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SS Manistee (1920)

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Coordinates: 58°55′N 20°50′W / 58.917°N 20.833°W / 58.917; -20.833
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History
United Kingdom
NameManistee
OwnerElders & Fyffes Ltd
Operator
Port of registryUnited Kingdom Liverpool
RouteBristol – Jamaica – Central America
BuilderCammell Laird, Birkenhead
Yard number884
Launched28 October 1920
CompletedJanuary 1921
Identification
FateSunk by torpedo, 24 February 1941
General characteristics
Typebanana boat
Tonnage5,360 GRT, 3,288 NRT
Length400.2 ft (122.0 m)
Beam51.1 ft (15.6 m)
Depth30.3 ft (9.2 m)
Installed power447 NHP
Propulsiontriple expansion steam engine
Speed10.5 knots (19.4 km/h)
Capacity
Crew141 (in Royal Navy service)
Sensors and
processing systems
Armament
Notesthird of 16 sister ships

SS Manistee was an Elders & Fyffes Ltd banana boat that was launched in 1920. She was one of a numerous class of similar banana boats built for Elders & Fyffes in the 1920s.

In 1940 the British Admiralty requisitioned Manistee and had her converted into an ocean boarding vessel. She was a convoy escort in the Battle of the Atlantic until a U-boat sank her in 1941. None of her 141 crew survived.

She was the second of four Elders & Fyffes ships called Manistee. The first was built in 1904 and sunk by a U-boat in 1917. The third was built in 1932 as Eros, bought in 1946 and renamed Manistee, and scrapped in 1960. The fourth was built in 1972, transferred out of the Elders & Fyffes fleet in 1983, renamed Fleet Wave in 1984 and Mimoza in 1990.[1]

Building

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Cammell Laird launched Manistee in Birkenhead on 28 October 1920 and completed her in January 1921.[2] She was the third of 16 similar banana boats launched for Elders & Fyffes between 1919 and 1929. Ten were built by Cammell Laird,[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] two by Workman, Clark in Belfast[12][13] and four by Alexander Stephen and Sons in Glasgow.[14][15][16][17]

Manistee's registered length was 400.2 ft (122.0 m), her beam was 51.1 ft (15.6 m) and her depth was 30.3 ft (9.2 m). Her tonnages were 5,360 GRT and 3,288 NRT.[18] Her holds had 190,000 cu ft (5,380 m3) of refrigerated cargo space.[19]

Manistee had a triple expansion engine that was rated at 447 NHP[18] and gave her a speed of 10.5 knots (19.4 km/h).[20]

Manistee's navigation equipment included submarine signalling and wireless direction finding.[18] In 1934 an echo sounding device was added, and the call sign GDCX[21] superseded her code letters KLBH.[18]

Civilian service

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Elders & Fyffes' main route was from Central America and Jamaica to Bristol.[22][23] It also served Avonmouth, Liverpool, Swansea, Barbados, Trinidad, Panama and Costa Rica. Elders & Fyffes ships carried mail, general cargo and first class passengers as well as bananas.[24]

For the first year of the Second World War Manistee remained in merchant service. Between October 1939 and August 1940 she made trips from Britain to Jamaica, Santa Marta in Colombia, Freetown in Sierra Leone, Cameroon, and Sydney, Nova Scotia.[25]

On 7 July 1940 Manistee was in the Southwest Approaches southwest of Ireland, returning unescorted from Cameroon, when U-99 fired one torpedo at her. It missed, so U-99 surfaced and opened fire with her 88 mm deck gun. Manistee returned fire with her DEMS armament. Neither vessel scored any hits, and U-99 broke off the attack.[26]

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The Admiralty requisitioned Manistee on 14 September 1940. She was armed with two QF 6-inch naval guns, one QF 12-pounder 12 cwt naval gun and one anti-aircraft gun. In December 1940 she was commissioned into the Royal Navy with pennant number F 104. Her commander was Lt Cdr Eric Haydn Smith, RNR.[26]

HMS Manistee was one of the escorts of Convoy OB 288, which left Liverpool on 18 February 1941. OB 288 dispersed in the North Atlantic at 2100 hours on 23 February northwest of Ireland and south of Iceland due to U-boat activity in the area. At 2242 (Berlin Time) the German submarine U-107 fired two torpedoes at Manistee at position 58°13′N 21°33′W / 58.217°N 21.550°W / 58.217; -21.550.[27] One hit her in the engine room. At 2256 hrs the Italian submarine Michele Bianchi fired torpedoes at Manistee, and claimed that one hit her stern.[26]

Manistee stayed afloat, so at 2258 hrs U-107 fired at her again, but missed as Manistee got under way again. At 2342 hrs U-107 fired a torpedo from one of her stern tubes, which also missed.[26] Manistee made 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h)[27] and zig-zagged as U-107 chased her through the night. At 0758 hrs U-107 fired two more torpedoes, one of which hit Manistee's stern and sank her.[26]

The destroyer HMS Churchill, corvette HMS Heather and Free French destroyer Léopard were sent to search for survivors,[27] but none of her 141 crew was found.[26]

References

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  1. ^ Swiggum, Susan; Kohli, Marjorie (9 November 2007). "Elders & Fyffes Shipping, Limited; Fyffes Group, Limited / Fyffes PLC; Geest Line". TheShipsList. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  2. ^ "Manistee". Shipping and Shipbuilding. Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  3. ^ "Zent". Shipping and Shipbuilding. Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  4. ^ "Patia". Shipping and Shipbuilding. Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  5. ^ "Casanare". Shipping and Shipbuilding. Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  6. ^ "Aracataca". Shipping and Shipbuilding. Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  7. ^ "Cristales". Shipping and Shipbuilding. Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  8. ^ "Sulaco". Shipping and Shipbuilding. Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  9. ^ "Tetela". Shipping and Shipbuilding. Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  10. ^ "Matina". Shipping and Shipbuilding. Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  11. ^ "Mopan". Shipping and Shipbuilding. Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  12. ^ "Chirripo". Shipping and Shipbuilding. Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  13. ^ "Reventazon". Shipping and Shipbuilding. Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  14. ^ "Tortuguero". Scottish Built Ships. Caledonian Maritime Research Trust. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  15. ^ "Chagres". Scottish Built Ships. Caledonian Maritime Research Trust. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  16. ^ "Nicoya". Scottish Built Ships. Caledonian Maritime Research Trust. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  17. ^ "Corrales". Scottish Built Ships. Caledonian Maritime Research Trust. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  18. ^ a b c d "Steamers and Motorships". Lloyd's Register (PDF). Vol. II. London: Lloyd's Register. 1930. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  19. ^ "List of vessels fitted with refrigerating appliances". Lloyd's Register (PDF). Vol. I. London: Lloyd's Register. 1930. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  20. ^ Claes, Johnny; Allen, Tony (17 July 2018). "HMS Manistee (F104) (+1941)". Wrecksite. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  21. ^ "Steamers and Motorships". Lloyd's Register (PDF). Vol. II. London: Lloyd's Register. 1934. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  22. ^ Harnack 1930, p. 368.
  23. ^ Harnack 1938, p. 471.
  24. ^ Talbot-Booth 1936, p. 449.
  25. ^ Hague, Arnold. "Ship Movements". Port Arrivals / Departures. Don Kindell, Convoyweb. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  26. ^ a b c d e f Helgason, Guðmundur. "HMS Manistee (F 104)". uboat.net. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  27. ^ a b c Lawson, Siri. "Convoy OB 288". Warsailors. Retrieved 26 January 2021.

Bibliography

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  • Harnack, Edwin P (1930) [1903]. All About Ships & Shipping (3rd ed.). London: Faber and Faber.
  • Harnack, Edwin P (1938) [1903]. All About Ships & Shipping (7th ed.). London: Faber and Faber.
  • Talbot-Booth, EC (1936). Ships and the Sea (Third ed.). London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co Ltd.

58°55′N 20°50′W / 58.917°N 20.833°W / 58.917; -20.833

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