SS City of Cairo
SS City of Cairo in wartime livery
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| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom
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| Name: | City of Cairo |
| Operator: | Ellerman Lines Ltd, London |
| Port of registry: |
 Liverpool
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| Builder: | Earle’s Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. Ltd, Hull |
| Completed: | January 1915 |
| Identification: | UK official number 137423 |
| Fate: | sunk on 6 November 1942 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Steam passenger ship |
| Tonnage: | |
| Length: | 449.9 ft (137.1 m) |
| Beam: | 55.7 ft (17.0 m) |
| Draught: | 33 ft 11 in (10.34 m) |
| Depth: | 31.3 ft (9.5 m) |
| Decks: | 2 |
| Installed power: | 774 NHP |
| Propulsion: | quadruple-expansion steam engine |
| Speed: | 12 knots (22 km/h) |
| Capacity: |
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SS City of Cairo was a British passenger steamship. She was sunk in the Second World War with heavy loss of life, most after the sinking, but before being rescued.
She was built by Earle’s Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. Ltd, Hull in 1915 for Ellerman Lines Ltd of London. She was 449.9 ft (137.1 m) long, had two decks, two masts and 8,034 gross register tons (GRT). She was registered in Liverpool.
On 29 January 1929, City of Cairo′s propeller struck the British tug Speedy at Liverpool. Speedy sank.
City of Cairo was requisitioned during the Second World War to bring supplies to the United Kingdom. Her last voyage, under the command of her master, William A. Rogerson, was to take her from Bombay, which she departed on 1 October 1942 for the United Kingdom, via Durban, Cape Town, and Pernambuco, Brazil.
The ship departed Cape Town at 0600 hours on the morning of 1 November, carrying 101 passengers, including 28 women and 19 children. Also on board were 10 DEMS Gunners from the Army and Royal Navy. Among the total complement were two spare Lascar crews recruited in India for service on British ships. She was carrying 7,422 tons of general cargo, including pig iron, timber, wool, cotton, manganese ore and 2,000 boxes of silver coins.
She sailed north for 800 miles (1,300 km), zigzagging during the day and keeping about 45 miles (72 km) off the African coast, before turning westwards across the South Atlantic towards Brazil and her next port of call. She was unescorted and capable of only 12 knots (22 km/h). Her problems were exacerbated by the excessive smokiness of her engines which increased her visibility.
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Wikipedia