SS Avondale Park
| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Avondale Park |
| Owner: |
Canadian Government (1943) Ministry of War Transport (1944) |
| Operator: |
Park Steamship Co Ltd (1943) Witherington & Everett (1944) |
| Port of registry: |
 Montreal |
| Builder: | Foundation Maritime Ltd |
| Launched: | February 1944 |
| Completed: | May 1944 |
| Identification: |
Code Letters VDDN 30x15px30x15px30x15px30x15px UK Official Number 175378 |
| Fate: | Torpedoed and sunk, 7 May 1945 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage: |
2,878 GRT 1,653 NRT |
| Length: | 315 feet 5 inches (96.14 m) |
| Beam: | 46 feet 5 inches (14.15 m) |
| Depth: | 22 feet 9 inches (6.93 m) |
| Installed power: | Triple expansion steam engine |
| Propulsion: | Screw propellor |
| Crew: | 34, plus 4 DEMS gunners |
Avondale Park was a 2,872 GRT Park cargo ship which was built in 1944. She was the last merchant ship to be sunk by Germany in the Second World War, on 7 May 1945, the day of German surrender.
Description
The ship was built by Foundation Maritime Ltd. at Pictou, Nova Scotia. She was launched in February 1944,[1] and completed in May 1944.[2]
The ship was 315 feet 5 inches (96.14 m) long, with a beam of 46 feet 5 inches (14.15 m) and a depth of 22 feet 9 inches (6.93 m). She had a GRT of 2,878 and a NRT of 1,653.[2]
She was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine which had cylinders 20 inches (51 cm), 31 inches (79 cm) and 55 inches (140 cm) diameter by 39 inches (99 cm) stroke. The engine was built by Canada Iron Foundries, Three Rivers, Quebec.[2]
History
Avondale Park was built for the Canadian Government and operated by the Park Steamship Co Ltd. The United Kingdom Official Number 175378 and code letters VDDN were allocated. Her port of registry was Montreal, under the British flag.[2] She was later chartered by the Ministry of War Transport, who placed her under the management of Witherington & Etheridge, Newcastle upon Tyne.[1]
Avondale Park was a member of Convoy EN 591, which departed Hull on 6 May 1945 bound for Belfast via Methil. On 7 May 1945, the convoy was attacked by Template:GS and two ships were sunk, Sneland I and Avondale Park, which became the last British merchant ship to be sunk during the Second World War.[1] The sinking, at just after 23:00, was in the last hour of the Second World War in Europe, with the official surrender taking place at midnight.[3] Avondale Park sank at 56°05′N 02°32′W / 56.083°N 2.533°WCoordinates: 56°05′N 02°32′W / 56.083°N 2.533°W. Two of the 38 crew were lost.[1] A signal was sent to the U-boats on 4 May 1945 ordering them to surrender but U-2336 did not receive the signal.[4]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Avondale Park". Uboat. http://uboat.net/allies/merchants/3512.html. Retrieved 16 March 2010.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "LLOYD'S REGISTER, STEAMERS & MOTORSHIPS". Plimsoll Ship Data. http://www.plimsollshipdata.org/pdffile.php?name=44b1172.pdf. Retrieved 16 March 2010.
- ↑ "War casualties or just victims of an arrogant Captain". Timegun Travels. http://www.timegun.org/war_casualties.html. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
- ↑ "The Birth of Radar as told by Ham and Jam". Mercantile Marine. http://sites.google.com/a/mercantilemarine.org/mercantile-marine/War-time-Stories/h. Retrieved 16 March 2010.
- Ship infoboxes without an image
- Pages with broken file links
- 1944 ships
- Ships built in Nova Scotia
- World War II merchant ships of Canada
- Steamships of Canada
- Ministry of War Transport ships
- World War II merchant ships of the United Kingdom
- Steamships of the United Kingdom
- Maritime incidents in 1945
- Ships sunk by German submarines
- World War II shipwrecks in the North Sea
