Winchester Castle (Union Castle)

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shipstamps
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Winchester Castle (Union Castle)

Post by shipstamps » Thu Jun 19, 2008 6:24 pm


Winchester Castle was an improved version of Carnarvon Castle (2). She was built by Harland and Wolff of Belfast and launched on the 19th November, 1929. Her first arrival at Capetown was on the 10th November, 1930.
In April 1938 she was returned to her builders for rebuilding, losing one of her funnels and given more powerful ten-cylinder engines of 24,000 brake horsepower. On 8th December 1940 she was requisi¬tioned by the Ministry of Shipping and converted to a troopship. She was used in several theatres of war and it was not until 22nd April 1947 that she was demobilised , returning to the Cape route.
With the arrival of Windsor Castle (3), Winchester Castle was surplus to requirements. On the 9th September, 1960 she left Capetown for the last time and was sold for breaking up and on the 5th November 1960, she arrived at Mihara, Japan for that purpose.

D. v. Nieuwenhuijzen
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Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2010 7:46 pm

Re: Winchester Castle (Union Castle)

Post by D. v. Nieuwenhuijzen » Mon Jul 27, 2015 6:38 pm

Built in 1929-'30 by Harland & Wolff Ltd., Belfast, #825, for the Union-Castle Line, London, launched 18-11-'29, completed 11-11-'30.
Passenger ship, Gt:20.109, Nt:12.228, Loa:200,20m. Lbpp:192,51m. B:23m. D:11,43m. 2-8 cyl. B&W engines:3360 nhp. 2 propellers, 18 kn. Pass. 1st class:260, 2nd class:243, 3th class:254, crew:350.
Her maiden voyage was made on the 24th of October. In 1936 she stranded near Portland and the ARMADALE CASTLE was brought out of reserve to replace her. She underwent modernisation at the yard of her builders and was fitted with 2-10 cyl. Burmeister and Wain diesels producing 26.000 BHP which increased her service speed by three knots reducing the passage time by two and two-third days. In 1941 she made one trooping voyage to Bombay and after became the Headquarters ship for Montbattens Combined Operations after which she spent a year in Scottish Waters training men for Seaborne Assault Landings. She was the Headquarters ship for the Allied Landings of the Vichy controlled Island of Madagascar and was accompanied by the KEREN, KARANJA, LLANDAFF CASTLE and SOBIESKY which were escorted by the Battleship HMS RAMILLES. After the successful landings the Merchant ships sailed round the coast to Diego Suarez where the WINCHESTER CASTLE, code-named Radio Diego Suarez for the exercise made propaganda broadcasts. For the action the ship's Master, Captain S.F. Newdigate was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. On the 22nd of July during a trooping voyage from the U.S.A. to the U.K. she picked up 39 survivors from the U.S. Freighter HONOLULAN which had been torpedoed by U-582. She took part in the North African Landings at Sidi Ferruch, Algiers code-named Operation Torch on the 6th November. September of the following year she saw action at the Salerno Landings code-named Avalanche in which Lt. General McCreery's 56th Division, British X Corps were landed between Paestum and Maiori either side of Salerno. On the 15th of August 1944 she took part in Operation Dragoon landing troops near Cannes for the Allied invasion of Southern France. 1947 - 1948 found her on the emigrant service with berths for up to 877 passengers after which she returned to Harland & Wolff for a major overhaul. On the 22nd of September 1948 she once more entered onto the mail run with passenger compliments of 188 First Class and 400 Tourist. She was sold for scrapping in 1960 being replaced by WINDSOR CASTLE, and arrived at the yard of Nichimen K.K., Mihara, Japan on the 5th of November.
(South Africa 1994, 45 c. StG.844)
Internet.
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winchester-2-castle-mnw-edw.jpg

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