Built as a steam trawler under yard No 96 by Cook, Welton and Gemmel, Beverly for Hellyer Steam Fishing Co. Ltd., Hull, U.K.
17 January 1906 launched as the VIOLA, named after a Shakespearean character.
Tonnage 167 grt, 63 net, dim. 108.3 x 21.5 x 11.5ft.
Powered by a 3-cyl. triple expansion. steam engine manufactured by Amos and Smith, Hull, 45 nhp, speed 9.5 knots.
February 1902 completed.
Used for the North Sea fishing and she stayed out for some weeks, while her daily catch was transferred to fast steam cutters who commuted between the fishing grounds and the fish markets of eastern England.
After World War I broke out the VIOLA was requisitioned by the British Admiralty, she was armed with one 3pdr. gun, and moved to Shetland, where she was used for patrolling between Muckle Flugga and Fair Island looking for U-boats and escorting vessels. She came in action against one U-boat
Later in the war she was transferred to the Tyne and her 3 pdr. gun was replaced by a 12 pdr. gun.
She was then used for mine-sweeping duties, and she was one of the first vessels to use depth charges.
1917 She opened fire on a U-boat attacking a merchant ship off Farne Island.
She was involved in the rescue of the crew of the French ship COGNAC who was driven ashore at Scarborough during a storm.
13 August 1918 together with two other armed trawlers she sank the German U-boat UB-30 off Whitby.
The next month together with other ships she was involved in the destruction of the UB-115 off the Northumberland coast.
1919 was she decommissioned
1918 Sold to W.A. Massey & Sons Ltd, Hull.
1919 Sold to L. Thorsen, Norway, renamed KAPDUEN.
1920 Sold to A/S Sandefjord Trawlfiskeselskap (A.H.Andersen mgr.)
1922 N.T. Nielsen-Alonso became manager and was she converted to a whale catcher for work with humpback whales at Cape Lopez, Congo. She received a new bridge.
1924 Sold to A/S South Atlantic (L. Bruun, mgr.) and renamed DIAS. Whaling off Gabon, Congo.
After two whaling voyages down the coast of Africa which were not a real commercial success and she was laid up at Sandesfjord in Norway.
1927 Sold to Cia. Argentina de Pesca S.A.
When she was bought by Pesca with minor modifications was she converted in a sealer
First after arrival the DIAS was used for an attempt to fish in the waters off South Georgia with a purse- seine, but the weather and the saes were too rough to control the net, the attempt was a failure. And the idea to commence fishing for producing oil and fish meal was shelved by Pesca.
1929 During the Kohl-Larsen Expedition of 1928/29, when at South Georgia the expedition undertook glaciological, cartographic and biological work one of the ships used was the DIAS.
February 1930 under command of Capt. Johan A Johansson the DIAS was send to the southern Argentinean coastline to make an appraisal of the seal herds and assess other fishing possibilities, she made a call at Staten Island and passed through the Beagle Channel where a attempt of trawling was made, but the equipment on board was not good and it came to noting. Thereafter she sailed along the Argentinean coast from Gable Island to Spring Bay and thence to Port Parry, Harberton and Picton Island. Seal lions were found but over a dispersed area. After her return the company concluded that expansion into that region was not a viable proposition.
She was used as supply ship to the Laurie Island, (one of the South Orkneys group) a meteorological outpost. When the DIAS was chartered for a round voyage to Laurie Island in 1932, the charter hire was around £325.
Although she was not strengthened for ice, she was built as a trawler; she could carry more cargo than a whale catcher.
The round voyage took about 12 days.
In 1933 and 1934 she was used again as a relief vessel to Laurie Island.
1942 She made an other relief voyage, first she sailed to Ushuaia to load a cargo of coal and to collect the relief crew for the island, then she travelled south.
Between 1951 and 1957 a British team under Duncan Carse carried out a topographical survey of South Georgia, one of the vessels used was the DIAS.
1956 Converted to oil firing.
1960 Transferred to Albion Star (South Georgia) Ltd., registered in Port Stanley, Falkland Islands.
1965 Laid up.
1974 Sank at moorings at Grytviken.
1979 Sold to Christian Salvesen.
Till 2004 not salvaged but when there was a major redevelopment of Grytviken whaling station she was hauled ashore as seen on the 70p stamp.
2010 Still there in the same position.
South Georgia 1993 15p sg?, scott166. 36p sg224, scott168. 1999 17p sg284, scott226. 2010 70p sg?, scott? ( the 36p stamp shows, this scene is an aerial photograph of King Edward Cove, with Grytviken in the lower part of the picture. ALBATROS and DIAS are in the lower left, and to port of these ships, the whale catcher PETREL. LOUISE is at the right of the harbor. One more ship can be seen at King Edward Point at the top left of the entrance to the harbor.
South Georgia 2013 £1
Source: Pesca’ A History of the Pioneer Modern Whaling Company in the Antarctic by Ian B Hart.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viola_(Trawler) Watercraft Philately Ships on Stamps DVD A-D.
See also VIOLA: http://www.shipstamps.co.uk/forum/viewt ... 101#p17101