SS City of Leeds was a British North Sea passenger and cargo steamship that was built in Yorkshire in 1903 and scrapped in Northumberland 1937. In the First World War the Imperial German Navy captured her and used her as a depot ship.
 Painting of City of Leeds by AS Jansen
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | City of Leeds |
| Namesake | Leeds |
| Owner |
|
| Operator |
|
| Port of registry |  Grimsby |
| Route | Grimsby – Hamburg |
| Builder | Earle's Shipbldg & Eng Ltd, Hull |
| Yard number | 482 |
| Launched | 8 June 1903 |
| Sponsored by | July 1903 |
| Reclassified | WW1: mine depot ship |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | Scrapped 1937 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | passenger ship |
| Tonnage | |
| Length | 256.5 ft (78.2 m) |
| Beam | 34.5 ft (10.5 m) |
| Depth | 15.7 ft (4.8 m) |
| Decks | 1 |
| Installed power | 356 NHP |
| Propulsion | triple-expansion steam engine |
| Sensors and processing systems | submarine signalling |
| Notes | sister ship: City of Bradford |
Building
editIn 1903 Earle's Shipbuilding and Engineering of Hull, Yorkshire built a pair of ferries for the Great Central Railway. The Lady Mayoress of Leeds[citation needed] launched City of Leeds on 8 June 1903.[1][2] City of Leeds' sister ship City of Bradford was launched on 23 July.[3]
City of Leeds' registered length was 256.5 ft (78.2 m), her beam was 34.5 ft (10.5 m) and her depth was 15.7 ft (4.8 m). As built, her tonnages were 1,341 GRT and 733 NRT. She was registered at Grimsby. Her UK official number was 113248 and her code letters were VDWQ.[4]
Career
editCity of Leeds and City of Bradford ran scheduled services between Grimsby and Hamburg. In 1913 City of Leeds's tonnages were revised to 1,349 GRT and 739 NRT.[5]
When the First World War began at the end of July 1914, City of Leeds was caught unawares, arrived in Hamburg as scheduled and was captured as a prize. Her captain and crew were interned, and the German navy had her converted into a mine depot ship.[2]
After the Armistice of 11 November 1918 her crew was repatriated[6] and City of Leeds was returned to Grimsby.
In 1923 City of Leeds's tonnages were revised again to 1,361 GRT and 678 NRT.[7] In the same year the Great Central became part of the new London and North Eastern Railway (LNER), and City of Leeds became part of its fleet.[8]
By 1930 City of Leeds was equipped for wireless telegraphy and her navigation equipment included submarine signalling.[9] In 1934 the call sign MFTZ superseded her code letters.[10] From 1935 Associated Humber Lines managed her.[citation needed]
In 1937 the LNER sold City of Leeds for scrap. On 30 April she arrived at Blyth, Northumberland to be broken up by Hughes, Blockow & Co.[2]
References
edit- ^ "Relations with the West Riding". Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer. Leeds. 9 June 1903. Retrieved 10 November 2015 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ a b c "City of Leeds". Shipping and Shipbuilding. Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
- ^ "City of Bradford". Shipping and Shipbuilding. Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
- ^ Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen (1904). Mercantile Navy List. Board of Trade. p. 80. Retrieved 8 March 2021 – via Crew List Index Project.
- ^ Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen (1913). Mercantile Navy List. Board of Trade. p. 108. Retrieved 8 March 2021 – via Crew List Index Project.
- ^ "Return of Prisoners of War". Lancashire Evening Post. Preston. 27 November 1918. Retrieved 10 November 2015 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen (1923). Mercantile Navy List. Board of Trade. p. 104. Retrieved 8 March 2021 – via Crew List Index Project.
- ^ Harnack 1930, p. 413.
- ^ Lloyd's Register, Steamers and Motor Ships (PDF). London: Lloyd's Register. 1930. Retrieved 8 March 2021 – via Southampton City Council.
- ^ Lloyd's Register, Steamers and Motor Ships (PDF). London: Lloyd's Register. 1934. Retrieved 8 March 2021 – via Southampton City Council.
Bibliography
edit- Duckworth, Christian; Langmuir, Graham (1968) [1948]. Railway and other Steamers. Prescot: T Stephenson and Sons. ISBN 978-0901314123.
- Harnack, Edwin P (1930) [1903]. All About Ships & Shipping (3rd ed.). London: Faber and Faber.