SS Storstad
 Storstad at Montreal in 1914, soon after colliding with the Empress of Ireland. | |
| Career (Norway) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | SS Storstad |
| Owner: |
Canadian Pacific Railway (1914) Klaveness Dampskibs A/S (1914-17) |
| Operator: | A. F. Klaveness & Co (1914-17) |
| Builder: | Armstrong, Whitworth & Co Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Launched: | 1910 |
| Homeport: |
Christiania, Norway |
| Fate: | Torpedoed and sunk by U-62 on 8 March 1917 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Collier |
| Tonnage: | 6,028 GRT |
| Length: | 134m (439' 6") |
SS Storstad was a 6,028 GRT Norwegian collier (coal freighter), built in 1910 in Newcastle upon Tyne by Armstrong, Whitworth & Co Ltd. She was torpedoed and sunk during the First World War on 8 March 1917 by German submarine SM U-62.
Storstad is best known for ramming and sinking the RMS Empress of Ireland in 1914, an accident which caused the deaths of over 1,000 people.
Empress of Ireland disaster
Storstad sailed from Sydney, Nova Scotia to Quebec, loaded with coal from the Dominion Coal Company.
On 29 May 1914, Storstad collided with the RMS Empress of Ireland in the Saint Lawrence River near Pointe-au-Père, tearing a 14-foot (4.3 m) hole in Empress of Ireland 's hull. Empress of Ireland sank in 14 minutes, killing 1,012 of her passengers and crew. There were 465 survivors. On duty at the time was Chief Officer Alfred Toftenes. Storstad did not sink and stood by to assist with rescue before limping into the port of Quebec with damage to her bow.[1]
The Canadian Pacific Railway, which owned Empress of Ireland, filed a $2,000,000 lawsuit for damages against the owners of Storstad. As recompense, Storstad was given to the Canadian Pacific Railway as part of a settlement. Storstad was sold for $175,000. She was bought by Dampskibs Klaveness A/S, Christiania, Norway and operated under the management of A. F. Klaveness & Co.[2]
Loss
On 8 March 1917 during World War I, Storstad was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 45 nautical miles (83 km) south west of the Fastnet Rock (51°20′N 11°50′W / 51.333°N 11.833°W) by SM U-62 of the German Imperial Navy. Three crew members of Storstad were lost.[2]
Notes
- ↑ "Official Statement Defending the Storstad Says She Had Right of Way and Tried to Avoid Collision," New York Times. June 1, 1914.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Storstad". Uboat.net. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
References
- Bibliothèque et Archives du Canada, RG 12, Transport, vol. 1245, dossier « Empress of Ireland »
- Dictionary of Disaster at Sea during the Age of Steam, page 667
- Ship history, page 32, item 116
External links
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