SS Fort Battle River

History
United Kingdom
NameFort Battle River
OwnerMinistry of War Transport
BuilderNorth Van Ship Repair, North Vancouver
Yard number105
Completed29 July 1942
FateTorpedoed and sunk 6 March 1943
General characteristics
Class & typeNorth Sands-type Fort ship
Tonnage7,133 GRT
Length441 ft 6 in (134.57 m)
Beam57 ft 2 in (17.42 m)
Draught26 ft 11.5 in (8.217 m)
Propulsion
  • 3 cyl triple expansion steam
  • 2500 ihp
  • One shaft.
Speed11 knots (13 mph; 20 km/h)
Range11,400 nmi (21,100 km) at 10 kn (12 mph; 19 km/h)
Complement115
Armament
  • During the Second World War:
  • 1 × 4-inch (100 mm) gun
  • 8 × 20mm AA guns

SS Fort Battle River was a Canadian-owned Fort ship that saw service as a cargo ship during World War II. It was torpedoed by U-410 on 6 March 1943 and sank on 9 March.

Description

Fort Battle River was a North Sands-type cargo ship with a tonnage of 7,133 GRT. It was given the hull number 105.[1][2] It was equipped with a triple expansion engine that 505 nominal horsepower for a speed of 11 knots.[3] The crew was entirely British, and ranged in size from 48 in September 1942[4] to 45 in March 1943.[3]

History

The ship was completed by North Vancouver Ship Repair on 29 July 1942.[2] On 6 March 1943, the ship departed Glasgow, Scotland, for Bone, Algeria, as part of the merchant convoy KMS-10. Later that day, the German submarine U-410 attacked the convoy while it was off the coast of Portugal, striking Fort Battle River and Fort Paskoyac with torpedoes. The damage to Paskoyac was minimized by a torpedo protection net, but Battle River was crippled. The ship's full complement of 45 crew, 10 gunners, and 9 passengers were rescued by HMCS Shediac and SS Empire Flamingo and taken to Gibraltar. Three days later, on 9 March, the ship fully sank.[1][5][6][7]

References

  1. ^ a b Fisher, Robert (1995). "Canadian Merchant Ship Losses, 1939-1945" (PDF). The Northern Mariner. 3: 67.
  2. ^ a b Colton, Tim (2015). "Merchant Ships Built in Canada in World War Two". Shipbuilding History. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  3. ^ a b Lettens, Jan (2011). "SS Fort Battle River 1943". Wrecksite. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  4. ^ Wahl, Herman (26 September 1942). "Fort Battle River" (PDF). MARAD Vessel History Database. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  5. ^ Rohwer, Jürgen (1977). The critical convoy battles of March 1943. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. p. 54.
  6. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Fort Battle River (British steam merchant)". uboat.net. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  7. ^ Hughes, Rod (3 March 2023). "NAC News". Naval Association of Canada (503 ed.). Retrieved 20 March 2024.
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