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| Tynefield:
The Tynefield was a 5,856 GRT Tanker built at Sir John Laing & Sons Ltd., Sunderland (Deptford Yard No. 694) for the Hunting Steamship Co. Ltd.,(Hunting & Son Ltd.) Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The ship was launched on 30 November 1925 and completed on 26 January of the following year with a length of 395-feet, beam of 54.5-feet, and draught of 32-feet. Propulsion was provided by 2 Junkers Schiffimaschine single-cylinder diesel engines (22-13/16 inch bore X 91-1/4 inch stroke) provided by W. Doxford & Sons Ltd., Sunderland, which generated 750 HP at 150 RPM connected to a single shaft and propeller for a speed of 10.5 knots.
The "MV Tynefield" (Date and location unknown.)
During the First World War, the majority of the ships belonging to Hunting & Son had been placed in the service of the Royal Navy. This resulted in the loss of nearly all of their ships, with only 2 or 4 of them surviving the hostilities. The Tynefield was one of 6 ships ordered between 1923 and 1928 as part of rebuilding the Hunting & Son fleet.
The ship's history after completion and during the inter-war years is unknown with the exception that in 1938 the Tynefield was transferred to the Northern Petroleum Tank S.S. Company (a subsidiary of the Hunting Line) where the ship remained until the time of her loss.
Lloyd's Registry entry of 1930
Upon the commencement of hostilities at the beginning World War II, the ships of the Hunting Line were placed in the service of the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT), the Tynefield being one of them.
During the first part of the war, the ship is known to have sailed on the following 6 Convoys: (Links below open a new window for each convoy series at www.convoyweb.org.uk)
The next we hear of the Tynefield is on 24/25 February 1941 while the ship is at Tobruk. The ship came under aerial attack by German aircraft and damaged by bombs and gunfire which resulted in the foc'sle being damaged and one casualty. With the ship on fire, the Naval Officer-in-Charge of Tobruk, Commander Frank Montem Smith, is said to have boarded the ship and orgainized the ship's officers and crew in the fighting of the fire, and to have had the ship towed stern first into the wind in order to prevent the fire from spreading from the foc'sle to the rest of the ship.
After the fire was extinguished, the Tynefield was later escorted to Alexandria by the HMS Wolborough (FY 223) where the ships arrived on 06 March. The Tynefield underwent repairs at Alexandria and upon completion, sailed for Aden on 30 June.
The Loss of the Tynefield:
On 05 October 1941 the Tynefield entered the Suez Canal at its southern end (kilometer marker km160 marks the beginning of the canal) and was steaming northwards when the ship struck at mine layed near km153 which resulted in the ship sinking. This effectively blocked the Suez Canal for the nex 10 days until the canal could be cleared. (Note: It is unknown if the ship was raised, salvaged, or moved out of main channel.)
With the canal blocked for 10 days, this delayed other ships traveling through the canal and exposed many of them to aerial attack while at anchorage. One of these ships was the Thistlegorm, among others. References: Miramar Single Ship Report for "1149405" http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/damaged_merchant_ships.htm http://www.worldnavalships.com/merchant_navy_losses.htm http://www.schiffswrackliste.de/BRT%201941.htm http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/spiked/Wiltshire-war-hero-s-medals-sale/article-403227-detail/article.html http://www.doxford-engine.com/junkers.htm http://www.aquatours.com/wrecks/thistlegorm.htm http://www.benjidog.co.uk/allen/index_files/Page4753.htm http://www.searlecanada.org/sunderland/sunderland041.html http://www.naval-history.net/ |
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