MV Ulster Prince was a passenger ferry operated across the Irish Sea between 1929 and 1940. She became a total loss in Greece while a troop ship during WWII.
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name |
|
| Owner | Belfast Steamship Company |
| Port of registry | Belfast |
| Route | Liverpool-Belfast (1930-1940) |
| Builder | Harland and Wolff |
| Yard number | 697 |
| Launched | 25 April 1929 |
| Completed | 3 March 1930 |
| Identification | Official No.161858 |
| Fate | wrecked in 1941 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 3,756 GRT |
| Length | 345 ft (105.2 m) |
| Beam | 46 ft (14.0 m) |
| Draught | 4.13 m (13.5 ft) |
| Installed power | 10 cylinder airless injection H&W B&W |
| Propulsion | Twin screws |
| Speed | 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph) |
| Notes | [1][2] |
History
editUlster Prince was the last of three 3700ton motorships built by Harland and Wolff for the Belfast Steamship Co. between 1929 and 1930.[3] She and her sisters, Ulster Monarch and Ulster Queen, were pioneer diesel-propelled cross-channel passenger ships.[1] The trio provided a reliable and regular overnight service between Liverpool and Belfast,[4] which was marketed as the Ulster Imperial Line.[5] Their original grey hulls were later changed to black.[3]
Ulster Prince was used as a troop ship during WWII,[1] and became H. M. T. Ulster Prince.[6] In 1940, she landed troops in Iceland for the occupation of Iceland.[7][8] In April 1941, during the evacuation of Greece, she ran aground off Nafplio, Greece. The following day, she was bombed and became a total loss.[3]
After the war, she was replaced on the Liverpool - Belfast service by the British and Irish ferry MV Leinster (renamed Ulster Prince (2)).[9]
Service
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c "Ulster Prince". The Yard/Harland & Wolff. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
- ^ "Ulster Prince". Shipspotting. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
- ^ a b c "Harland and Wolff Standard Motorships - The Belfast SS Pioneers". Ian Boyle/Simplon Postcards. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
- ^ Ian Collard (2015). Coast Lines: Fleet List and History. Amberley Publishing Limited. ISBN 978-1445646756. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
- ^ "Belfast Steamship Co". Maritime Timetable Images. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
- ^ Allan Walker (1956). Australia in the War of 1939-1945. Canberra: Australian War Memorial. p. 265.
- ^ Roy V Martin (2010). Ebb and Flow: Evacuations and Landings by Merchant Ships in WW2. p. 100.
- ^ Donald A. Bertke (2011). World War II Sea War. p. 324. ISBN 9781937470005.
- ^ "1937 Leinster (3) (British and Irish)/Ulster Prince (2) (Belfast SS)". Ian Boyle/Simplon Postcards. Retrieved 19 August 2018.