Arundel Castle

Owner:
Union-Castle Mail Steamship Co.
(Union-Castle Line)
Southampton, England

Builder:
Harland & Wolff Ltd.
Belfast, Ireland
Ordered:
N/A
Keel Laid:
November 6, 1915
Year Built:
1921
Launched:
September 11, 1919
Sister Ships:
Windsor Castle
Maiden Voyage:
April 22 - May 9, 1921
Fate:
1959 Scrapped at Chiap Hua Mfg. Co. Hong Kong.


Dimensions, machinery and performance

Length:
661' (a)
Engines:
2 geared steam turbines
Beam:
72' 5"
Boilers:
N/A
Draft:
N/A
Shafts:
2
Gross Tons:
19,023 (b)
HP:
15,000
Displacement:
N/A
Speed:
17 (c)
Crew:
440
Funnels:
4 (d)
Passengers:
1,170
Masts:
2

Construction notes:
(a):
686' after 1939 refit.
(b):
19,118 after 1937 refit.
(c):
20 after 1937 refit.
(d):
2 after 1937 refit.


History:
Apr. 22, 1921:
Maiden voyage Southampton - Cape Town, arriving May 9, 1921.
1922-1937:
Southampton - Cape Town route.
1937-1938:
Refit at Harland & Wolff, converted to oil burning, 2 funnels removed, new raked bow
installed, lengthened 25".

1938-1939:
Southampton - Cape Town route.
Sept. 1939:
Requisitioned as troopship.
Sept. 1944:
Began six POW exchange trips Liverpool - Gothenburg.
Jan. 1945:
POW exchange via Marseilles and Lisbon.
June 1947-
May 1949:

Immigration voyages for South African Government.
May 1949-
Sept. 1949:

Additional trooping duty UK to Middle East.
Sept. 1949-
Aug. 1950:

Refit at Harland & Wolff.
Sept. 21, 1950:
First post war sailing Southampton - Cape Town.
Dec. 30, 1958:
Departed Southampton for the breakers yard.


Notes:
Laid down as Amroth Castle but name was changed before launch.
Sailed a total of 3,475,565 miles.
Sold to the scrappers for £245,000.


Builder's Data
Page published Apr. 23, 2007