PS Gracie Fields

PS Gracie Fields was a paddle steamer built in 1936 as a ferry and excursion steamer for Red Funnel of Southampton at the Thornycroft yard at Woolston. She ran on the Southampton-Cowes route until the outbreak of World War II, when she was requisitioned and served as HMS Gracie Fields as a minesweeper. After successfully evacuating troops from the Dunkirk beaches, she was seriously damaged by an aircraft bomb on 29 May 1940, and sank the following morning.

History
United Kingdom
NamesakeGracie Fields
OwnerThe Southampton, Isle of Wight and South of England Royal Mail Steam Packet Company Limited (Red Funnel)
Port of registrySouthampton
BuilderJohn I Thornycroft & Co, Woolston
Yard number1149
Launched8 April 1936
CompletedMay 1936
IdentificationOfficial number: 165053
FateSunk by air raid 30 May 1940
NotesRequisitioned by Admiralty in 1939, used as minesweeper off Dover
General characteristics
TypePaddle steamer
Tonnage396 GRT
Length195 ft (59.4 m)
Beam24 ft (7.3 m)
PropulsionCompound diagonal steam engine
Speed17 knots (19.6 mph, 31.4 km/h)

Design and construction

Laid down as Yard No.1149 by John I. Thornycroft & Company at Woolston for The Southampton, Isle of Wight and South of England Royal Mail Steam Packet Company Limited, by then known as "Red Funnel", the paddle steamer Gracie Fields had a tonnage of 393 GRT. Her length overall was 195.9 ft (59.7 m), breadth 24.9 ft (7.6 m) and depth 8.0 ft (2.4 m).[1] The ship was propelled by a diagonal compound steam engine of 137 nhp, also made by Thornycroft and giving a service speed of 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph).

Royal Navy service

At the beginning of the Second World War she was requisitioned by the Admiralty and served as a minesweeper.[2] On 29 May 1940, the ship took part in the Dunkirk evacuation, rescuing 280 troops on the first trip. However, on the second trip, with 750 men on board, she was attacked by German aircraft resulting in the loss of eight on board, the survivors having been picked up by warships.[3] HMS Pangbourne attempted to tow the damaged vessel back to England but Gracie Fields sank in the night.[4]

References
  1. "Launching the paddle steamer 'Gracie Fields'". The Official Gracie Fields. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  2. "Wrecksite - Gracie Fields". Wrecksite. Retrieved 6 October 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. Winston, George (20 June 2015). "Grace Fields – The Martyr Steamer of the Dunkirk". WAR HISTORY ONLINE. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  4. Devine, David (1964). The Nine Days of Dunkirk. London: Pan Books. pp. 136–137.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.