View source for MV El Argentino

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2021}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}} 
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image= 
|Ship caption= 
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{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header= 
|Ship country= [[United Kingdom]]
|Ship flag= {{shipboxflag|UK|civil}}
|Ship name= ''El Argentino''
|Ship namesake= Spanish for "The Argentinian"
|Ship owner= *1928: Furness, Houlder Arg Lines
*1934: [[Furness Withy|Furness, Withy & Co]]
|Ship operator= Furness, Houlder Argentine Lines
|Ship registry= [[Port of London|London]]
|Ship route= 
|Ship ordered= 
|Ship builder= [[Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company|Fairfield Sb & Eng Co]], [[Govan]]
|Ship original cost= 
|Ship yard number= 629
|Ship laid down= 
|Ship launched= 11 January 1928
|Ship sponsor= 
|Ship completed= April 1928
|Ship maiden voyage= 
|Ship acquired= 
|Ship in service= 
|Ship out of service= 
|Ship identification= *UK [[official number]] 160405
*[[code letters]] LBNS (until 1933)
*{{ICS|Lima}}{{ICS|Bravo}}{{ICS|November}}{{ICS|Sierra}}
*[[Maritime call sign|call sign]] GNQD (1934 onward)
*{{ICS|Golf}}{{ICS|November}}{{ICS|Quebec}}{{ICS|Delta}}
|Ship fate= Sunk by aerial bombing, 26 July 1943
|Ship notes= 
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class= 
|Ship type= [[Reefer ship|refrigerated cargo ship]]
|Ship tonnage= {{GRT|9501}}, {{NRT|6023}}
|Ship displacement= 
|Ship length= {{cvt|431.3|ft|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam= {{cvt|64.5|ft|abbr=on}}
|Ship draught= {{cvt|29|ft|9|in|abbr=on|2}}
|Ship depth= {{cvt|35.4|ft|abbr=on}}
|Ship decks= 3
|Ship power= 1,708 [[Horsepower#Nominal horsepower|NHP]], 6,400 [[Horsepower#Brake horsepower|bhp]]
|Ship propulsion= *2 × [[two-stroke diesel engine]]s
*2 × [[Propeller|screws]]
|Ship speed= {{convert|15|kn|km/h}}
|Ship capacity= {{convert|557500|cuft|0}} refrigerated cargo
|Ship crew= 98 in WW2, including [[Defensively equipped merchant ship|DEMS]] gunners
|Ship armament= *as DEMS:
*1 × 4-inch or 4.7-inch gun
*1 × 12-pounder gun
*10 × machine guns
|Ship sensors= wireless [[direction finding]]
|Ship notes= *[[sister ship]]s:
*''Upwey Grange'', ''Dunster Grange''
}}
|}

'''MV ''El Argentino'''''  was a [[Reefer ship|refrigerated cargo]] [[motor ship]] that was built in [[Scotland]] in 1920 and sunk by a German aircraft in the [[Atlantic Ocean]] in 1943.

Furness, Houlder Argentine Lines operated her throughout her career. This was a [[joint venture]] between [[Furness Withy|Furness, Withy]] and [[Houlder Line]] to carry chilled and frozen meat and other produce from [[South America]] to the [[United Kingdom]].

This was the company's second ship to be called ''El Argentino''. The first was a [[steamship]] that was launched in 1907 and sunk by a German [[Naval mine|mine]] in 1916.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://uboat.net/wwi/ships_hit/1850.html |title=SS El Argentino |last=Helgason |first=Guðmundur |website=uboat.net |access-date=2 February 2021}}</ref>

==Building and technical details==
In 1925 the [[Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company]] launched the refrigerated cargo ship ''Upwey Grange'' at its [[Govan]] shipyard for Houlder Line.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://clydeships.co.uk/view.php?year_built=&builder=&ref=6553&vessel=UPWEY+GRANGE |title=Upwey Grange |work=Scottish Built Ships |publisher=Caledonian Maritime Research Trust |access-date=2 February 2021}}</ref> Fairfield went on to build two [[sister ship]]s: ''Dunster Grange'' in 1927 for Houlder Line<ref>{{cite web |url= http://clydeships.co.uk/view.php?year_built=&builder=&ref=6560&vessel=DUNSTER+GRANGE |title=Dunster Grange |work=Scottish Built Ships |publisher=Caledonian Maritime Research Trust |access-date=2 February 2021}}</ref> and ''El Argentino'' in 1928 for Furness, Houlder Argentine Lines.<ref name=SBS>{{cite web |url= http://clydeships.co.uk/view.php?year_built=&builder=&ref=6563&vessel=EL+ARGENTINO |title=El Argentino |work=Scottish Built Ships |publisher=Caledonian Maritime Research Trust |access-date=2 February 2021}}</ref>{{sfn|Burrell|1992|p=103}}

''El Argentino'' was {{cvt|431.3|ft|abbr=on}} long, her beam was {{cvt|64.5|ft|abbr=on}} and her depth was {{cvt|35.4|ft|abbr=on}}. Her [[tonnage]]s were {{GRT|9501}} and {{NRT|6023}}.<ref name=LR30>{{cite book |url= https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/30/30b0363.pdf |year=1930 |title=Lloyd's Register |chapter=Steamers and Motorships |volume=II |place=London |publisher=[[Lloyd's Register]] |access-date=2 February 2021}}</ref> Her holds were refrigerated, with capacity for {{convert|557500|cuft|0}} of perishable cargo.<ref>{{cite book |url= https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/30/30a0602.pdf |year=1930 |title=Lloyd's Register |chapter=List of vessels fitted with refrigerating appliances |volume=I |place=London |publisher=[[Lloyd's Register]] |access-date=2 February 2021}}</ref>

''El Argentino'' had two [[Propeller|screws]]. Each was driven by a [[Sulzer (manufacturer)|Sulzer]]-type six-cylinder single-acting [[two-stroke diesel engine]], built under licence by Fairfield. Between them the two engines were rated at 1,708 [[Horsepower#Nominal horsepower|NHP]]<ref name=LR30/> or 6,400 [[Horsepower#Brake horsepower|bhp]].<ref name=SBS/>

''El Argentino''{{'}}s UK [[official number]] was 160405. Her [[code letters]] were LBNS<ref name=LR30/> until they were superseded in 1934 by the [[Maritime call sign|call sign]] GNQD. Also in 1934 her ownership was transferred to Furness, Withy, but Furness, Houlder Argentine Lines remained her managers.<ref>{{cite book |url= https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/34/34b0269.pdf |year=1934 |title=Lloyd's Register |chapter=Steamers and Motorships |volume=I |place=London |publisher=[[Lloyd's Register]] |access-date=2 February 2021}}</ref>

==Loss==
In the [[World War II|Second World War]] ''El Argentino'' was a [[defensively equipped merchant ship]]. By 1943 her armament comprised one 4-inch or 4.7-inch gun, one 12-pounder gun and ten machine guns.<ref name=Hague>{{cite web |url= http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/oskms/index.html?os052.htm~osmain |last=Hague |first=Arnold |title=Convoy OS.52/KMS.21 |work=OS & OS/KMS Convoy Series |publisher=Don Kindell, Convoyweb |access-date=2 February 2021}}</ref>

In July 1943 ''El Argentino'' left the [[Firth of Clyde]] in [[Sailing ballast|ballast]], bound for [[Port of Montevideo|Montevideo]] and [[Port of Buenos Aires|Buenos Aires]]. She joined [[SL convoys#OS convoys|Convoy OS]] 52 / KMS 21, which left Liverpool on 19 July which was bound for [[Freetown]] in [[Sierra Leone Colony and Protectorate|Sierra Leone]].<ref name=Hague/>

On 26 July a German [[Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor]] aircraft bombed ''El Argentino'' in the North Atlantic about {{convert|230|nmi|km}} northwest of [[Lisbon]], sinking the ship and killing four members of her crew. 94 crew members and six passengers survived.{{sfn|Burrell|1992|p=123}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book |last=Burrell |first=David |year=1992 |title=Furness Withy 1891–1991 |place=Kendal |publisher=[[World Ship Society]] |isbn=0-905617-70-3}}

{{July 1943 shipwrecks}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:El Argentino, MV}}
[[Category:1928 ships]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in July 1943]]
[[Category:Ships built in Govan]]
[[Category:Ships sunk by German aircraft]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks of Portugal]]
[[Category:World War II merchant ships of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:World War II shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean]]