SS Gallic (1918)

For other ships with the same name, see SS Gallic.

Seen later in her life as the Turret-decked cargo steamship Clan Colquhoun
History
United Kingdom
Name	SS War Argus (October 1918 – August 1919) SS Gallic (August 1919 – October 1933)
Owner	HM Shipping Controller (October 1918 – August 1919) White Star Line (August 1919 – October 1933)
Operator	White Star
Port of registry	Liverpool
Route	Australian service
Builder	Workman, Clark & Co. Ltd., Belfast
Yard number	436
Launched	19 October 1918
Completed	12 December 1918
In service	August 1919
Fate	Sold to the Clan Line in October 1933
United Kingdom
Name	SS Clan Colquhoun
Owner	Clan Line
Operator	Clan Line (1933–1941, 1946–1947) Ministry of War Transport (1941–1946)
Port of registry	Glasgow
Route	Atlantic cargo service
Acquired	October 1933
In service	October 1933
Out of service	February 1947
Fate	Sold to the Zarati Steamship Co. of Panama
Panama
Name	SS Ioannis Livanos
Owner	Zarati Steamship Co.
Port of registry	Panama
Acquired	February 1947
Out of service	1949
Fate	Sold to the Two Oceans Navigation Co. (Dos Oceanos Compania de Navegacion SA) in 1949
Panama
Name	SS Jenny
Owner	Two Oceans Navigation Co. (Dos Oceanos Compania de Navegacion SA)
Port of registry	Panama
Acquired	1949
Out of service	1951
Fate	Sold to Djakarta Lloyd NV of Indonesia in 1951
Indonesia
Name	SS Imam Bondjal (1951–1952) SS Djatinegra (1952–1955)
Owner	Djakarta Lloyd NV
Port of registry	Indonesia
Acquired	1951
Out of service	1955
Fate	Sold to Japanese breakers in 1955; scrapped at Hong Kong in 1956
General characteristics
Class and type	Two-masted cargo steamer
Tonnage	7,914 gross register tons
Length	465 ft (142 m)
Beam	58.25 ft (17.75 m)
Installed power	Triple-expansion steam reciprocating engines, producing 5,800 ihp
Propulsion	Twin screws
Speed	12.5 kn (23.2 km/h; 14.4 mph)
Notes	Steel construction, single funnel

SS Gallic was a cargo steamship built in 1918. During her career, she had six different owners and sailed under the flags of the United Kingdom, Panama and Indonesia. She underwent seven name changes during her 37-year career. She was scrapped at Hong Kong in 1956, the last surviving White Star Line cargo ship.

Career

Owing to the First World War and the increased demand for cargo vessels, the British government set into motion a programme to rapidly build emergency cargo ships. Of those, 22 of the Standard "G" Type were ultimately built. Among those was the SS War Argus, built for HM Shipping Controller by Workman, Clark & Co. of Belfast in 1918. She was launched on 19 October and completed on 12 December, a month after the end of the war. She was then operated by the White Star Line for the government until she was officially declared surplus in 1919. In August 1919, the War Argus was purchased by White Star and renamed SS Gallic.

The Gallic then served on the Australian service as a cargo vessel, and was later switched to Atlantic cargo service. As a result of the Depression and the merger of White Star with the Cunard Line, in October 1933 the Gallic was sold to the Clan Line and renamed Clan Colquhoun. She continued her service on the same Atlantic route for the next 14 years. During the Second World War, she was operated by the Ministry of War Transport as a refrigerated cargo carrier; unlike many other cargo steamers, she survived the war without incident.

In February 1947, the Clan Colquhoun was sold to the Zarati Steamship Co. of Panama and renamed Ioannis Livanos. However, her new owners sold her in 1949 to another Panamanian shipping company, the Two Oceans Navigation Company SA (Dos Oceanos Compania de Navegacion SA), which renamed her Jenny. In 1951, she was sold to Djakarta Lloyd NV of Indonesia, which renamed her Imam Bondjal, but changed this to Djatinegra in 1952. In 1955, after 37 years of service, she was sold to Japanese breakers for scrapping. While under tow from Djakarta to Osaka, on 1 December 1955 the Djatinegra was forced to put in at Lingayen in the Philippines with her engine room flooded. She was refloated on 21 February 1956 and was scrapped at Hong Kong shortly after.