chrisharley9 Posted 9 May , 2006 Share Posted 9 May , 2006 All the caption says is Spring 1917 near a French port All The Best Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen D Posted 9 May , 2006 Share Posted 9 May , 2006 Could it be the Glouster Castle? See herehttp://ahoy.tk-jk.net/macslog/WW1Hospitalshiptorpedoeds.html Hospital ship. Commissioned as a 410 bed hospital ship on the 24th. of September 1914, April the next year found her serving in the Dardnelles campaign. Although well identified as a Hospital ship with her large Red crosses painted on her hull, she was torpedoed on the 30th. of March in 1915(sic) on a trip from Le Havre to Southhampton, luck was with her, and from her 399 passengers on board, only 3 died. She did not sink and was taken in tow, the journey home for repairs taking 2 weeks, and by 1919 she was back in service in a civilian capacity, plying the route to Africa. Gloucester Castle torpedoed 30th. March 1917, in English Channel, Her Red Cross well in evidence on her hull. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
historydavid Posted 9 May , 2006 Share Posted 9 May , 2006 Chris, 6 ships for you to consider: 10th April 1917 Salta ½ mile N from Whistle Buoy, Le Havre, France 17th April 1917 Lanfranc 42 miles N½E from Le Havre, France 31st March 1917 Gloucester Castle Isle of Wight area, towed to port 26th May 1917 Dover Castle 50 miles N from Bone, Algeria 17th April 1917 Donegal 19 miles S from Dean Lightship (HMS or HMT?) 20th March 1917 Asturias 6 miles off Start Point, , beached, salvaged I don't think Owen's suggestion of the Gloucester Castle is correct. There appear to be significant differences between the two photos. Suggest you try to get photos of Salta and Lanfranc, as these seem to fit your photos decription the best. Best wishes David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen D Posted 9 May , 2006 Share Posted 9 May , 2006 There appear to be significant differences between the two photos. Like what? I'm not a ship expert but they look the same to me. Stern down to same level, superstructure the same, derricks same, funnel same. If I'm wrong then fair enough but why? I could learn something here. Don't agree with Lanfranc, lines of the hull different. http://www.bluestarline.org/booth/lanfranc2.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen D Posted 9 May , 2006 Share Posted 9 May , 2006 Chris I've found the site you got the photo from. http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/2970...italShipsGenFil When you go to save the picture the name of the ship is revealed. LanFrancHSsunk1917IWMaerialphoto1 so I was wrong but ................................ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisharley9 Posted 9 May , 2006 Author Share Posted 9 May , 2006 Thanks everyone for their input. The photo above rules out the Salta Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
historydavid Posted 10 May , 2006 Share Posted 10 May , 2006 Owen, I spotted these differences between your pic and that posted by Chris: 1 Foermast has "stays" fore and aft. 2 Red cross and patch above it at bow are further from foremast. 3 Foemast has signal flags displayed. 4 Box-like structure (viewed from side) in front of funnel not as long (7 squares against 10). Best wishes David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisharley9 Posted 10 May , 2006 Author Share Posted 10 May , 2006 Can effectively rule out the Donegal as she was a Hospital Transport & could not sail under the protection of the Red Cross Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frev Posted 10 May , 2006 Share Posted 10 May , 2006 Chris I've found the site you got the photo from. http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/2970...italShipsGenFil When you go to save the picture the name of the ship is revealed. LanFrancHSsunk1917IWMaerialphoto1 so I was wrong but ................................ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisharley9 Posted 10 May , 2006 Author Share Posted 10 May , 2006 I take the point about the photo tag saying Lanfranc, but then I have been caught out by this sort of thing before & was trying to be more definite Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen D Posted 10 May , 2006 Share Posted 10 May , 2006 Owen, I spotted these differences between your pic and that posted by Chris: 1 Foermast has "stays" fore and aft. 2 Red cross and patch above it at bow are further from foremast. 3 Foemast has signal flags displayed. 4 Box-like structure (viewed from side) in front of funnel not as long (7 squares against 10). Best wishes David David Don't forget in "my" picture the ship is viewed from the starboard-aft and so perspective comes into play.So I can't agree the forrard RedCross is in a different place, nor the count squares on the box-like structure also the "stays" look different because of the angle. In my posted pic of LanFranc there is no cut away aft of the forecastle which there is on the Glos. Castle. I've tried enlarging the picture Chris posted but it isn't high enough res. Also is it too much of a coincidence that two simialer looking hospital ships would sink in exactly the same position? I'm not a Nautical type but if I was asked to place a bet on the name of the ship I'd stay with my choice. Also look at the arrangement of doors and windows on the rear superstructure, porthole(?) below-left of forward red cross, so many features are the same to me. I think the original picture has wrong caption. Not uncommon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen D Posted 10 May , 2006 Share Posted 10 May , 2006 from here http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/UnionCastle3.html Another photo.Gloucster Castle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen D Posted 10 May , 2006 Share Posted 10 May , 2006 Another view.http://www.allatsea.co.za/unioncastle/post...gloucester1.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian turner Posted 10 May , 2006 Share Posted 10 May , 2006 I would go with the 'Gloucester Castle'. It is certainly not the 'Lanfranc'. The main difference readily viewable is the focstle - the Gloucester Castle has a much more pronounced raised focstle area, the Lanfranc does not. The ship's gear also looks similar when comparing the first posted image with that of the named Gloucester Castle pic, including the small derrick boom (at the forward end) coming from the forward end of the superstructure. It is evident in both pics. At the stern section there is also, common to both views, a small 'Samson Post' arrangement aft of the main set of derricks. The ventilation arrangement around the funnel looks similar to both as well. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen D Posted 10 May , 2006 Share Posted 10 May , 2006 Here's a larger image,fromhttp://www.firstworldwar.com/photos/graphi...ter_torp_01.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisharley9 Posted 10 May , 2006 Author Share Posted 10 May , 2006 Owen Your last post has convinced me. I'm going with the Gloucester Castle Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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