TS Lorina
Nigel Thornton Collection
Steel twin screw turbine vessel, built in 1918 by William Denny & Bros, Dumbarton (Yard No. 1021), as a mail/passenger ship.
Technical Data
- Length: 88.79 m (overall) 91.14 m (between perpendiculars)
- Breadth: 10.96 m
- Depth: 4.85 m
- Draught: 3.96 m
- Tonnage: 1457 gross/577 – 629 net/937 t deadweight
- Engines: Two sets Parson SR geared steam turbines.
- Power: kW/4830 shp
- Speed: 19.5 knots
- Capacity: 148 first class berths/90 second class berths/ Two cargo holds = 18,650cu ft freight
- Call Sign: JWDK, GPBK
- ID Number: 19448 (LR 1920)
- Official Number: 135704 (LR 1920)
- Port of Registry: Southampton/UK 🇬🇧
History
June 25th 1914: Accepted tender for contract value £83,350 for delivery by June 1915.
August 1915: After delays in building owing to the war effort, building totally suspended.
December 20th 1917: British Government was short of this type of tonnage, L & WSR agreed to have vessel completed as a troopship
August 12th 1918: Launched.
December 1918: Completed.
December 30th 1918: Arrived at Southampton.
January 8th 1919: Entered service with The Admiralty.
Nigel Thornton Collection
October 9th 1919: Completed role as troopship and sent to the Caledon Shipbuilding and Engineering Co, Dundee for complete refit.
March 28th 1920: Arrived back at Southampton after refit (now making total cost of vessel as £135,971).
Nigel Thornton Collection
April 1st 1920: Maiden voyage to the Channel Islands. For a short period went onto the Le Havre route, before taking up regular service to St Malo for the summer months and acting as a relief in the winter.
1923: Adopted Southern Region’s black-topped funnels
Nigel Thornton Collection
1924: Moved to the Channel Islands service.
1927: Off service with turbine trouble.
1928: Off service with turbine trouble. Also rebuilt (dining saloon extended and cabins enlarged). Had solid bulwarks substituted in place of rails at her stern.
Nigel Thornton Collection
1930’s: The white paint was carried down to deck level.
October 1931: Final day in regular service, then operated as extra vessel at weekends.
1935 (autumn): Commenced Southampton – Jersey/ St Malo services replacing BRITTANY.
October 23rd 1935: When leaving Jersey on return to Southampton, grounded on some rocks, heavily damaged and had to put back for repairs.
1937: Provided excursions on the St Malo – Jersey route.
1938: Two long periods on the Channel Islands mail service.
March 1939: Jersey – St Malo route
April 1939: Southampton – Le Havre
Nigel Thornton Collection
September 1939: Commandeered as a troopship, based at Plymouth.
September 10th 1939: Arrived Folkestone and ordered to Avonmouth to undertake troopship sailings.
September 11th 1939: Plans changed, and she came under the Southampton cross-Channel troopship fleet.
October 14th 1939 – December 10th 1939: Plymouth based before taking up further services from Southampton with sailings to Jersey, Le Havre and Cherbourg.
May 22nd 1940: Completed Southampton sailings.
May 29th 1940: Left Southampton for The Downs anchorage off Deal the continued to Dunkerque. About 20 aircraft attacked her, scoring four direct hits. Eight of her crew lost their lives and the ship went aground, her back broken.
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)
