| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | RMSDuke of Lancaster |
| Owner |
|
| Operator |
|
| Port of registry | Lancaster,United Kingdom |
| Route | 1928–1956:Heysham –Belfast |
| Builder | William Denny and Brothers,Dumbarton |
| Yard number | 1193 |
| Launched | 22 November 1927 |
| Maiden voyage | 30 April 1928 |
| Fate | Scrapped 1956 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Steam turbine ferry |
| Tonnage | 3,608 GRT |
| Length | 360 ft (110 m) |
| Beam | 53 ft (16 m) |
| Draught | 19.5 ft (5.9 m) |
| Speed | 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph) |
RMSDuke of Lancaster was asteam turbinepassenger ship operated by theLondon Midland and Scottish Railway from 1928 to 1956 between England and Northern Ireland across theIrish Sea.[1]
She entered service with two other ships,RMS Duke of Argyll andRMS Duke of Rothesay. Built atWilliam Denny and Brothers,Dumbarton and completed in 1928, she was designed to operate as a passenger ferry betweenHeysham,Lancashire andBelfast. In May 1929 she sustained slight damage after a collision with hersister shipDuke of Rothesay.[2]
On 27 November 1931 she caught fire at Heysham and burned untilscuttled on the following day. She was raised in January 1932, repaired atWilliam Denny and Brothers, and returned to service in the following June.[2][3]
In August 1932Duke of Lancaster went aground onCopeland Island in a fog, but was refloated successfully,[2] and in September 1934 collided with a trawler inMorecambe Bay. She ran aground again atBride at thePoint of Ayre on theIsle of Man on 14 June 1937, but was refloated the following day.[3][4] On 13 January 1940 she collided with and sank the coasterFire King belonging to Gilchrist traders of liverpool[3]
In 1941Duke of Lancaster as requisitioned as HMHospital Ship No.56, with capacity for 408 patients and 60 medical staff, as well as 100 crew. In June 1944 she accompanied the troopships to theNormandy landings.[2]
The ship was refitted after the war and fitted with, and used for testing,Marconi's first civilmarine radar, the 'Radiolocator 1'.[2][5]In 1956, like with her sister ships, she was replaced by a newTSS Duke of Lancaster.[2]
She was broken up at Briton Ferry on 18 October 1956 byThos. W. Ward.[6]
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1931 | |
|---|---|
| Shipwrecks |
|
| Other incidents |
|
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1932 | |
|---|---|
| Shipwrecks |
|
| Other incidents |
|
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1934 | |
|---|---|
| Shipwrecks |
|
| Other incidents |
|
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in January 1940 | |
|---|---|
| Shipwrecks |
|
| Other incidents |
|
