SS Canberra
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| SS Canberra | |
 SS Canberra in the Azores | |
| Career |
|
|---|---|
| Ordered: | December 20, 1956 |
| Laid down: | September 23 1957 |
| Name announced: | March 17, 1958 |
| Launched: | March 16, 1960 |
| Maiden Voyage: | June 2, 1961 |
| Final Voyage: | October 10- 31, 1997 |
| Status: | Broken for scrap |
| General Characteristics | |
| Tonnage: | 1961: 45,270 gross tons 1962: 45,733 1968: 44,807 1994: 49,073 |
| Length: | 249.9 m (818 ft) |
| Beam: | 31.2 m (102 ft) |
| Draft: | 9.97 m (32.7 ft) |
| Height: | 55.9 m (183.5 ft) keel to funnel |
| Power: | 85,000 horsepower |
| Propulsion: | Two British Thompson Houston (AEI) synchronous three-phase, 6,000 volt air-cooled electric motors; power supplied by two 32,200 kW steam turbine driven alternators; twin screw |
| Auxiliary Power: | Four auxiliary steam turbines, each driving a 1,500 kW, 440 V, 3 Phase, 60 Hz alternator and a tandem driven 300 kW exciter for the propulsion alternators |
| Speed: | Trials: 29.27 knots (54.3 km/h) 1961-1973: 27.5 knots (51 km/h) 1973-1997: 23.50 knots (43.5 km/h) |
| Complement: | 1961-1973: 548 First class, 1,690 Tourist class, 960 officers and crew 1973-1997: 1,737 passengers, 795 officers and crew |
| Cost: | UK £15 million |
SS Canberra was an ocean liner, which later operated on cruises, in the P&O fleet from 1961 to 1997. She was built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Northern Ireland and was launched on March 16, 1960. The ship was named after the federal capital of Australia, Canberra, and entered service in May 1961.
History
P&O built the Canberra to operate the combined P&O- Orient Line service between the United Kingdom and Australia. The arrival of the jet airliner had already caused a drop in demand for this service; a reduction in emigration to Australia and wars forcing the closure of the Suez Canal saw the route become unprofitable. However a refit in 1974 saw the Canberra adapted to cruising. Unusually, this transition from an early life as a purpose-built ocean liner to a long and successful career in cruising, occurred without any major external alterations, and with only minimal internal and mechanical changes over the years.Arguably the single most unique feature of Canberra's design was her turbo-electric propulsion system. Instead of being mechanically coupled to her propellor shafts, Canberra's steam turbines drove large electric alternators which provided power to electric motors which, in turn, drove the vessel's twin screws. They were the most powerful steam turbo-electric units ever installed in a passenger ship; at 42,500 HP per shaft, they surpassed ss Normandie's 40,000 HP on each of her 4 shafts. There are several operational and economical advantages to such electrical de-coupling of a ship's propulsion system, and it has become a standard element of cruise ship design during the 1990s, over 30 years after Canberra entered service. However diesel engine and gas turbine driven alternators are the primary power source for most modern electrically propelled ships.
After the Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands in 1982, which initiated the Falklands War, the Ministry of Defence requisitioned the Canberra as use as a troopship. Nicknamed the Great White Whale, the Canberra proved vital in transporting the Parachute Regiment and Royal Marines to the islands more than 9,000 miles (14,000 km) from the UK. Whilst Queen Elizabeth 2 was held to be too vulnerable to enter the war zone, Canberra was sent to the heart of the conflict.
Canberra anchored in San Carlos Water on May 23 as part of the landings by British forces to retake the islands. Although her size and white colour made her an unmissable target for the Argentine Air Force, the Canberra, if sunk, would not have been completely submerged in the shallow waters at San Carlos. However, the liner was not badly hit during the landings as the Argentine pilots tended to attack the Royal Navy frigates and destroyers instead of the supply and troop ships. After the war, Argentine pilots claimed they were told not to hit the Canberra.
When the war ended, Canberra was used to repatriate the Argentine Army, before returning to Southampton to a rapturous welcome. After a lengthy refit, Canberra returned to civilian service as a cruise ship. Her role in the Falklands War made her very popular with the British public, and ticket sales after her return were elevated for many years as a result. Age and high running costs eventually caught up with her though, as she had much higher fuel consumption than most modern cruise ships. She was withdrawn from service in September 1997 and sold for scrapping, leaving for Gadani Beach, Pakistan the next month. She did not give up without a fight however; her deep draft meant that she could not be beached as far as most ships, and due to her solid construction the scrapping process took nearly a year instead of the estimated three months.
Picture Gallery
Statistics
- Launch by Dame Pattie Menzies
- Sailed from Belfast to Southampton 28th April 1961
- Official No 302649: Entered P&O service 19th May 1961
- Cargo capacity 150,000 ft³ (4,200 m³)
- Fuel consumption; 250- 300 tonnes/day at sea (approx)
- Water consumption, engines; 200 tonnes/day
- Water consumption, domestic; 600 tonnes/day
- Water production capacity; 450 tonnes/day
External links
References
"SS Canberra", Neil McCart, Patrick Stephens Ltd, 1983
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