The winner of the February competition was Eric McIntyre of Liverpool.

Frost writes:

February’s Unknown Ship is one of Lyle Shipping ships, built 1946 by Lithgows Ltd. It is either Cape Ortegal or Cape Rodney.

Laurance Ward writes:

I believe this ship to be the Cape Ortegal, built for Cape Of Good Hope Motorship Co. Ltd., Glasgow, by Lithgows, Port Glasgow. Launched 16/04/1946 and completed in August 1946. Dimensions: 6,907 grt, 4,132 nett tonnage and sdwt 9,550 tons. o’all length 447.00ft., beam 56.00ft., draught 26.00 ft. Single screw. Diesel Engine, built by David rowan & Co., Glasgow. In 1952 she was transferred to Lyle Shipping Co. Ltd., Glasgow and the name and port of registry remained unchanged. On 30/06/1954 when 60 miles east of Algiers, she sustained considerable structural damage after a fire broke out in the cargo. This was not extinguished until 02/07/54. in 1964 she was sold to g. C. Calafatis & Co. Ltd., of Piraeus, and transferred to the Greek Flag, and renamed Megara. She ran aground on 17/08/1966 off Bancoran is., on a voyage Philippines/Antwerp. On 09/09/1966 she was refloated, but found to be a constructive total loss. She was finally sold to Taiwan breakers arriving at Kaohsiung in tow on 30/03/1967. There was an identical sister ship owned by the company and named Cape Rodney, and it is very difficult to single out which ship was which, however, photograph evidence shows that Cape Ortegal had a dinghy on the boat deck port side, whilst the dinghy on the Cape Rodney was on boat deck starboard side.

Alan Blackwood writes:

This month’s ‘unknown’ is one of two essentially identical single screw motor tramps, Cape Ortegal and Cape Rodney, completed by Lithgows Ltd. of Port Glasgow during 1946, each registered to the ownership of the Cape of good Hope Motorship Company Ltd., of Glasgow, a Company established by the shipbuilder and the Glasgow shipowner, Lyle Shipping Ltd. on a 50/50 share basis with the latter the operator and manager of such vessels. The two were a minimal post war development of the War Standard ‘X’ Type (ie: in essence War Standard ‘Y’ Type but with oil rather than steam engines) with dimensions of 447’6″(loa) x 424’10” (lbp) x 56’01” beam and main propulsion a Doxford type main engine constructed by David rowan & Co. Ltd., Glasgow to return a service speed of 11.5 knots. Many vessels of their type and era including war builds featured wing cabs at bridge level and in many instances a flying bridge above. This pair was unique however in that their flying bridges were the location of such cabs. Whilst it is virtually impossible to identify one vessel from the other, it would appear that the gig aboard Cape Rodney may have been located on her starboard side under radial davits immediately abaft her No.1 lifeboat, whereas that of Cape Ortega’s was located on the port side abaft the No.2 boat, leading to the conclusion therefore that the subject vessel is the 6,907 grt Cape Ortegal completed in August 1946. During 1952 Lyle bought out Lithgow’s 50% share in Cape Ortegal, thus transferring her registered ownership to Lyle Shipping Limited whilst retaining her name and Port of registry of Glasgow. During 1964 she was sold to the acres Shipping Company under the registered ownership of G.C. Calafatis & Co. Ltd. of Piraeus for further trading as Megara, under the Greek flag. On 17th August 1966 she ran aground off Bancoran Island (Western Sulu Sea, some 100 miles east of Palawan) whilst on voyage from the Philippines to Antwerp. She was refloated during 9th September 1966 but declared a constructive total loss and sold to Taiwanese ship breakers, arriving at Kaohsiung under tow on 30th March 1967.

Peter Sommerville writes:

I think this month’s ship is a Lyle Shipping Co. vessel either Cape Ortegal or Cape Rodney. Both were built by the Lithgow Yard Port Glasgow in 1946 and were similar to a WW2 standard design. My first thoughts were Cape Ortegal (6,907gt) so I will go with that. She was built for the Cape Of Good Hope Motor Ship Co. which may have been a Lyle company, but in 1952 her registered owners became Lyle Shipping Co. Glasgow, a company that I nearly joined as an apprentice in 1963, a lucky escape some may say. In 1964 she was sold to acres Shipping Co. Piraeus and renamed Megara, but did not last long as she grounded on a voyage from the Philippines to Antwerp near Bancoran Island in 1966 and was scrapped at Kaohsiung a year later.

Mike Goadby writes:

This month’s unknown ship is the 6.909 grt cargo ship M/v Cape Ortegal, built by Lithgows, Port Glasgow for Lyle Shipping Co. Ltd. in 1946. She was sold in 1964 to acres Shipping Co., Greece, and rename Megara. On 17.8.1966 she ran aground off Bancoran Island, Sula Sea, north of Borneo, while on passage from the Philippines to Antwerp with a cargo of copra. On 9.9.1966 she was refloated with hull and machinery damage and towed to Manila. On 30.3.1967 she arrived at Kaohsiung in tow for breaking up. Her sister ship was Cape Rodney broken up at Shanghai in 1971.

Eric McIntyre writes:

I think February’s unknown ship could be the m.v. Cape Ortegal of Lyle Shipping, built in 1946 at Lithgows, Port Glasgow for Cape Of Good Hope Motorship Co. She was fitted with a Doxford diesel engine by rowan and Co., Glasgow, giving a speed of 12 knots. She was 6,907 gross tons with a length of 447ft x 56ft. She went to Lyle Shipping in 1952. In 1964 she was sold to acres Shipping, Piraeus and renamed Megara. She was scrapped in June 1967 at Kaohsiung after grounding damage. Her sister ship was the Cape Rodney.

Michael Luscombe writes:

The ship is the RFA Appleleaf, built by Workman Clarke and completed in November 1916. She was launched as Texol but renamed Appleleaf in 1917. She served until 1947 when she was broken up.

John Jordan writes:

This ship seems to be from the stable of Lyle Shipping. They had many ships in the 1940s period all similar in design with various minor differences. I’m going to put my money on Cape Ortegal. It was completed by Lithgows, Port Glasgow in 1946. Lyles didn’t come up with all the cost so the ship remained in joint ownership with Lithgows. She had a fire at sea in 1954 and in 1964 was sold on to Greek interests, Acres Shipping. At this time she was renamed Megara.

Peter Harris writes:

With reference to the February unknown ship, I think she is one of three sisters built for Lyle Shipping. Capes Hawke, Ortegal and Rodney. Hawke was built in 1941 and the latter pair in 1946, all by Lithgows, port Glasgow. So just to guess I will go for Cape Hawke.