MV Port Fairy

MV "Port Fairy" was a UK merchant vessel built in 1928 for the Commonwealth & Dominion Line Ltd (or "Port Line") shipping company and sold in 1965 to Embajada Compania Naviera SA of Piraeus. Named after the coastal town of Port Fairy in Australia, she was renamed "Taishikan" for her final commercial voyage to Hong Kong where she was scrapped.

Career

Construction

"Port Fairy", 8072 GRT, was built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson at Wallsend in 1928. She had a length of 147 m (477ft 5in), a beam of 19.3 m (63ft 5in) and a service speed of 15 knots.

Pre-War

In 1930 her refrigeration equipment was modified and she carried the first cargo of chilled meat (instead of frozen meat) from Australia; she later worked the same cargo from New Zealand.

World War II

"Port Fairy" had an eventful war employed as an ammunition ship.

Sailing in fast convoy OL8 from Liverpool to Canada on 22 October 1940, "Port Fairy" collided with HMCS "Margaree" in rough seas about convert|300|mi|km|0 west of Ireland (position coord|53|24|N|22|50|W|.cite web|url=http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/5419.html|title=U-boat.net (HMCS Margaree)|accessdate=2008-05-14] cite web|url=http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-19D-Diana.htm|title=Naval History.net|accessdate=2008-05-14] ). "Margaree" sank quickly; her captain, four officers and 136 crew were lost. "Port Fairy" rescued 34 of the survivors.

On 9 July 1943 the small convoy "Faith", comprising "Port Fairy", the troopships "Duchess of York" and "California", and escorted by HMCS "Iroquois", HMS "Douglas" and HMS "Moyola", sailed Greenock for Freetown, Sierra Leone Munro, A. (2006). "The Winston Specials - Troopships via the Cape 1940-1943". Maritime Books, ISBN 190445920X] . On 11 July 1943, the convoy was about 300 miles west of Vigo when it was attacked by 3 Focke-Wulf Fw 200 aircraft of Kampfgeschwader 40 [cite web|url=http://www.mercantilemarine.org/showthread.php?t=110&page=2|title=Mercantile Marine.com|accessdate=2008-06-20] based at Merignac, near Bordeaux. The precision high-altitude bombing left both "Duchess of York" and "California" blazing. cite web|url=http://members.iinet.net.au/~gduncan/maritime-1a.html|title=Maritime Disasters of World War II|accessdate=2008-06-20] "Port Fairy" picked up some RAF survivors from "Duchess of York". Both "Duchess of York" and "California" were abandoned, and in the early hours of 12 July they were sunk by Royal Navy torpedo attack as it was feared the flames from the ships would attract U boats. The following day the remnants of the convoy were joined by frigate HMS "Swale" which had been despatched from Gibraltar in response to the attack. Detached to Casablanca with "Swale" as escort, the two ships were attacked west of Gibraltar by two Fw 200s returning from a reconnaissance mission. Despite the interception of the two bombers by two US Navy PBY Catalinas Ragnarsson, R. (2006). "US Navy PBY Catalina Units of the Atlantic War", page 65. Osprey Publishing, ISBN 184176910X ] "Port Fairy" was hit on the port quarter by a 50 kg bomb which breached the hull and set the ship on fire. Ammunition in adjacent cargo spaces was jettisoned and compartments flooded to minimise the risk of explosion. A bucket chain was set up to douse the fire and "Swale" came alongside and played her own hoses on the blaze, which was extinguished by 2300 hrs. After two further air attacks, during which no hits were sustained, both ships arrived in Casablanca.

Post-War

On 25 December 1953, while operating on the M.A.N.Z. service, both engines failed owing to contaminated lubrication oil and the ship drifted for three days towards the rocks of Fatu Hira atoll. Plans were put in place to rig a temporary sail, but as this was being done one of the engines was repaired and the ship made port at 5 knots.

Disposal

By 1965 she was the oldest ship in the fleet and was sold for £126,000 for scrap to Embajada Compania Naviera SA of Piraeus. Renamed "Taishikan", she made one final commercial voyage to Hong Kong, where she was broken up.

External links

* [http://www.red-duster.co.uk/PORT6.htm MNA Website - Red Duster.co.uk]
* [http://www.tripwiser.com/trip_destination-Port_Fairy_Australia?itiNodeId=8a8c80fe15f79f4e0115f7f8489b0a17&eType=site&tripEleTabName=details&fromSearch=true Port Fairy, Australia (tripwiser.com)]

References