RMMV ''Stirling Castle'' was a British
ocean liner
An ocean liner is a type of passenger ship primarily used for transportation across seas or oceans. Ocean liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes (such as for pleasure cruises or as hospital ships). The ...
of the
Union-Castle Line built by
Harland & Wolff
Harland & Wolff Holdings plc is a British shipbuilding and Metal fabrication, fabrication company headquartered in London with sites in Belfast, Arnish yard, Arnish, Appledore, Torridge, Appledore and Methil. It specialises in ship repair, ship ...
in Belfast for the Southampton to South Africa mail service. She was launched on 15 August 1935 and was the first of two identical sister ships, being joined a few months later by the
''Athlone Castle''.
A third, slightly larger, ship of the class, the
''Capetown Castle'', joined them in 1938.
Propulsion
Harland and Wolff built her two
Burmeister & Wain engines under license. They were the largest marine oil engines constructed in Britain until then. Each engine was a
double-acting 10-cylinder marine
two-stroke diesels developing 24,000
hp with bore x stroke x . Each engine was high from the centre of the crankshaft, long and weighed , and drove a single screw.
Service
''Stirling Castle'' left
Southampton
Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...
on her maiden voyage on 7 February 1936. In August of that year she set a new record for the route, reaching
Table Bay in 13 days 9 hours, beating the previous record of 14 days, 18 hours, and 57 minutes had set in 1893.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, ''Stirling Castle'' was used as a
troopship
A troopship (also troop ship or troop transport or trooper) is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime. Troopships were often drafted from commercial shipping fleets, and were unable to land troops directly on shore, typic ...
. She came through the war unscathed after steaming some 505,000 miles and carrying 128,000 personnel.
She was released from government service in 1946. In 1946, she sailed from Southampton on 31 August for Australia arriving at Fremantle on 28 September. Her builders then refitted her and she resumed passenger service in 1947.
The mail service was accelerated in 1965 and ''Stirling Castle'' and her sisters had insufficient speed to maintain the new schedule. They were replaced by two new fast cargo ships (the new schedule required only seven ships rather than eight) and ''Stirling Castle'' was withdrawn from service upon arrival at Southampton on 30 November 1965.
Fate
A proposed sale to Taiwan breakers (where her sister had gone two months earlier) fell through and she was instead sold for scrapping in Japan. She left Southampton on 1 February 1966 for
Mihara. She arrived there on 3 March 1966 to be broken up by Nichimen Co.
[Kludas, Great Passenger Ships of the World Vol.4]
References
Further reading
*, illustrated description of the ship
External links
An account of life on board this ship and others of the Union-Castle Line in the 1960sPhoto of ''Stirling Castles engines before installation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stirling Castle
1935 ships
Ocean liners
Ships built by Harland and Wolff
Ships built in Belfast
Ships of the Union-Castle Line
World War II merchant ships of the United Kingdom