Draft:SS Minnetonka (1901)

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History
British Red EnsignUnited Kingdom
Owner Atlantic Transport Line
RouteLondonNew York City
BuilderHarland and Wolff, Belfast
Launched10 January 1901
In service1901
Out of service1918
FateHit by torpedo on January 30, 1918
General characteristics
Tonnage13398 grt
Length182.9 x 19.8 x 12.2 m
Beam80 ft (24 m)
Installed power1227 n.h.p.
Propulsion2 x 4 cyl. quadruple expansion steam engines, dual shaft, 2 screws
Capacityxxx passengers
CrewMaster Edgar Gallon Cannons

SS Minnetonka was a British passenger and cargo ship that belonged to the Atlantic Transport Line. She sailed between London and New York from 1901 to 1918, carrying mostly first class passengers and valuable horses. She was torpedoed and sunk by German submarines in 1918, with the loss of 12 lives. She was one of the four Minne-class ships that were the flagship vessels of the Atlantic Transport Line, along with SS Minneapolis, SS Minnehaha, and SS Minnewaska.[1]

History[edit]

SS Minnetonka was constructed to be the youngest of three sisters of the Minne-class ships prior to the SS Minneapolis and SS Minnehaha being constructed and ordered by the Atlantic Transport Line.[2] The Minnetonka was fitted with one singular funnel, four masts, had twin screws and a top speed of 16 knots (18 miles per hour; 30 kilometres per hour). There was passenger accommodation for 250-1st class only, she made her maiden voyage, Belfast-New York-London on May 17, 1902. She then entered Atlantic Transport Line's regular London-New York service following her first maiden voyage.[1]

She made her final Atlantic Transport Line (ATL) sailing on December 31, 1914, and was then taken over as an armed auxiliary transport.[1]

On 30 January 1918 Minnetonka was torpedoed by U-64 submarine and sank off Malta, a war casualty like her sisters. At the time, the ship was carrying mail from Port Said to Marseilles (now known as Marseille), and there were no troops aboard; all four of the fatalities were crew members.[1]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d "Minnetonka". The Yard. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  2. ^ House of Harkness (2014). A World War 1 Adventure: The Life and Times of Rnas Bomber Pilot Donald E. Harkness. AuthorHouse (published 25 June 2014). ISBN 9781496914118.