessels. In 1878 it purchased its first steamship and in 1888 it bought the coal mines

By 1904 the company owned nine ships and by WW1 15 ships

1914 it began tramp services

1917 the company constructed a shipyard beginning shipbuilding in 1920.

1920 Began a semi liner service from Galian to Seattle via Kobe.. The outbound service was liner but to acquire cargo on the return it had to stop at other ports

1924 The companies shipyards produced two ships which were put into service on the North Atlantic route. Akagisan Maru was a diesel ship

Tenyo Maru

1928 a Bangkok route opened

1931 a Phillipines route

1932 Dalien to New York

1933 Line known as Mitsui Line

1935 a Persian Gulf route. Company owned 35 ships

1937 Shipbuilding spun off as Mitsui Tama Shipyard

1942 the shipping department became Mitsui Steamship Company

Brazil Maru

World War 2 Like other Japanese companies OSK was a ship owner and at the end of hostilities had 55 ships

1950 OSK had returned to worldwide services and by 1957 nearly all of its services had been restored with 18 monthly sailings on 13 liner routes. A government sponsored building programme started in 1947 and OSK built 38 ships.

Brazil Maru

1953 OSK established a second route to East coast of South America which although profitable at first by 1963 was loss making and spun off

Post War MS began expanding its fleet to re-establish the pre-war network. Between 1950 and 1964 it constructed 38 vessels

1961 Kinkasa Maru was the first bridge-controlled ships in the world with service on the New York route

1964 Japanese shipping was reorganised into six groups as shipping moved towards containerisation . Mitsui OSK was formed by the merger of OSK and MS to create Mitsui OSK Lines ( MOL)

The new company began service on routes to California joining a consortium of four Japanese operators

1970 MOL established Mitsui OSK Passenger Co

By 1974 the fleet was 152 vessels

The first container vessel was America Maru which sailed in 1969 from Kobe to San Francisco Containerisation spread to other routes including Australia and the North Pacific and Europe by 1971 At the same time the other trend was towards specialisation and in 1970 Yachiyosan Maru was the largest Japanese ore carrier

The first large Car Carrier Oppama Maru was built in 1965 to operate for Nissan. The MOL ro ro division is named Auto Car Carrier Express

1973 MOL immediately cancelled tankers under construction

1979 MOL reorganised its routes and began to build energy efficient ships beginning with the Awobasan Maru in 1981

1974 MOL established the Saudia Arabian Shipping Company with AMOCO

1983 Two specialised companies were established Badak and Arun to transport LNG from Indonesia operating 7 ships 1983 MOL took delivery of Kohzan Maru Japans first large methanol carrier

MOL also made great efforts to reorganize operations on the Pacific routes, dissolving the consortium of six Japanese companies. In 1985 it began a two-company consortium with Kawasaki Steamship's K Line service (KL) on the Japan/Pacific southwest route, and with East Asiatic Co. (EAC) on the Far East/Pacific southwest route. It also decided to start a three-company consortium with KL and EAC on the Pacific northwest route. On each route it began a weekly service with newly built large container ships. The first such ship, Asian Venture, was an FOC ship at 1,960 teu

Containership ONE COMMITMENT

Ocean Network Express (ONE) was established by integrating the container liner businesses of MOL, Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK), and Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha ("K" Line) and commenced service in April 2018. The total fleet capacity after the integration is 1.56 million TEUs, the world's sixth largest (as of June 2020). ONE operates 212 containerships, including 31 super-large ships in the 20,000TEU class, among the world's largest a broad-ranging network in over 120 countries all over the world

Nippon Maru offer cruises and on her 30th anniversary in 2020 she had a renovation

Awobasan Maru

Woodchip carrier Southern Treasure

Dyna Crane

Kazusa

Taranaki Sun

Eagle Trader

Garnet Express

Beluga Ace

Sunflower Kirishima

Ishin LPG Powered

MOL Belief

MOL Breeze

MOL Caledon

MOL truth

MOL Proficiency

MOL Triumph

Quiz Answers

MARITIME QUIZ JUNE 2021 QUESTIONS

1. BLUEBOTTLE: A Dragon class yacht, formerly belonging to the Duke of Edinburgh has now been added to the Royal Yacht Britannia complex. 2. ZEBU: A wooden brigantine vessel dating from 1938 dragged her anchor and stranded on a breakwater at Holyhead in May. Since broken up. 3. COTE D’OPALE: DFDS has taken delivery of this new ferry on a 10-year charter from Stena Ro-Ro. She was built in China and is 42,000 grt. She will be used on the Dover-Calais route. 4. ALF POLLACK: This ship has been chartered by Cobelfret and is working on their Purfleet to Zeebrugge route. She is a sister ship of the Acacia Seaways, ex Meleq. She was built at Flensburg in 2018 and is of 32,936 grt. 5. K.M. KARYA INDAH: A ferry with 274 people on board caught fire on 30th May in the Molucca Sea, Indonesia. I person missing. 6. MAKRAN: An Iranian warship, converted from a tanker, thought to be heading for Venezuela. She can serve as a platform for electronic warfare and special operation missions, and can carry 6 to 7 helicopters as well as drones. 7. NICOLA FAITH: A fishing boat that sank off Colwyn Bay on 27th January with the loss of her 3 crew. A crane barge has raised her for theUK Marine Accident investigation. 8. HMS DRAGON: A successfully fired a Sea Viper SAM missile. The Type 45’s are built around the PAAMS ( Principal Anti-Aircraft Missile System) Sea Viper using the Sampson AESA and the S1850M long range radars. Missiles used are the 15 and Aster 30. 9. JAG ANAND: A bulker that was stranded off the coast of China for 356 days with a cargo of 174,000 tons of Australian coal finally made port a few weeks ago. 10. X-PRESS PEARL: A 37,000 dwt container ship had a fire off Colombo, probably the result of chemicals being carried. The ship has been evacuated by her crew and will probably be a Constructive Total Loss. 11. EVER ACE: To be delivered in July by Samsung Heavy Industries will be the world’s largest container ship by TEU (23,992) 12. HMS ANSON: Was rolled out from the construction hall at Barrow and lowered into the water for the first time. 13. HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH: set sail from Portsmouth for her maiden deployment to the Far East. 14. KHARG: An Iranian Fleet Replenishment Ship of 11,242 tons displacement caught fire and sank in the Gulf of Oman in unclear circumstances. ££ were injured. She was built by Swan Hunter, launched in 1977 and after much political manoeuvring delivered to Iran in 1984. 15. QUEEN MARY: She is at risk of sinking, experts say. She is leaking and needs £16 million for an emergency refit. The hull has widespread leaks and safety hazards and her bilge pump system is aging. A report warned that she could flood or even capsize within 2 years. The operator is embroiled in bankruptcy proceedings. 16. LIVA GRETA: A 33-year-old coaster of 1280 dwt was arrested and sold by the Mersey Dock and Harbour Company. She was built in Holland in 1988 as the LIVA H. She is now Latvian owned and flagged. 17. USS PAUL IGNATIUS: An Arleigh Burke class destroyer destroyed a ballistic missile in close co-operation with the Dutch frigate DE ZEVEN PROVINCIEN. The Dutch ship detected, tracked & relayed data to the Paul Ignatius, which intercepted the missile with an SH-3 s.a.m. The De Zeven Provincien can protect a maritime squadron against anti-ship missiles, being able to scan airspace beyond the atmosphere and space up to 2000 km for air threats such as ballistic missiles fired from a distance. 18. OOCL DURBAN: A fully cellular container ship of 90,079 dwt collided with two ship-to-shore container cranes at Kaohsiuing, Taiwan. Both cranes collapsed, wreaking havoc at the quayside. 19. PELICAN OF LONDON: A sail training ship Left Bristol on a 13 week voyage circumnavigating the British Isles to research plastic pollution in UK waters. She has an odd rig being square rigged on the middle of three masts. 20. PRIDE OF BURGUNDY: P&O Ferries announced the return of this ship of 28,138 grt on the Dover-Calais route in June.