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HMAT A14 Euripides

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HMAT A14 Euripides
HMAT A14 Euripides.jpg
History
Name HMAT A14 Euripides
Owner 1914: George Thompson & Co Ltd; 1932: Shaw, Savill & Albion Line
Builder Harland & Wolff, Belfast
Yard number 439
Launched 29 Jan 1914
Completed 6 Jun 1914
In service 1 Jul 1914
Out of service 12 May 1954
Fate scrapped in Antwerp
General characteristics
Type Passenger / cargo steamship (triple screw)
Tonnage 14,947 tons
Length 550.7 ft (167.9m)
Beam 67.4 ft (20.5m)
Depth 44.1 ft (13.4m)
Propulsion 3 screws
Speed 15 knots (28 kph)
Capacity 140 x 1st class; 334 x 3rd class; 750 Steerage. Changed with refits in 1932 & 1945


Remarks

Built for George Thompson & Co Ltd Glasgow, she was on her maiden voyage to Brisbane when war broke out. Requisitioned on 26 Aug 1914, just two days after her arrival, by the Commonwealth, whose control ended 2 Jun 1917, with management of the Euripides being taken over by the British Admiralty. She was a member of the first convoy from Albany, and she completed seven voyages from Australia with troops. In 1919 she was used to repatriate Australian troops and during the period 1914 - 1919 she carried 38,439 troops to or from the war.


Post war she was overhauled and resumed the Aberdeen Line's London - Australia route, before changing hands several times between the wars. In 1932 she was renamed Akaroa. Euripides/Akaroa had a double bottom for the full length of her hull. Her hull was divided into watertight compartments, so that she could remain afloat if any two were flooded.


During WW2 she was again used as a troopship before another transformation in 1945 back to civilian use before being sent to shipbreakers in Antwerp in May 1954.

Staff

Soldiers carried

Sydney to Alexandra 20 October - 3 December 1914

Plymouth to Fremantle 24 June - 3 August 1916

Port Suez to Melbourne 22 January - 21 February 1917

Plymouth to Australia 22 July 1917 - 11 September 1917

Sydney to New York 1 May - 14 June 1918

Portland to Fremantle 3 March - 10 April 1919

Other Voyages

  • 10 May 1915 from Melbourne
  • 2 November 1915 from Sydney
  • 4 April 1916 from Melbourne
  • 9 September 1916 from Sydney & 11 September 1916 from Melbourne
  • 31 October 1917 from Sydney