MV Melbourne Star
From Our Contribution
 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | MV Melbourne Star |
| Builder/Built | 1936 Cammell Laird and Company |
| Type | Refrigerated cargo ship |
| Displacement | 12,806 tons |
Remarks
Built for Union Cold Storage a Blue Star Line company to transport frozen meat from Australia and New Zealand to the UK. On 5 Oct 1940 the Melbourne Star was more than 400 miles west of Ireland when bombed by a Luftwaffe aircraft. One bomb hit the ship but failed to explode. The ship was subsequently raked by cannon fire from the plane, wounding a seaman who later died.
In Jul 1941 the Melbourne Star was one of the six merchant ships who took part in Operation Substance to relieve the siege of Malta. During the voyage to Malta the Melbourne Star was attacked in the Mediterranean by a German E Boat, but survived to unload her food and provisions.