This month’s unknown ship

The winner of the August competition was Laurance Ward of Loughton.

Laurance Ward writes:

I believe this ship to be the Bellucia, a general cargo ship built for Bellorado S.S. Co. Ltd. (Bell Brothers & Co., managers) of Glasgow. Launched 16/11/1928 and completed in January 1929. Built by Lithgows Ltd., Port Glasgow. Ship registered in Glasgow, and trading mainly to the river Plate and the West indies. Dimensions: O’all length 385.50ft., beam 52.00ft, depth 26.60ft. – details as per Lloyd’s register. Single screw, 10.00 knots. Engines: T3Cyl (25. 42 & 70ins, 48 inch stroke), 200lbs., 477 nhp and built by Rankin & Blackmore., of Greenock. in 1937 she was sold to C.N. Michalos & J.C., N.C. & A.C. Hadjipateras., Chios, Greece. renamed Leonidas M. She sailed with these owners until sunk by torpedo/gunfire by U-332 [19/07/1942], whilst carrying 6,700 tons cargo of iron ore from Rio de Janeiro to Sydney, Nova Scotia.

Alan Blackwood writes:

This month’s ‘unknown’ is the single screw steamer Bellucia, the second of two essentially identical sisters constructed by Wm. Lithgow at Port Glasgow to the order of the Bellorado Steamship Company of Glasgow (Bell Brothers & Co., Managers). Each shared P.O.R. at Glasgow, gross tonnages of 4,573 and dimensions of 385.0 x 52.0 x 26.6 ft. Delivered to her owners during January 1929, Bellucia’s triple expansion main engine of 477 nhp was supplied by Rankin & Blackmore Ltd. of Greenock to return a maximum speed of 11.5 knots, whilst that of her September 1928 delivered sister (Bellorado) was supplied with a 471 nhp unit by John.G. Kincaid & Co. Ltd., also of Greenock. Bellucia was sold for further trading during 1937 to Constantine N. Michalos, John C., N. C. & Adamantios C. Hadjipateras, when renamed Leonidas M and registered under the Greek flag at Chios. During an unescorted voyage from Rio de Janeiro to Sydney, Nova Scotia with a cargo of 6,700 tons of iron ore, she was attacked during the early evening of 19th July 1942 by U-332, initially with a spread of two torpedoes, both of which missed their target. Some 15 minutes later and having transmitted an ‘SSSS’ distress call, the submarine began to shell her until the crew were seen to abandon ship. When clear, a further torpedo was fired from a U-332 bow tube but also missed. The ‘coup de grace’ came some minutes later from the submarine’s stern torpedo tube, when a further torpedo struck the vessel forward causing her to break in two and sink within 25 seconds at a position some 600 miles due south of Newfoundland’s Cape race. The ship’s Master and Chief engineer were taken prisoner by the U- boat and the remaining crew of 29 cast adrift. Three hours after the attack, the Portuguese flag steamer San Miguel was sighted heading towards the distress call position. This rescue vessel was stopped to undertake a contraband control inspection, but later released to safely land the lifeboat survivors at Baltimore. Meanwhile, the US warship Rhind was despatched from her flotilla in response to Leonidas M’s distress call, arriving at the scene 20 hours later only to find one empty lifeboat, five rafts and considerable wreckage.

as a matter of further interest, Bellucia’s sister had also been sold out of the Bell Brothers & Co. fleet during 1937 and whether by coincidence or intent, was also renamed Leonidas (but without the ‘M’ suffix of her sister) when registered to the ownership of TH. L. Boyazides at Andros, Greece. This vessel survived until 7th October 1959 when she arrived at Kure for demolition.

John Jordan writes:

This ship was owned by Bell Brothers of Glasgow. She is the SS Bellucia built in 1929 by Lithgows of Port Glasgow. She is the second ship of that name. in 1937 she was sold to Greek interests and renamed Leonidas M. She was attacked by a U-Boat on 19th July 1942 off the east coast of America and sunk. There were 31 crew and all survived.