From the Book Sailing ship to Supertanker. Strathearn Completed 1.1906 4,419 Gross tons Built by Grangemouth & Greenock Dockyard Co., Greenock, for Burrell & Son, Glasgow. Measurements: 384 feet (oa)/370 feet length X 52 feet breadth. Engines: T3cyl. The Strathearn was purchased by Anglo-American Oil Company in 1920 and four years later was disposed of to P.C. & G.C. Lemos who renamed her Constantinos. A year later she became Kostantis Lemos and shortly afterwards Danaos. In 1939 she moved from the Greek flag to Italy and became the Moscardin of the Soc. di Nav. "Polena", Genoa. She was put in the coal trade from Newcastle to Italy and when Italy entered the war on 10th June, 1940, was at Newcastle. She quickly put to sea but was stopped and escorted to Methil on llth June. The Moscardin was officially seized on 27th June and handed over to the Ministry of War Transport for service as the Empire Gunner. On 7th September, 1941, she was in St Georges Channel on a voyage from Pepel (Freetown) to the Tees with iron ore when she was bombed and sunk in position 52.08 N / 05.18 W. Housatonic Completed 1919 5,519 Gross tons Built by Wm Hamilton & Co. Ltd., Port Glasgow, as War Dogra for the Shipping Controller. Measurements: 412 feet (oa)/400 feet length X 52 feet breadth. Engines: T3cyl. 1920: (Anglo-American Oil Company). 19.2.1941: Bombed and sunk 59.39 N / 07.24 W (approximately), while serving as a Royal Fleet Auxiliary. Kennebec Completed 1919 5,548 Gross tons Built by R. Duncan & Co. Ltd., Port Glasgow, as War Mogul for the Shipping Controller. Measurements: 412 feet (oa)/400 feet length X 52 feet breadth. Engines: T3cyl. 1920: (Anglo-American Oil Co.). 8.9.1939: Torpedoed and attacked by gunfire by submarine U.34, 49.18N / 08.13W. Wreckage sunk by Royal Navyship on following day. The Housatonic and Kennebec were war-built standard ships of the 'Z'-type, designed for the carriage of heavy fuel oil. The intention was for forty of these ships to be built but of the twelve contracted for, six were completed and six cancelled, two later being built as dry cargo ships. In the design, the expansion trunk was placed in a centre position on the weather deck, the usual side tanks being eliminated and creating a low deck on either side of the trunk. The War Dogra and War Mogul were acquired from the Shipping Controller on 16th February, 1920, and 13th February, 1920, respectively. Narragansett Completed 5.1920 6,889 Gross tons Built by Vickers Ltd., Barrow. Measurements: 425 feet length X 57 feet breadth. Engines: Oil. Twin screws. 1933: Sold for breaking up. The Narragansett, the first post-war tanker to be built for Anglo-American, was launched on 27th November, 1919, and ran trials on 5th May, 1920. Speed was guaranteed at 10 1/2 knots and the daily consumption of oil was 9.6 tons. Her results in the Atlantic trade were extremely satisfactory and on one early voyage she ran from New Orleans to Liverpool at 11.1 knots. Both Narragansett and her sistership Seminole had a deadweight capacity of 10,500 tons. Seminole Completed 5.1921 6,923 Gross tons Built by Vickers Ltd., Barrow. Measurements: 425 feet length X 57 feet breadth. Engines: Oil. Twin screws. 3.1936: Sold for breaking up "as lies" at Belfast. On 13th December, 1927, the Seminole was on her way to Dingle oil Jetty in the River Mersey to discharge 10,000 tons of petrol when she went aground on Pluckington Bank, near the Brunswick Dock, and could not be towed off. At low water some plates parted and some 2,000 or more tons of petrol flowed into the river, floating downstream towards Liverpool. There was immediate danger of a serious explosion and fire, considered so great that all available police were rushed to the landing stage to prevent people from smoking. Notices were placed on ferries warning passengers of the serious danger of striking matches, the Liverpool Fire Brigade laid out thousands of yards of hose and fire extinguishers were placed in readiness along the seven miles of dock quays. Naked lights were forbidden on river craft and dock sides. Some 1,200 troops were on board the 17,000-ton Anchor Line troopship California alongside the landing stage; she was moved. For some days the river and docks were held in a state of emergency, particularly in the area around the grounded ship but, eventually, a six-inch pipe was connected from the stranded Seminole to another tanker in the Brunswick Dock. The danger subsided as the petrol was transshipped. Chesapeake Completed 1.1928 8,955 Gross tons Built by Workman, Clark & Co. Ltd., Belfast. Measurements: 477 feet length x 64 feet breadth. Engines: Oil. 12 knots. 1950: Esso Aberdeen. 28.9.1953: Arrived Faslane for scrap. The Chesapeake was the first motorship built by Workman, Clark to be propelled by Workman Clark-Sulzer engines. Her hull was divided into twenty-two main and ten summer tanks. Launched on 24th November, 1927, she was the last vessel (Yard No. 494) to be built by the old firm of Workman, Clark & Company Ltd., and on her completion the shipyard, engine works and repair works all closed down. Within a few months the company was completely reorganised under the title of Workman, Clark (1928) Ltd., the first launching taking place on 16th October, 1928. This was the Divis, a small sludge carrier of 357 gt for the Belfast Corporation. Schuylkill Completed 5.1928 8,964 Gross tons Built by Sir J. Laing & Sons Ltd., Sunderland. 13,000 tdw. Engines: Oil. 12 knots. 1947: Sold for scrap. The Schuylkill had an eventful end to her career. Sold for breaking up, she was originally intended for the Tyne, but was found too large to enter the shipbreaker's yard. Instead, she was taken to the Firth of Forth where P. and W. MacLellan Ltd. were to break her up. On 6th April she was torn from her moorings in a storm and blown across the Forth, running aground near the entrance to Charleston harbour, Fife. Refloated a month later, the Schuylkill was beached at the shipbreaker's yard at Bolness.