Fort ship
Fort Stikine
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| Class overview | |
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| Cost: | $1,856,500 |
| Built: | 1941-44 |
| In service: | 1941-85 |
| Building: | 198 |
| Completed: | 198 |
| Lost: |
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| Scrapped: | 145 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Cargo ship |
| Tonnage: | 7,130 GRT |
| Length: | 424 feet 6 inches (129.39 m) |
| Beam: | 57 feet 0 inches (17.37 m) |
The Fort Ships were a class of 198 cargo ships built in Canada during World War II for use by the United Kingdom under the Lend-Lease scheme. They all had names prefixed with "Fort" when built. The ships were in service between 1942 and 1985, with two still listed on shipping registers until 1992. A total of 53 were lost during the war due to accidents or enemy action. One of these, Fort Stikine, was destroyed in 1944 by the detonation of 1,400 tons of explosive on board her. This event, known as the Bombay Explosion, killed over 800 people and sank thirteen ships.
The Fort Ships were 424 feet 6 inches (129.39 m) long with a beam of 57 feet 0 inches (17.37 m). They were assessed at 7,130 GRT. The ships were of three types, the "North Sands" type, which were of riveted construction, and the "Canadian" and "Victory" types, which were of welded construction. They were built by eighteen different Canadian shipyards. Their triple expansion steam engines were built by seven different manufacturers.
The ships were built between 1941 and 1945 by ten different builders. The first to be built was Fort St. James, which was laid down on 23 April 1941 and launched on 15 October. The eight ships built by Burrard Dry Dock cost $1,856,500 each. During World War II, 28 were lost to enemy action, and four were lost due to accidents. Many of the surviving 166 ships passed to the United States Maritime Commission. The last recorded scrapping was in 1985, and two ships, the former Fort St. James and Fort St. Paul, were listed on Lloyd's Register until 1992.
Twenty-eight ships were lost due to enemy action and a further 25 due to accidents.
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Wikipedia