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SS Espagne (Provence, 1909)

Espagne was an ocean liner which was built in 1909–10 for Compagnie Générale Transatlantique. She served as a troopship during World War I and was in service until 1932, and was scrapped in 1934.

Design

Espagne was ordered from Chantiers & Ateliers de Provence, Port de Bouc, Bouches-du-Rhône on 29 May 1908 as Yard No.30 for Compagnie Générale Transatlantique.[1][2] She was 537 ft long, with a beam of 60 ft and a depth of 39 ft. She was assessed at, ,[3] .[4] The ship was powered by two 4-cylinder triple expansion steam engines. The engines had cylinders of 331/2 inches (85 cm), 5315/16 inches (137 cm) and two of 6613/16 inches (170 cm) diameter by 59 in stroke. The engine was built by Chantiers & Ateliers de Provence.[4][3] Rated at 1,376 NHP, they could propel the ship at 18 kn with her twin screw propellers.[4]

History

Espagne was the only transatlantic ocean liner built by Chantiers & Ateliers de Provence.[4] Launched on 19 December 1909, she was completed in October 1910.[2] Her port of registry was Le Havre and the Code Letters OGPR were allocated.[3]

Espagne served on routes to Central America and the West Indies.[4] In April 1911, she was chartered as a troopship along with SS Aquitaine and SS Moulouya to transport 2,700 troops from Marseille, France, Algiers, Bône and Philippeville, Algeria to Constantinople, Ottoman Empire.[5] In September 1911, she developed a leak on arrival at Santander, Spain and was taken to Le Havre for repairs. In mid-1912, she was used on the Le Havre – New York route.[4] Following the Tampico Affair, Espagne transported 100 refugees from Puerto Mexico to Veracruz, Mexico.[6]

Espagne returned to the Le Havre – New York route from mid-1914. She transferred to the Bordeaux – New York route in 1915.[4] In February 1916, American passengers booked to travel on Espagne received anonymous letters telling them not to.[7] From 1916–20, she served as a troopship. Espagne returned to the Central American and Caribbean routes in 1920.[4] In 1926, a decree was issued in Mexico that all priests had to be born there. A number of Spanish priests were arrested and deported. Fourteen of them travelled on Espagne from Veracruz to a Spanish port in February 1926.[8] On 20 August 1926, she struck a rock off A Coruña, Spain and damaged one of her propellers.[9] Espagne served until June 1932, when she was laid up.[10][2] She was scrapped at Saint-Nazaire, Loire-Atlantique in May 1934, by the company M. Glotz.[4][1]

External links

References

  1. {{csr|register=MSI|id=5607826 |shipname=Espagne |accessdate=13 May 2014}}^
  2. Duncan Haws. French Line (Compagnie Générale Transatlantique) TCL Publications, 1996^
  3. Lloyd's Register, Steamers & Motorships Lloyd's Register of Shipping, 1930, retrieved 18 February 2021^
  4. Liner Espagne French Lines, retrieved 10 May 2014^
  5. Troops for Casablanca 21 April 1911^
  6. Huerta's War Regime 13 May 1914^
  7. Imperial and Foreign News Items 23 February 1916^
  8. Priests Deported from Mexico 16 February 1926^
  9. Telegrams in Brief 27 August 1926^
  10. Movements of Liners 9 June 1932^