SS Claus Rickmers

Claus Rickmers was a 5,165 GRT cargo ship which was built in 1923 for Rickmers Reederei AG. She was sunk by Allied bombing at Larvik, Norway in 1945 and then salvaged and towed to Bergen for repairs. She was then seized as a war prize) and ownership passed to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT), being renamed Empire Carron on completion of repairs in 1947.

This section is about the 1923 ship. For other uses, see Rickmers.

History
Name
  • Claus Rickmers (1923-47)
  • Empire Carron (1947)
  • Andrian (1947-49)
  • San Nicolas (1949-64)
Owner
  • Rickmers Reederei (1923-40)
  • Kriegsmarine (1940)
  • Rickmers Reederei (1940-45)
  • Ministry of War Transport (1945)
  • Ministry of Transport (1945-47)
  • S G Embiricos Ltd (1947-49)
  • Compagnia Navigazion Yaviza (1949-64)
Operator
  • Rickmers Reederei (1923-45)
  • S G Embiricos Ltd (1947-49)
  • Compagnia Navigazion Yaviza (1949-64)
Port of registry
  • Weimar Republic Hamburg (1923-33)
  • Nazi Germany Hamburg (1933-40)
  • Nazi Germany Kriegsmarine (1940)
  • Nazi Germany Hamburg (1940-45)
  • United Kingdom London (1945-49)
  • Panama Panama City (1949-64)
BuilderNorderwerft AG
Yard number193
Launched23 November 1923
Completed22 February 1924
Out of service1945-47
Identification
  • Code Letters RDVL (1923-34)
  • Code Letters DHEE (1934-45)
  • Pennant Number A 10 (1940)
  • UK Official Number 181642 (1945-49)
FateScrapped 1964.
General characteristics
Tonnage
Length401 ft 5 in (122.35 m)
Beam53 ft 2 in (16.21 m)
Depth27 ft 5 in (8.36 m)
Installed powerTriple expansion steam engine
PropulsionScrew propellor

She was then sold and renamed Andrian. In 1949, she was sold to Panamanian owners and renamed San Nicolas, serving until scrapped in 1964.

Description

The ship was built by Norderwerft AG, Wesermünde as yard number 193. She was launched on 23 November 1923 and completed on 22 February 1924.[1]

The ship was 401 feet 5 inches (122.35 m) long, with a beam of 53 feet 2 inches (16.21 m) and a depth of 27 feet 5 inches (8.36 m). She had a GRT of 5,125 and a NRT of 3,170.[2] Her DWT was 8,040.[1]

She was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine, which had cylinders of 28+1⁄2 inches (72 cm), 45+1⁄4 inches (115 cm) and 74 inches (190 cm) diameter and 53+1⁄4 inches (135 cm) stroke. The engine was built by AG Weser, Bremen.[2]

History

Claus Rickmers was built for Rickmers Reederei AG, Hamburg.[3] The Code Letters RDVL were allocated and her port of registry was Hamburg.[2] On 13 September 1928, she was in collision with the Italian cargo ship Clara Camas at Glückstadt and was beached.[4] In 1934, her Code Letters were changed to DHEE.[5]

On 4 May 1940, Claus Rickmers was requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine for use as a troopship. The Pennant Number A 10 was allocated. She was returned to her owners on 20 October 1940. On 26 June 1941, she was sunk at Ventspils, Latvia. She was refloated and repaired.[6] On 21 October 1944 the German cargo ship Hohenhörn, struck a mine off Stora Pölsan, Sweden. Hohenhörn sank in no more than eight minutes. The entire crew was rescued by Claus Rickmers and landed in Germany. Hohenhörn was on a voyage from Narvik, Norway to Emden, Germany with a cargo of 4,000 tonnes of iron pyrites.[7]

On 9 January 1945, Claus Rickmers was damaged in an Allied air raid on Lervik, Norway.[3] On 15 January 1945, a formation of sixteen Mosquito aircraft of the Banff Strike Wing, comprising aircraft from 143, 235, 248 and 333 Squadrons, Royal Air Force, led by Wing Commander Max Guedj attacked the damaged Claus Rickmers.[8] Also attacked were the flak ships Seehund and O B Rogge and Räumboot R 34. Five Mosquitos and three Focke-Wulf Fw 190s of 9 Staffeln, Jagdgeschwader 5 were shot down in the attack.[9] Claus Rickmers was towed to Bergen for repairs.[3]

In May 1945, she was seized as a war prize and passed to the MoWT. Repairs were completed in 1947 and she was renamed Empire Carron.[3] The United Kingdom Official Number 181642 was allocated.[10] She was then sold to S G Empiricos Ltd, London and renamed Andrian.[3] In 1949, Andrian was sold to Compagnia Navigazione Yaviza, Panama and renamed San Nicolas. She served until 1964, arriving at Spezia, Italy in December 1964 for scrapping.[3]

References
  1. "Rickmerswerft-Baunummernliste 10" (in German). Peter Müller. Retrieved 12 March 2010.
  2. "LLOYD'S REGISTER, STEAMERS & MOTORSHIPS" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 12 March 2010.
  3. Mitchell, W H, and Sawyer, L A (1995). The Empire Ships. London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. ISBN 1-85044-275-4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. "Casualty reports". The Times. No. 44998. London. 14 September 1928. col F, p. 21.
  5. "LLOYD'S REGISTER, STEAMERS & MOTORSHIPS" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 12 March 2010.
  6. Jordan, Roger (1999). The World's Merchant Fleets, 1939. London: Chatham Publishing. p. 468. ISBN 1-86176-023-X.
  7. "S.S. Hohenhörn" (in Danish). Allan Jensen. Retrieved 12 March 2010.
  8. "Operational History of W.Nr. 931 862, The Black Monday - 15th January 1945". White 1 Foundation. Retrieved 12 March 2010.
  9. "Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-3 Melingsvarden, Austevoll Hordaland". Flyvak. Retrieved 12 March 2010.
  10. "Ships official numbers 180000-". Mariners. Retrieved 12 March 2010.
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