SS Hantonia
EX Marathon, Hantonia, Louvima
(Roy Thornton Collection)
Steel twin screw turbine vessel, built in 1912 by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. Ltd., Govan (Yard No. 482), as a mail/passenger ship.
Technical Data
- Length: 88.48 m (overall) 91.14 m (between perpendiculars)
- Breadth: 11.00328 m
- Depth: 7.19 m
- Draught: 4.7 m
- Tonnage: 1567 gross/ 676 net/955 t deadweight
- Engines: Two sets Parson SR geared steam turbines.
- Power: kW/4930 shp
- Speed: 19.5 knots
- Capacity: 700 passengers/ 148 first class berths/90 second class berths/ Two cargo holds = 18,650cu ft freight
- Call Sign: HVRW, GPBL
- ID Number: 75613 (LR 1939)
- Official Number: 131803 (LR 1939)
- Port of Registry: Southampton/UK 🇬🇧
- Sister-ships : Normannia (I) (481)
History
December 23rd 1911: Launched as LOUVIMA
January 1912: Renamed HANTONIA
March 1912: Completed trials and delivered to British Transport Commission (London & South-Western Railway Co.).
May 7th 1912: Maiden voyage to Le Havre and entered service between Southampton – Le Havre.
September 1914: Service diverted to St Nazaire.
April 1915: The open area on the main deck under the second lifeboat was plated in and, at the same time, the rails at the forward end of the promenade deck were also replaced by solid bulwarks.
(Roy Thornton Collection)
July 21st 1923: First call to the Channer Islands when she replaced the damaged CAESAREA (II).
1923: Passed into the hands of the Southern Railway.
(Roy Thornton Collection)
1930’ (early)s: Southampton – Jersey – S Malo service.
September 12th 1939: Arrived Folkestone to replace requisitioned ships on the passenger service to Boulogne..
November 30th 1839: The French terminal was switched to Calais.
1939 (winter): Trooping Folkestone – Calais service.
(NMM P22894)
January 23rd 1940: Relieved by BRITTANY.
February1940: Transferred, for two weeks, to Channel Islands/Brittany ports service.
May 1940: St Malo service.
June 16th 1940: Last ship to leave St Malo sailing direct to Southampton with 700 troops.
June 17th 1940: Arrived Southampton.
June 1940: Laid up.
June 28th 1941: Left Southampton.
June 30th 1941 – January 14th 1942: Charter to Great Western Railway for Fishguard – Rosslare service replacing the bombed ST PATRICK II.
September 17th 1941: Collided with HM trawler GABRIELLE-MARIA at Fishguard and suffered damage to her plating and a lifeboat.
January 4th 1942: Handed back to Great Western Railway and she moved to the River period at Bideford she was chartered by the Ministry of Transport.
April 2nd 1942: Left Bideford for Plymouth.
She was required for use at the Combined Operations Training Centre at Appledore. Fitted out at Plymouth and renamed MARATHON.
August 14th 1942: Arrived Appledore where her role was an Accommodation Ship for the landing craft crew of an LCT flotilla, stationed on the River Torridge for beaching and other exercises.
May 5th 1942: The American PRESIDENT WARFIELD arrived and displaced her. HANTONA sailed for the Clyde.
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November 1944: Had her stern buckled when hit by EMPIRE KINGSLEY in the Clyde.
December 3rd 1944: Proceeded to the English South Coast.
December 15th 1944: Left the Solent for the Thames Estuary.
December 23rd 1944: Crossed to the Scheldt to discharge, then act as an Accommodation Ship at Terneuzen,
February 21st 1945: Left Scheldt for the Solent and ultimately Clyde.
March 25th 1945: Resumed troop sailings and transported to Belfast part of the Third Belgian Division
March 28th 1945: Carried naval and RAF personnel.
With the ending of the war in Europe, her trooping duties completed, she was given an austerity reconditioning at Southampton.
June1945: Returned to British Railways Southern Region at Southampton.
(Roy Thornton Collection)
July 6th 1945: Took up services to the Southampton – Le Havre/Channel Islands. She sailed without her mainmast in latter years.
(Roy Thornton Collection)
(Roy Thornton Collection)
June 6th 1952: Towed by tug ENGLISHMAN to T.W. Ward, Grays, Essex on the River Thames for breaking.
All information is believed to be correct, and no responsibility is accepted for any errors or omissions. All items included in this article are subject to © copyright.
Article © Nigel Thornton and Ray Goodfellow (Dover Ferry Photos Group)
