SS Christopher Newport
He made several voyages of supply between England and Jamestown; in 1609, he became Captain of the Virginia Company's new supply ship, Sea Venture, which met a hurricane during the Third Supply mission, and was shipwrecked on the archipelago of Bermuda.
Construction
Christopher Newport was laid down on 25 August 1941, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MCE hull 21, by the Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore, Maryland; and was launched on 15 February 1942.
History
She was allocated to Calmar Steamship Corporation, on 30 March 1942.
Sinking
Christopher Newport had set out from Baltimore, on her maiden voyage, in June 1942. She sailed from Hvalfjordur, Iceland, on the afternoon of 27 June 1942, with 8,200 LT (8,300 t) of war materials aboard, for Arkhangelsk, in Convoy PQ-17. On the morning of 4 July 1942, a German Heinkel He 115, from Küstenfliegergruppe 906 released a torpedo about one-half mi (0.80 km) from Christopher Newport that passed between the merchant ship SS Carlton and the Liberty ship SS Samuel Chase before striking her starboard side amidship. A large hole was torn in the hull which completely flooded the engine room. One officer and two crewmen were killed and the steering gear destroyed. The rest of the crew abandoned ship. One of her escorts, submarine HMS P614, attempted to scuttle her, but she remained afloat. At 08:08, she was discovered abandoned and sunk by torpedoes from German submarine U-457, at 75°49′N 25°15′E / 75.817°N 25.250°E, northeast of Bear Island.
References
- ^ MARCOM.
- ^ Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyards 2008.
- ^ Davies 2004, p. 23.
- ^ MARAD.
- ^ Uboat.
Bibliography
- "Bethlehem-Fairfield, Baltimore MD". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 14 August 2008. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
- Maritime Administration. "Christopher Newport". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
- Davies, James (May 2004). "Specifications (As-Built)" (PDF). p. 23. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
- "SS Christopher Newport". Retrieved 17 February 2020.
- "Christopher Newport". Retrieved 17 February 2020.