RFA Lady Cory-Wright
| History | |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | |
| Name | Lady Cory-Wright |
| Namesake | either Lady Mima Cory-Wright or Lady Elizabeth Cory-Wright |
| Owner |
|
| Operator |
|
| Port of registry |  London[1] |
| Builder | SP Austin & Son Ltd[4][3] |
| Yard number | 237[3][2] |
| Launched | 4 August 1906[2] |
| Completed | September 1906[2] |
| Maiden voyage | 1906 |
| Fate | torpedoed 26 March 1918[4] |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | |
| Tonnage | 2,516 GRT, 1,523 NRT[1] |
| Length | 310.0 ft (94.5 m)[1] |
| Beam | 44.1 ft (13.4 m)[1] |
| Depth | 20.3 ft (6.2 m)[1] |
| Decks | 1[1] |
| Installed power | 251 NHP[1] |
| Propulsion | 3-cylinder triple expansion steam engine, single screw[1] |
| Crew | 40 |
RFA Lady Cory-Wright was a cargo steamship that had been built as a civilian collier in 1906, became a mine carrier in 1914 and was torpedoed and sunk with significant loss of life in 1918.
History[edit]
SP Austin & Son Ltd of Sunderland built her in 1906 for William Cory and Son.[4][3] She was named Lady Cory-Wright after either Lady Mima, wife of Sir Cory Cory-Wright, 1st Baronet or Lady Elizabeth, wife of Sir Arthur Cory-Wright, 2nd Baronet.
In August 1914 the War Department requisitioned Lady Cory-Wright who used her as a mine carrier.[3] On 26 March 1918 she was in the English Channel steaming from Plymouth to Malta laden with a cargo that included 2,762 mines, 370 depth charges, 2,100 torpedo detonators and 1,000 primers B.E.[3] when the German submarine UC-17 torpedoed her about 14 miles off The Lizard.[4][3] Lady Cory-Wright's Master and all but one of her crew were killed.[3]
After Lady Cory-Wright sank many of her mines were left floating in the area, and her one survivor reportedly was found clinging to a floating mine. In 2009 her wreck still contained many unexploded mines and detonators.[3]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Steamers". Lloyd's Register of Shipping. Vol. I. London: Lloyd's Register of Shipping. 1914. LAC–LAD.
- ^ a b c Searle, Peter. "Ships Built by Peter Austin & by later names thru Austin & Pickersgill Limited (1954>)". The Sunderland Site. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Lettens, Jan; Racey, Carl (9 February 2011). "SS Lady Cory-Wright [+1918]". WreckSite. wrecksite.eu. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
- ^ a b c d Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: Lady Cory-Wright". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
49°45′N 05°20′W / 49.750°N 5.333°W
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in March 1918 | |
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