HMHS Plassy (His Majesty's Hospital ship) was a steamship originally built for the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O), which spent most of its career in government service, particularly as a troop transport for the Second Boer War and as a hospital ship in World War I, including service at the Battle of Jutland.[3]
.jpg) The Plassy underway
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
  United Kingdom | |
| Name | Plassy |
| Operator | The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company |
| Builder | Caird & Company, Greenock |
| Yard number | 296 |
| Launched | 23 November 1900[1] |
| Maiden voyage | 29 January 1901 |
| Fate | Scrapped 4 September 1924 at Genoa |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 7,404 GRT |
| Length | 450 feet (140 m) |
| Propulsion | 2 x T3 cyl (28.5, 46, 76 x 48in), 1,055 nhp, 2 × screw[2] |
Building
editThe ship was built by Caird & Company as a twin-screw steamer, capable of mail and passenger service, but also to comply with government regulations for troop ships. The specifications included a top speed of 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph), and accommodation for 114 first class and 57 second class passengers.[4]
Career
editIn 1911, the ship (then a troop transport) was fitted with wireless telegraphy.[5]
At the Battle of Jutland, Plassy served as a hospital ship,[6] and took on board 192 wounded from the battlecruisers HMS Lion and HMS Princess Royal,[7] including a number with severe burns.[8]
In June 1917, King George V visited the ship at Scapa Flow.[9][10][11][12]
References
edit- ^ "The world of politics". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 24 November 1900.
- ^ "Plassy". Scottish Built Ships.
- ^ "HMHS Plassy". Wartime Memories Project.
- ^ "Plassy". Lloyd's List. 24 November 1900.
- ^ "Five army transport ships". Exeter and Plymouth Gazette. 11 January 1911.
- ^ Bonney, George (2006). The Battle of Jutland 1916. Stroud: Sutton. pp. 197–200. ISBN 9780750941785.
- ^ "Hospital Ships Plassy at Jutland". Our Ware at Sea. P&O History.
- ^ "The aftermath of the great battle". Navy News. May 2016. p. 34.
- ^ "King George V visits the British hospital ship HMHS Plassy during World War I". Critical Past.
- ^ "The King's Sunday with the Fleet". Evening Mail. 29 June 1917.
- ^ "New Official War Pictures". The Bioscope. 19 July 1917.
- ^ "King and the Fleet". Sussex Daily News. 28 June 1917.