HMT Ascania
From Our Contribution
 | |
 Dickinson Collection | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | HMHS Ascania |
| Owner | Cunard Steamship Co, Ltd |
| Builder | Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd, Wallsend |
| Yard number | 869 |
| Launched | 4 Mar 1911 |
| Completed | May 1911 |
| In service | 1911 |
| Out of service | 13 Jun 1918 |
| Fate | wrecked by running aground |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | passenger / refrigerated cargo |
| Tonnage | 9,121 tons |
| Length | 142.04m |
| Beam | 17.1m |
| Depth | 8.96m |
| Propulsion | twin screw |
| Speed | 13 knots (24 km/h) |
| Capacity | 200 x 2nd and 1500 x 3rd Class passengers |
Contents
Remarks
Launched as the Gerona for the Cairn Line, but taken over by and operated by the Cunard Steamship Co, Liverpool as SS Ascania. During the season of open navigation it plied between Southampton, north east coast of England, Montreal in Canada and London. During winter and early spring it carried migrants from Italy to Canada. On the eastward journeys, the third class areas were occupied by Canadian troops.
During WW1 it also saw service in the Mediterranean and the Aegean in support of the Gallipoli campaign. It was used to transport the Warwickshire Yeomanry to Suvla Bay from Alexandria. Used at times to transport wounded or ill from Gallipoli to Alexandria and later used to move troops from Alexandria to Marseilles e.g. the 18th and 19th Australian Battalions in late March 1916, and in the early part of the month they had transported the 15th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment (Leeds Pals) from Kantara to Marseilles.
On 13 Jun 1918 HMT Ascania was wrecked 20 miles (33kms) east of Cape Ray, Newfoundland while on a journey from Liverpool to Montreal in ballast.