User:Davidships/SS Berwind

The American steamship Berwind, was built as the British cargo ship Boston City at Sunderland in 1893. From 1905 she was owned by John E Berwind and was principally engaged in the coal trades. Early in World War 1 she was chartered by German interssts as a collier to clandestinely supply German warships operating in the Atlantic and witnessed the Battle of Trindade and the sinking of SMS Cap Trafalgar. Berwind was taken over by the United States Shipping Board and worked on US Army account until torpedoed in August 1918.

Description
The steamship Boston City was launched at the shipyard of J Blumer & Co in North Dock, Sunderland on 18 May 1893 for Charles Hill & Sons of Bristol and entered service with their Bristol City Line the following month. She measured and, with dimensions 295.0 ft length, 39.3 ft breadth and 22.5 ft depth of hold. She was powered by a triple-expansion steam engine of 230NHP driving a single propeller. She was the first of three ships of that name operated by the Bristol City Line.

Commercial career
After four years service, Boston City went aground on Horseshoe Bend on the River Avon, Bristol but was refloated successfully. However, on 31 January 1904, outward bound on Bristol City Line service from New York to Swansea and Bristol, she collided with the 4235GRT British steamship Colorado of Wilson Line, Hull off Sandy Hook, New Jersey. She was struck with considerable force by Colorado and nearly cut in two before going aground on a mud-bank inside the Hook. All the crew of Boston City were saved; Colorado was only slightly damaged and later berthed at New York. Salvage of her cargo by Merritt & Chapman Wrecking Co continued over the following months and the ship was eventually refloated on 9 July and taken to Red Hook NJ. At least one workman died from fumes when removing the grain cargo.

Boston City was repaired and sold to John E Berwind of the New York & Porto Rico Steamship Company, New York for whom she was principally engaged in the carriage of sugar from Puerto Rico to New York.

World War 1
In 1912 the German authorities planned the conversion of certain fast passenger liners to auxiliary cruisers to capture and destroy enemy merchant ships in the event of war, together with arrangements for their arming and the provision of stores and coals.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1915&dat=19151124&id=3PsgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lXUFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1975,2718623 http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=LSSdeU-W7OEC&pg=PT65&lpg=PT65&dq=berwind+%22cap+traFALGAR%22&source=bl&ots=meQBCo14B2&sig=NrU-FkKiO98dzSJhSzMOtE4gFVI&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ZwGnUtGcDuuA7Qb5tYFQ&ved=0CE4Q6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=berwind%20%22cap%20traFALGAR%22&f=false http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F70E12F6395D16738DDDAF0A94D9415B858DF1D3 http://www.forgottenbooks.org/readbook_text/The_German_Spy_in_America_1000383821/121 http://www.forgottenbooks.org/readbook_text/The_German_Spy_in_America_1000383821/123 Karl Boy-Ed http://cdsun.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/cornell?a=d&d=CDS19151124.2.40&srpos=&st=0&e=---en-20--1--txt-txIN--

Although she served under the general direction of the Naval Overseas Transportation Service (NOTS) until torpedoed and sunk on 7 August 1918, Berwind--a 3,400-ton cargo ship--was apparently operated by a civilian contractor for the United States Shipping Board (USSB) under an Army account and was never a Navy ship. http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/b5/berwind-i.htm

The vessel was sold, in 1905, to J. E. Berwind & renamed Berwind. The vessel carried sugar between Puerto Rico & New York. In Sep. 1917, the vessel was requisitioned by the U.S. Shipping Board & sent to support the American Army in France. On Aug. 3, 1918, while in convoy & en route from Rochefort to Brest, both France, the vessel was torpedoed by German submarine UB-88 & sank off Ushant. 6 lives were lost. At 47.57N/4.43W. At that time, would seem to have been owned by 'New York & Porto Rico Steamship Co.' Do I have it all correctly? Can you add anything? http://adnp.azlibrary.gov/cdm/ref/collection/sn84024827/id/50768

Footnote

 * A steamship Berwind features centrally in the MGM film The Decks Ran Red, but no connection with the real ship has been claimed.