History
United Kingdom
NameEl Argentino
NamesakeSpanish for "The Argentinian"
Owner
OperatorFurness, Houlder Argentine Lines
Port of registryLondon
BuilderFairfield Sb & Eng Co, Govan
Yard number629
Launched11 January 1928
CompletedApril 1928
Identification
FateSunk by aerial bombing, 26 July 1943
General characteristics
Typerefrigerated cargo ship
Tonnage9,501 GRT, 6,023 NRT
Length431.3 ft (131.5 m)
Beam64.5 ft (19.7 m)
Draught29 ft 9 in (9.07 m)
Depth35.4 ft (10.8 m)
Decks3
Installed power1,708 NHP, 6,400 bhp
Propulsion
Speed15 knots (28 km/h)
Capacity557,500 cubic feet (15,787 m3) refrigerated cargo
Crew98 in WW2, including DEMS gunners
Sensors and
processing systems		wireless direction finding
Armament
  • as DEMS:
  • 1 × 4-inch or 4.7-inch gun
  • 1 × 12-pounder gun
  • 10 × machine guns
Notes

MV El Argentino was a refrigerated cargo motor ship that was built in Scotland in 1920 and sunk by a German aircraft in the Atlantic Ocean in 1943.

Furness, Houlder Argentine Lines operated her throughout her career. This was a joint venture between Furness, Withy and Houlder Line to carry chilled and frozen meat and other produce from South America to the United Kingdom.

This was the company's second ship to be called El Argentino. The first was a steamship that was launched in 1907 and sunk by a German mine in 1916.[1]

Building and technical details

In 1925 the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company launched the refrigerated cargo ship Upwey Grange at its Govan shipyard for Houlder Line.[2] Fairfield went on to build two sister ships: Dunster Grange in 1927 for Houlder Line[3] and El Argentino in 1928 for Furness, Houlder Argentine Lines.[4][5]

El Argentino was 431.3 ft (131.5 m) long, her beam was 64.5 ft (19.7 m) and her depth was 35.4 ft (10.8 m). Her tonnages were 9,501 GRT and 6,023 NRT.[6] Her holds were refrigerated, with capacity for 557,500 cubic feet (15,787 m3) of perishable cargo.[7]

El Argentino had two screws. Each was driven by a Sulzer-type six-cylinder single-acting two-stroke diesel engine, built under licence by Fairfield. Between them the two engines were rated at 1,708 NHP[6] or 6,400 bhp.[4]

El Argentino's UK official number was 160405. Her code letters were LBNS[6] until they were superseded in 1934 by the call sign GNQD. Also in 1934 her ownership was transferred to Furness, Withy, but Furness, Houlder Argentine Lines remained her managers.[8]

Loss

In the Second World War El Argentino was a defensively equipped merchant ship. By 1943 her armament comprised one 4-inch or 4.7-inch gun, one 12-pounder gun and ten machine guns.[9]

In July 1943 El Argentino left the Firth of Clyde in ballast, bound for Montevideo and Buenos Aires. She joined Convoy OS 52 / KMS 21, which left Liverpool on 19 July which was bound for Freetown in Sierra Leone.[9]

On 26 July a German Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor aircraft bombed El Argentino in the North Atlantic about 230 nautical miles (430 km) northwest of Lisbon, sinking the ship and killing four members of her crew. 94 crew members and six passengers survived.[10]

References

  1. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "SS El Argentino". uboat.net. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  2. ↑ "Upwey Grange". Scottish Built Ships. Caledonian Maritime Research Trust. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  3. ↑ "Dunster Grange". Scottish Built Ships. Caledonian Maritime Research Trust. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  4. 1 2 "El Argentino". Scottish Built Ships. Caledonian Maritime Research Trust. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  5. ↑ Burrell 1992, p. 103.
  6. 1 2 3 "Steamers and Motorships". Lloyd's Register (PDF). Vol. II. London: Lloyd's Register. 1930. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  7. ↑ "List of vessels fitted with refrigerating appliances". Lloyd's Register (PDF). Vol. I. London: Lloyd's Register. 1930. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  8. ↑ "Steamers and Motorships". Lloyd's Register (PDF). Vol. I. London: Lloyd's Register. 1934. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  9. 1 2 Hague, Arnold. "Convoy OS.52/KMS.21". OS & OS/KMS Convoy Series. Don Kindell, Convoyweb. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  10. ↑ Burrell 1992, p. 123.

Bibliography

39°50′N 13°36′W / 39.833°N 13.600°W / 39.833; -13.600

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