MV Wickenburgh

Wickenburgh was a cargo liner that was built in 1938 as Adler by Lübecker Maschinenbau Gesellschaft, Lübeck for German owners. Requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine in 1940, she was seized by the Allies in Vordingborg, Denmark in May 1945, passed to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and renamed Empire Coningsby. In 1946, she was allocated to the Dutch Government and renamed Margeca. In 1947, she was sold into merchant service and renamed Wickenburgh. A rebuild in 1953 saw her compound steam engine replaced with a diesel engine, with a reduction in gross register tonnage from 1,494 to 1,420. She was sold to Greek owners in 1963 and renamed Nissos Thassos. A further sale to Panama in 1970 saw her renamed Savilco. She served until 1984, when she was scrapped.

History
Name:
  • Adler (1938-45)
  • Empire Coningsby (1945-46)
  • Margeca (1946-47)
  • Wickenburgh (1947-63)
  • Nissos Thassos (1963-70)
  • Savilco (1970-84)
Owner:
  • Argo Reederei Richard Adler & Co (1938-40)
  • Kriegsmarine (1940-45)
  • Ministry of War Transport (1945)
  • Ministry of Transport (1945-46)
  • Dutch Government (1946-47)
  • Wm H Muller & Co (1947-63)
  • F C Georgopoulos (1963-70)
  • Scandinavia-Baltic-Mediterranean Shipping Co (1970-78)
  • Pythagoras Compagnia Navigacion (1978-84)
Operator:
  • Argo Reederei Richard Adler & Co (1938-40)
  • Kriegsmarine (1940-45)
  • General Steam Navigation Co Ltd (1945-46)
  • Wm H Muller & Co NV (1946-63)
  • F C Georgopoulos (1963-70)
  • Scandinavia-Baltic-Mediterranean Shipping Co (1970-78)
  • Pythagoras Compagnia Navigacion (1978-84)
Port of registry:
  • Bremen (1938-40)
  • Kriegsmarine (1940-45)
  • London (1945-46)
  • 's-Gravenhage (1946-47)
  • Rotterdam (1947-63)
  • Greece (1963-78)
  • Panama City (1978-84)
Builder: Lübecker Maschinenbau Gesellschaft
Yard number: 369
Launched: 1938
Identification:
  • Code Letters DOTX (1938-45)
  • Code Letters GNMM (1945-46)
  • United Kingdom Official Number 180702 (1945-46)
  • IMO number: 5407461 ( -1984)
Fate: Scrapped
General characteristics
Class and type: Cargo liner
Tonnage:
  • 1,494 GRT (1938-53)
  • 1,420 GRT (1953-84)
  • 702 NRT (1938-53)
Length: 249 ft 2 in (75.95 m)
Beam: 39 ft 6 in (12.04 m)
Depth: 12 ft 2 in (3.71 m)
Installed power:
  • Compound steam engine (1938-53)
  • Diesel engine (1953-84)
Propulsion: Screw propellor

Description

The ship was built in 1938 as yard number 369 by Lübecker Maschinenbau Gesellschaft, Lübeck.[1]

The ship was 249 feet 2 inches (75.95 m) long, with a beam of 39 feet 6 inches (12.04 m). She had a depth of 12 feet 2 inches (3.71 m). As built, the ship had a GRT of 1,494 and a NRT of 702.[2]

As built, the ship was propelled by a compound steam engine which had two cylinders of 17​11⁄16 inches (45 cm) and two cylinders of 38​7⁄16 inches (90 cm) diameter by 38​7⁄16 inches (90 cm) stroke. The engine was built by Deutsche Schiff- und Maschinenbau GmbH, Bremen.[2]

History

Adler was built for Argo Reederei Richard Adler & Co, Bremen.[3] Her port of registry was Bremen and the Code Letters DOTX were allocated. The ship had a passenger certificate.[2] In 1940, Adler was requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine.[3] She was used to transport the wounded between 14 August and the end of October 1944 and again from 6 March 1945 until the war ended.[4] In May 1945, she was seized by the Allies at Vordingborg, Denmark. She was passed to the MoWT and renamed Empire Coningsby[5] Her port of registry was changed to London. The Code Letters GNMM and United Kingdom Official Number 180702 were allocated. She was placed under the management of the General Steam Navigation Co Ltd.[6]

Empire Coningsby was laid up at Hull.[3] In 1946, she was allocated to the Dutch Government and renamed Margeca.[5] Her port of registry was 's-Gravenhage. She was placed under the management of Wm H Muller & Co NV, Rotterdam.[1] In 1947, Margeca was sold to Muller and was renamed Wickenburgh.[5] In 1953, Wickenburgh was converted to a motor vessel. The conversion was done by NV Van Niehuis & van den Berg's Scheepsreparatiebedrijf, Pernis.[1] After conversion, Wickenburgh was 1,420 GRT.[3]

In 1963, Wickenburgh was sold to F C Georgopoulos, Greece and was renamed Nissos Thassos.[5] With the introduction of IMO Numbers, Nissos Thassos was allocated the number 5407461.[1] In 1970, she was sold to Scandinavia-Baltic-Mediterranean Shipping Co, Greece and renamed Savilco.[5] On 25 November 1977, she was laid up at Perama.[1] In 1978, Savilco was sold to Pythagoras Compagnia Navigacion, Panama.[3] She served for a further seven years until in April/May 1984, she was sold for scrapping. Demolition commenced in October 1984 at Eleusis.[1]

References
  1. "Savilco" (in Dutch). Uit Vervlogen Tijden. Retrieved 19 June 2010.
  2. "LLOYD'S REGISTER, STEAMERS & MOTORSHIPS" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 June 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2010.
  3. "Argo Line, Bremen / Dampfschifffahrtsgesellschaft Argo AG 1896-1923 / Dampfschifffahrtsgesellschaft Argo mbH 1923-1925 / Argo Reederei AG 1933-1936 / Argo Reederei Richard Adler & Co. 1936-1952 / Argo Reederei Richard Adler & Söhne 1952-present". The Ships List. Archived from the original on 4 February 2010. Retrieved 19 June 2010.
  4. "Verwundetentransportschiffe" (in German). Lexicon der Wehrmacht. Retrieved 19 June 2010.
  5. Mitchell, W H, and Sawyer, L A (1995). The Empire Ships. London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. ISBN 1-85044-275-4.
  6. "LLOYD'S REGISTER, STEAMERS & MOTORSHIPS" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 19 June 2010.

Further reading
  • Krieger, Michael J (1988). Tramp-Schiffe. Legenden aus der Welt der alten Frachte (in German). Stuttgart: Pietsch Verlag. ISBN 3-613-50082-5.
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