MV Melbourne Star
From Our Contribution
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 Bofors 44 mm gun installed Jul 1942 for 'Operation Pedestal' | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | SS Melbourne Star |
| Owner | Union Cold Storage Co (Blue Star Line) 1936–42 |
| Builder | Cammell Laird and Company |
| Yard number | 1014 |
| Launched | 7 Jul 1936 |
| Completed | November 1936 |
| In service | 1936 |
| Out of service | 1943 |
| Fate | sunk |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Refrigerated cargo |
| Tonnage | 12,806 tons |
| Length | 548.8 ft (167.3 m) |
| Beam | 70.4 ft (21.5 m) |
| Depth | 32.2 ft (9.8 m) |
| Propulsion | twin screw |
| Capacity | 76 crew + 11 gunners |
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. During 1942 ownership changed to Frederick Leyland & Co. Melbourne Star also participated in a second relief convoy to Malta - Operation Pedestal, Convoy WS 21S to Gibraltar and then Convoy MW 12. When a fuel tanker ahead of her in the convoy was destroyed by a bomb on 13 Aug 1942, many of Melbourne Star's crew abandoned ship and debris and burning oil in the water accounted for nine of her crew and five gunners.
Arrival in Malta's Valetta Grand Harbour on 13 Aug 1942