british fort ship built canada owned leased charter lend lease scheme operated management port line fort short career destroyed explosion bombay india april caused loss thirteen ships construction feet inches long beam feet inches depth feet inches draught feet inches ship propelled triple expansion steam engine built montreal quebec canada cylinders inches inches inches bore inches stroke history built prince british_columbia canada yard number built auspices wartime merchant shipping ltd canadian government corporation coordinating wartime canada completion july delivered corporation delivered ship vancouver british_columbia date ownership retained placing management port line united_kingdom official number code letters allocated port registry london departed british_columbia canada september arrived vancouver day sailed british_columbia arriving september sailed days later victoria british_columbia arriving september sailed day los_angeles california united_states arrived september sailed days later panama arriving october panama canal departed panama october convoy consisted eighteen merchant vessels escorted united_states navy warships arrived bay cuba october departed october member convoy convoy consisted merchant ships arrived new_york october departed november convoy convoy consisted merchant ships escorted total seventeen warships duration convoy carried general cargo convoy arrived liverpool lancashire united_kingdom december sailed clyde arriving december departed clyde december convoy convoy comprised merchant ships escorted total warships duration convoy ship provided protection convoy merchant ships lost enemy action damaged convoy arrived algeria january split convoy previous day arrived algeria sailed january join convoy departed algeria january arrived liverpool february convoy consisted merchant ships escorted total warships duration convoy included merchant vessel lost enemy action convoy arrived liverpool february left convoy ireland arrived clyde january member convoy departed clyde february consisted merchant ships escorted total nineteen warships duration convoy merchant ship sunk damaged enemy action march attacked convoy attacked depth charges sunk convoy arrived march convoy left convoy arrived day earlier sailed march join convoy departed earlier day convoy included merchant vessels sunk enemy action arrived gibraltar april joined convoy departed april convoy comprising nineteen merchant ships arrived april laden cargo iron ore departed convoy convoy comprising merchant ships warships combined sea convoy combined convoy arrived liverpool june left convoy arrival liverpool entered sailed yorkshire convoys departed june join convoy departed essex previous day arrived june joined convoy sailed day arrived june joined convoy departed liverpool june convoy consisted merchant ships escorted warships duration convoy arrived new_york july sailed baltimore maryland arriving day departed baltimore august coast virginia sailed august convoy convoy consisted merchant ships escorted warships duration convoy merchant ships lost enemy action convoy arrived alexandria egypt september departed alexandria september sailed port said arrived september october departed convoy convoy consisting eighteen merchant vessels arrived october left convoy arriving october sailed november joined convoy convoy consisting merchant ships total departed days earlier arrived november arrived november sailed november kenya arriving day sailed week later departed december arriving port december member convoy departed december convoy consisting merchant ships escorted sixteen warships duration arrived january merchant vessel lost enemy action left convoy gibraltar arrived december laden copper general cargo departed gibraltar january member convoy convoy merchant ships escorting warships rendezvous sea convoy day combined convoy arrived liverpool january loaded cargo described general cargo consisted long tons signal rockets bombs mines shells torpedoes bound bombay india container containing gold bars loaded hold gold bar weighed pounds carrying aircraft quantity explosives destined india joined convoy departed liverpool february convoy consisting merchant ships escorted warships split sea march convoys formed arrived march convoy arrived gibraltar march voyage gibraltar discovered work charge ship chief engineer continued voyage convoy departed gibraltar day convoy consisting merchant ships escorting warships arrived port said march having evaded attack aircraft sailed departed day port having reached march sailed day arriving march replace cargo raw cotton loaded quantities fish rice scrap iron timber added barrels oil ship captain concerned having items told proposal add drums refused ship officers expressed concerns mixing cotton oil explosives unable find advised practice published book advised carriage raw cotton common myth time wet cotton spontaneously case cotton soaked oil readily ship sailed crew discovered barrels oil leaked nailed lower hold covers equipment board thoroughly tested extra fire drills scheduled voyage sailed april join convoy departed iran april convoy arrived bombay april loss arrived bombay early morning april having taken pilot shortly docked victoria dock midday practice flying red flag dangerous cargo board discontinued wartime identify vessels event enemy air raid port practice unloading vessels offshore discontinued war time explosives graded category explosives carried board dangerous allowed directly unloading began oil followed fish extra gang employed task continued night april midday april arrived explosives minor engine repairs started time rendering ship unable power chief officer noticed smoke issuing hold seen short time later gunner board iran despite seen witnesses assumed situation control alarm raised fire pump ship engine room started operation began crew members abandoning ship realised dock authorities problem board fire crew sent board order given fire engines sent difficulties contacting fire control centre initially engines sent board unable discover seat fire water poured hold arrival fire use captain arrived minutes later assess situation charge explosives landed meeting held board ship officers commander chief salvage officer bombay stated explosives equivalent blockbuster bombs board ship scuttled captain countered boiler room engine room flooded doubted ship sink condition fire arrived bringing total number use ammunition hold exploding colonel general manager docks bombay sent arrived suggested removed docks required use disabled argument developed colonel parting remark ship probably explode taken port shortly arrived played ship people taken overall charge situation board willing charge continued flame erupted hold reaching higher ship mast order given abandon ship jumping ship water explosion occurred board ship split boiler found half mile away explosion caused dock deposited vessel second explosion occurred cargo ship stern blown landed yards away explosion wrecked cargo liner investigation accident investigated authorities bombay report released september concluded fire subsequent explosion fort accident sabotage ruled death toll given service port personnel killed injured civilian casualties excess killed treated hospital ships lost severely damaged apart following vessels sunk severely damaged
SS Fort Stikine