SS_Clearton
SS Clearton
British cargo steamship
SS Clearton was a cargo steamship that was built in England in 1919 and sunk in the Battle of the Atlantic in 1940. The UK Shipping Controller ordered her, and she was built to War Standard design Type B. R Chapman and Sons of Newcastle upon Tyne operated her throughout her working life.
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | Clearton |
| Owner |
|
| Operator | R Chapman & Sons |
| Port of registry | Newcastle |
| Builder | Richardson, Duck & Co, Stockton |
| Yard number | 677 |
| Launched | 29 July 1919 |
| Completed | September 1919 |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | sunk 1 July 1940 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | War Standard Type B cargo ship |
| Tonnage | 5,219 GRT, 3,209 NRT |
| Length | 400.2 ft (122.0 m) |
| Beam | 52.4 ft (16.0 m) |
| Depth | 28.4 ft (8.7 m) |
| Decks | 1 |
| Installed power | 397 NHP |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 11 knots (20 km/h) |
| Crew | 34 |
Richardson, Duck and Company of Stockton-on-Tees built the ship as yard number 677. She was launched on 29 July 1919[1][2] and completed that September. Her registered length was 400.2 ft (122.0 m), her beam was 52.4 ft (16.0 m), and her depth was 28.4 ft (8.7 m). Her tonnages were 5,219 GRT and 3,209 NRT.[3]
She had a single screw, driven by a three-cylinder triple-expansion steam engine that was built by Blair and Company and rated at 397 NHP.[3]
Chapman & Sons registered her at Newcastle. Her UK official number was 142845 and her code letters were KCPB. At first the Carlton Steam Ship Company owned her, and Chapman and Sons managed her. By 1924 Chapman and Sons were her owners as well as her managers.[4] By 1930 her call sign was GKSP.[5] By 1934 this had superseded her code letters.[6]
In June 1940 Clearton left Rosario, Argentina carrying 7,320 tons of grain. Her Master was Captain John Elsdon. The ship crossed the South Atlantic to Freetown, Sierra Leone, where she joined Convoy SL 36 to the British Isles. At 11:55 hrs on 1 July U-102 hit her with one torpedo in the Southwest Approaches about 180 nautical miles (330 km) west of Ushant. Clearton stayed afloat, but straggled from the convoy. At 13:25 hrs U-102 hit her with a second torpedo, sinking her 240 nautical miles (440 km) off the Smalls at position 47°53′N 9°30′W.[7]
Eight members of Wentworth's 34 crew were killed. The destroyer HMS Vansittart rescued 26 survivors, including Captain Elsdon and one DEMS gunner. Vansittart landed the survivors at Plymouth on 4 July.[7]
- "Clearton (1142845)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
- "Wentworth". Tees Built Ships. Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
- Lloyd's Register 1920, CLA–CLE.
- Lloyd's Register 1923, CLA–CLE.
- Mercantile Navy List 1930, p. 119.
- Lloyd's Register 1934, CLA–CLE.
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "Clearton". uboat.net. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
- Lloyd's Register of Shipping. Vol. II.–Steamers. London: Lloyd's Register of Shipping. 1920 – via Internet Archive.
- Lloyd's Register of Shipping. Vol. II.–Steamers and Motor Vessels. London: Lloyd's Register of Shipping. 1923 – via Internet Archive.
- Lloyd's Register of Shipping (PDF). Vol. II.–Steamers and Motorships of 300 tons gross and over. London: Lloyd's Register of Shipping. 1934 – via Southampton City Council.
- Mercantile Navy List. London. 1930 – via Crew List Index Project.
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