RFA Lady Cory-Wright
| History | |
|---|---|
  United Kingdom
| |
| Name: |
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| Namesake: | either Lady Mima Cory-Wright or Lady Elizabeth Cory-Wright |
| Owner: |
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| Operator: |
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| Builder: | S.P. Austin & Son Ltd.[1][2] |
| Yard number: | 237[2][3] |
| Launched: | 4 August 1906[3] |
| Completed: | September 1906[3] |
| Maiden voyage: | 1906 |
| In service: | 1906 |
| Out of service: | 1918 |
| Fate: | torpedoed 26 March 1918[1] |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | |
| Tonnage: | 2,516 gross register tons (GRT)[1] |
| Length: | 310 ft (94.5 m) |
| Beam: | 44 ft (13.4 m) |
| Draught: | 20 ft (6.1 m) |
| Installed power: | 3-cylinder triple expansion steam engine |
| Propulsion: | Single screw |
| Crew: | (in RFA service) 40 |
RFA Lady Cory-Wright was a cargo ship that had been built as a civilian collier in 1906, became a Royal Fleet Auxiliary mine carrier in 1914 and was torpedoed and sunk with significant loss of life in 1918.
History
S.P. Austin & Son Ltd. of Sunderland built her in 1906 for William Cory and Son.[1][2] 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 for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, who used her as a mine carrier.[2] 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.[2] when the German submarine UC-17 torpedoed her about 14 miles off The Lizard.[1][2] Lady Cory-Wright's Master and all but one of her crew were killed.[2]
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.[2]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 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.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Lettens, Jan; Racey, Carl (9 February 2011). "SS Lady Cory-Wright [+1918]". WreckSite. wrecksite.eu. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
- 1 2 3 Searle, Peter. "Ships Built by Peter Austin & by later names thru Austin & Pickersgill Limited (1954>)". The Sunderland Site. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
Coordinates: 49°45′N 05°20′W / 49.750°N 5.333°W