Troopship

A troopship (also troop ship or troop transport or trooper) is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime. Operationally, troopships are normal ships, and unlike landing ships, cannot land troops directly on shore, typically loading and unloading at a seaport or onto smaller vessels, either tenders or barges.

History

The Troopship has as long a history as passenger ships do, as most maritime nations enlisted their support in military operations (either by leasing the vessels or by impressing them into service) when their normal naval forces were deemed insufficient for the task. In the 19th century, navies frequently chartered civilian ocean liners, and from the start of the 20th century painted them gray and armed them; their speed, originally intended to minimize travel time, would prove valuable for outrunning submarines and enemy surface cruisers. HMT Olympic even managed to turn the tables, and rammed and sank a u-boat during one of its wartime crossings. Smaller or older liners with poorer performance were protected by operating in convoys.

Most major naval powers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries provided subsidies toward ensuring that they would have troopships available during times of war. The British government provided subsidies to both Cunard and the White Star Line toward the construction of liners ()
*
* HMT "Olympic" (Sister ship to )
* HMS "Otranto"

External links

* [http://www.britisharmedforces.org/pages/nat_troopships.htm British Armed Forces Website: Troopships]

References

* James Dugan, "The Great Iron Ship", 1953 (regularly reprinted) ISBN 0-7509-3447-6
* Stephen Harding, "Great Liners at War", Motorbooks Int'l, Osceola, WI, USA, 1997 ISBN 0-7603-0346
* Goron Newell, "Ocean Liners of the 20th Century", Bonanza Books, USA, 1963 ISBN 0-517-03168X