Prince Charles (1930)

Later names:
HMS Prince Charles LSI(S)-4120 (1940)

Builder:
Cockerill Yards
Hoboken, Belgium
Ordered:
N/A
Keel Laid:
N/A
Year Built:
1930
Launched:
April 12, 1930
Type:
Passenger
Completed:
October 1930
   
Fate:
Scrapped in Antwerp, Belgium 1960-61.


Owner:
Oostende-Dover Line
(Belgian Government)
Oostende, Belgium


Dimensions, machinery and performance

Length:
359' 5"
Engines:
2 Werkspoor single reduction geared steam turbines
Beam:
47' 5"
Boilers:
6 water tube type 370 psi. (oil fired)
Draft:
10'
Shafts:
2
Gross Tons:
3,088
HP:
15,400
Displacement:
N/A
Speed:
24 knots
Crew:
60 (207 wartime)
Funnels:
2
Passengers:
1,400 (250 troops)
Masts:
2


History
May 17, 1940:
From Ostend with refugees to Folkestone.
May 19, 1940:
At anchor in Southampton.
June 11, 1940:
Evacuation of people from St. Malo and Cherbourg sailing under the Ministry of
War Transport. Completed on June 16.

Sept. 21, 1940:
Requisitioned by the Admiralty and converted into an LSI(S). Pennant number LSI(S)-4120.

Mar. 6, 1941:
Conversion to an LSI with 8 landing boats, hung from larger and heavier davits,
in the Royal Dock Yard in Devonport.

Apr. 30, 1941:
Under bombardment in Plymouth.
Dec. 26, 1941:
Raid on Lofoten and Vaagø, Norway.
Aug. 19, 1942:
Commando raid on Dieppe.
June 1943:

To Mediterranean Sea for landings on Sicily , Messina and Palermo afterwards back
to the United Kingdom.

June 6, 1944:

Landing at Normandy (2nd U.S. Rangers, Task Force B and Canadian troops for Vierville).

June 1945:
Used as a troop transport ship to France.
June 15, 1946:

Converted and with an entirely renewed interior, went back in service on the
Ostend-Dover run. Still the only steam packet boat of the remaining "Prince" boats in
1950 was the "PRINCE CHARLES".

Mar. 19, 1953:
Collision in thick fog with SS Llantrisant .
Aug. 27, 1959:

Put as first ship in the new floating dry-dock of the marina, which was built by Beliard
Murdoch Yards from Ostend.

   
The information on this page was provided by Arne Pyson.



Page published Aug. 10, 2008