Saturday 27 March 2010

St. ANTHONY

Ship No 220

Was an order from the Indian Co-Operative, for a passenger vessel, this fine modern motor ship was built for the Indian coastal passenger trade.
She was to play her part in the coming world wide conflict as well, being used as a navel patrol vessel, and later as the Royal Navy grew, she became a transport ship used in the East Africa campaign.
She was 452 tons, with a length overall of 180 feet with a beam of 32 feet.
She was launched from the Leith yard of Henry Robb 25th January 1936.

Ship No 219

Was an order from Priestman Bros Ltd for a pontoon with a length overall of 38 feet and a beam of 18 feet and 6 inches, at 30 tons.

BHIMSEN

Ship No 218

Was an order from the State of Bhavnagar, this was for a single screw tug.

She had a length overall of 88 feet and 6 inches with a beam of 22 feet and she was to be the 21st in the long line of tugs built at Leith.

She was launched from the yard 12th of October 1935, at a time of full employment for the shipyard when they were building a lot more ships now with the world coming out of recession.

Ship No 217

Was an un-named Hopper Barge ordered by Balfour Bettie at 23 tons and with a length overall of 40 feet and beam of 20 feet.

ARGOS

Ship No 216

Was a large ship for the yard ordered by Forrestal Land & Timber Company. She was a twin screw Motor Cargo vessel of 1,974 tons.

She was 285 feet length overall and with a beam of 50 feet. She was launched from the Leith yard of Henry Robb 26th Sept 1935.

M.V.OCEAN COAST

Ship No 215

Was the third in line of a 4 ship order for Coast Line’s Shipping Company.

She was a twin screw Motor Cargo vessel, designed and built for the trade routes around the British Isles and other short sea route trading. They were the most modern of design for the time, and were to establish a new standard of efficiency and economy. The Coast line vessels were to be called up early to serve in the coming World War 2 (you can read more of ther exploits in the page about Leith Built Ships on War Service)
She was the largest of the four ship order at 20 feet longer than her two previous sister ship’s “British Coast” and “Atlantic Coast” at 1,173 tons with a length overall of 250 feet and a beam of 38 feet.

She was launched from the Leith Yard on 31st of July 1935.

M.V. Ocean Coast was probably the fastest and best equipped in the British coastal service, at the outbreak of war, served in home waters and made several voyages to Gibraltar, and like her sister’s served the West African coast before returning to take part in the invasion of Normandy. On occasions she received attention from the enemy, and fortunately escaped damage.

Sunday 21 March 2010

H.M.S. “BASSET”

HMS BASSET Ship No 214

H.M.S. “Basset” was an order from the Admiralty for a first of class armed trawler of the “Dog Class” She was designed and built by Henry Robb Shipbuilders with an obvious eye to the coming hostilities that developed into World War II.
Her keel was laid down on the 6th March 1935 and she was launched on 28th September 1935.


Then being commissioned into the Royal Navy on 29th November 1935.
She had a displacement of 461 tons with a length overall of 150 feet and beam of 27 feet and 6 inches. She had a top speed of 12 knots and a crew compliment of around 35. Being armed initially with a 4 inch gun for’d and assorted machine guns.


Amongst her many exploits during World War II she managed to rescue a Hurricane pilot during the battle of Britain.
S/L Harold Fenton of No 238 Squadron was injured when he ditched his Hurricane I (P2947) into the Channel off the Isle of Wight on the 8th August 1940 at 13:40hrs near a German observation plane. He was looking for two of his pilots who had been reported missing in the Channel. He was rescued by H.M.S Basset.

H.M.S. "Basset"

H.M.S. “Basset” – an armed trawler, the pioneer of all subsequent trawlers – was the second ship to be built at Leith for the Royal Navy.

Completed before the war, her service was uneventful until April 1942 when she was attacked by four Messerschmitt 110’s. “Basset” returned such spirited fire that one of the aircraft exploded in mid air. The second was so badly damaged that the machine turned half a loop before the pilot could recover control. Pieces fell off and the aeroplane began to lose height. The polio tried to make the English coast, but crashed into the sea. There were no casualties among the crew and the ship sustained no damage. Her Commander reported that she stood up very well to the bombing attacks.

(Taken from the story, “Leith Built Ships on War Service”.)

H.M.S. Basset

Ship No 213

Was an order from Balfour Bettie for a steel barge of 14 tons, 36 feet overall with a beam of 10 feet.

Saturday 20 March 2010

M.S.C. FIREFLY

Ship No 212


Was an order for a single screw tug, the first in a long line of tugs to be built for the Manchester Ship Canal. A canal that runs from the centre of Manchester out to the Wirral estuary at Liverpool for a distance of some 7 miles.

The Firefly was built for service on the canal but equal to D.o.T. requirements for an ocean going vessel. The equipment consists of two Merryweather combined steam driven fire and salvage pumps, each capable of pumping 2000 gallons of water per minute at a pressure of 120lbs/inch sq. These pumps were used for fire fighting during the Second World War. A complete system of foam apparatus for fighting oil fires was also fitted of the suds type consisting of two suds generators each having a capacity of 500 gallons. She had a length overall of 90 feet with a beam of 24 feet.

A displacement of 176 tons with a service speed of 10 knots, she was powered by a single screw triple expansion engine. She was launched from the Leith yard of Henry Robb on 2nd of May 1935.

She was sold for breaking up in 1965. A sad but enevitable end to a proud working life of 30 years.

M.S.C. FIREFLY
Dont forget to visit the picture gallery for more photo's.

Ship No 211.

Was a order for an un-named motor tug of only 15 tons, being 40 feet overall length and beam of 11 feet 9 inches, I am guessing that this may have been a small work horse vessel for Wilson Son & co.


I have no further info on her.

NORA

Ship No 210

Another in the line of tugs built at the Leith yard of Henry Robb. She was an order from Wilson Son & Coy, and was a single screw tug.
She was 135 tons and had a length overall of 88 feet with a beam of 22 feet and 6 inches. She was launched on the 28th of April 1934.

Up to now I have no further info on this vessel.

Ship No’s 208 and 209.

An order from Wilson Son & Coy, they were good customers of the early shipyard.


The order was for 2 barges of the same size and weight and the both had an overall length of 156 feet with a beam of 26 feet and 6 inches.

They were both of 200 tons each.

Sunday 14 March 2010

MUNMORAH

Ship No 207

Was an order from Wallarah Coal Co in Australia for a single screw Collier.

She was 1273 tons with a length overall of 230 feet and a beam of 35 feet and she was launched from the Leith Shipyard of Henry Robb the 9th of August 1934.

Up to now I have no further information on this vessel. Perhaps some of our readers from Oz or New Zealand can find out a bit more about this vessel.

Saturday 13 March 2010

ANNABELLA

Ship No 206

Was a twin screw Motor Cruiser of only 43 tons, ordered by a Mr Musker. She had a length overall of 64 feet and 3 inches with a beam of 14 feet.

GOLDEN GRAIN

Ship No 205

The sister vessel of the “Miller” she was the second of an order for F.E. Marriage & Son. A Motor Coaster Barge of 102 tons with an overall length of 82 feet and a beam of 17 feet and 3 inches, launched from the yard on 17th March 1934.

She was to see, service on the Thames during World War II working through the Blitz on London, she was unfortunately lost when she struck a mine in the Thames Estuary.

The Shipyard Expands.

This year of 1934 was the year that Henry Robb’s took over control of another two building berth’s from the company of “Ramage and Ferguson” which brought the total of berths to eight, all being able to launch directly into the sea, depending on the tide.

The yard at a busy time around the "Mid 1970's"

Saturday 6 March 2010

M.V.ATLANTIC COAST

Ship No 204

She was the second ship of an order for the famous Coast Line shipping Company.
She was a twin screw Motor Cargo vessel, designed and built for the trade routes around the British Isles and other short sea route trading. They were the most modern of design for the time, and were to establish a new standard of efficiency and economy. The Coast line vessels were to be called up early to serve in the coming World War 2 (you can read more of her exploits in the page about Leith Built Ships on War Service)
She was the same size as her sister ship “British Coast” at 888 tons with a length overall of 230 feet and a beam of 35 feet.

She was launched from the Leith Yard on 16th of May 1934.

Atlantic Coast Ship No 204
For more pictures visit the ship gallery.

Ship No’s 202 & 203.

Was an order from Wilson Son & Company for two Water Barges.
The barges were both the same size and tonnage at 120 tons each and a length overall of 74 feet and 24 feet in the beam.

RIO

Ship No 201

A single Screw Diesel Tug order for Union Lighterage Co Ltd
At 80 tons, and a length overall of 75 feet and a beam of 20 feet she was the seventeenth tug built by Henry Robb at Leith. (Update:- She was powered by a 310 bhp diesel engine. ON163553.)

In 1934 She was delivered to Union Lighterage Co Ltd., London. 1971 Sold for scrapping at Sheerness but believed eventually demolished at T W Ward Ltd., Grays in Essex.

Friday 5 March 2010

LUCAYAN

Ship No 200

Was another order for a Motor Grab Dredger, this time for the Government of the Bahamas.

She was 64.4 tons and with a length overall of 65 feet and beam of 21 feet.

Do not have any more info about this vessel for now.

JANARDAN

Ship No 199

Was a Motor Grab Dredger for The East Bengal River Service, at 299 tons with a length overall of 160 feet and a beam of 27 feet, she was launched from the yard on 26th June 1933.