Английская Википедия:HMS Princess Irene
Шаблон:Short description Шаблон:Other ships Шаблон:Use dmy dates Шаблон:Use British English
Шаблон:Infobox ship imageШаблон:Infobox ship careerШаблон:Infobox ship characteristicsHMS Princess Irene was a Шаблон:GRT ocean liner which was built in 1914 by William Denny and Brothers Ltd, Dumbarton, Scotland for the Canadian Pacific Railway. She was requisitioned by the Royal Navy on completion and converted to an auxiliary minelayer. On 27 May 1915, she exploded and sank off Sheerness, Kent, while being loaded with mines prior to a deployment mission, with the loss of 352 lives.
Description
Princess Irene was Шаблон:Convert long, had a beam of Шаблон:Convert, and a draught of Шаблон:Convert. Her four steam turbines were built by Denny's, and could give the ship a service speed of Шаблон:Convert.[1]
History
Princess Irene was built by William Denny and Brothers Ltd, Dumbarton, for the Princess fleet of the Canadian Pacific Railway Coast Service. Her hull was launched on 20 October 1914.[1] With her sister ship Шаблон:HMS, she was built to serve on the Vancouver – Victoria – Seattle route.[2] Her port of registry was Victoria.[3] Princess Irene was requisitioned by the Royal Navy on her completion in 1915 and converted to an auxiliary minelayer.Шаблон:Sfn She had a complement of 225 officers and men.[2] On 8 May 1915, Princess Irene and Princess Margaret laid a minefield northwest of Heligoland, with Princess Irene laying 472 mines.[4][5]
Loss
In May 1915, Princess Irene was moored in Saltpan Reach, on the Medway Estuary in Kent between Port Victoria and Sheerness, being loaded with mines in preparation for deployment on a minelaying mission. At 11:14 GMT on 27 May, she exploded and disintegrated. A column of flame Шаблон:Convert high was followed a few seconds later by another of similar height and a pall of smoke hung over the spot where she had been,[6] reaching to Шаблон:Convert.Шаблон:Sfn Two barges lying alongside her were also destroyed.[3] The explosion was larger than that which had destroyed Шаблон:HMS in the Medway six months earlier, although the loss of life was less. A total of 352 people were killed,Шаблон:Sfn including 273 officers and men, and 76 dockyard workers who were on board Princess Irene. On the Isle of Grain a girl of nine was killed by flying débris, and a farmhand died of shock.Шаблон:Sfn A collier half a mile (800 m) away had its crane blown off its mountings. A part of one of Princess Irene's boilers landed on the ship; a man working on the ship died from injuries sustained when he was struck by a piece of metal weighing Шаблон:Convert.Шаблон:Sfn[6][7][8]
Wreckage was flung up to Шаблон:Convert away, with people near Sittingbourne being injured by flying débris,[3] some of which landed in Bredhurst.[2] Severed heads were found at Hartlip and on the Isle of Grain. A case of butter landed at Rainham, Шаблон:Convert away.Шаблон:Sfn A 10-ton (10,160 kg) section of the ship landed on the Isle of Grain. The Admiralty's oil storage tanks there were damaged. The sole survivor from Princess Irene was a stoker, who suffered severe burns.Шаблон:Sfn Three of her crew had a lucky escape as they were ashore at the time.[9]
The victims whose bodies were recovered were buried at Woodlands Road Cemetery, Gillingham.[2] A memorial service for the victims was held at the Dockyard Church, Sheerness on 1 June 1915. It was led by Randall Davidson, the Archbishop of Canterbury.[10] Inquests were held on two victims of the disaster.[8] The coroner stated that he did not intend to hold an inquest for any other victim unless there were exceptional circumstances that warranted it.[11]
A Court of Inquiry was held into the loss of Princess Irene. Evidence was given that priming of the mines was being carried out hurriedly and by untrained personnel. A faulty primer was blamed for the explosion.[2] Following the loss of Шаблон:HMS on 30 December 1915 and Шаблон:HMS on 9 July 1917, both caused by internal explosions, suspicion was raised at the inquiry into the loss of Natal that sabotage was to blame for the loss of all four ships. A worker at Chatham Dockyard was named as a suspect, but a thorough investigation by Special Branch cleared him of any blame.Шаблон:Sfn
Memorials
A memorial to those lost on Bulwark and Princess Irene was erected at the Dockyard Church, Sheerness in 1921. It was dedicated by Archdeacon Charles Ingles, the Chaplain of the Fleet.[12] It was unveiled by Hugh Evan-Thomas, Commander-in-Chief, The Nore.[13] Victims of both ships are also commemorated on the Naval War Memorial at Southsea.[14]
Another memorial was placed in Woodlands Road Cemetery, Gillingham, as part of the Naval Burial Ground.[15]
Media coverage
On 19 November 2002, the story of Princess Irene was covered by BBC Radio Four's Making History programme.[16]
The remains of Princess Irene at Шаблон:Coord[17] are marked as an hazard to ships using Thamesport, but it is not planned to raise her.[2]
References
Sources
Further reading
External links
Шаблон:Coord Шаблон:Steamboats British Columbia Шаблон:May 1915 shipwrecks
- ↑ 1,0 1,1 Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ 2,0 2,1 2,2 2,3 2,4 2,5 Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ 3,0 3,1 3,2 Шаблон:Cite newspaper The Times
- ↑ Шаблон:Harvnb
- ↑ Шаблон:Harvnb
- ↑ 6,0 6,1 Шаблон:Cite newspaper The Times
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite newspaper The Times
- ↑ 8,0 8,1 Шаблон:Cite newspaper The Times
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite newspaper The Times
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite newspaper The Times
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite newspaper The Times
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite newspaper The Times
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite newspaper The Times
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite newspaper The Times
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite map
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