Priwall (barque)
Encyclopedia
Priwall was a four-masted steel
-hulled
barque
with royal sails
over double top
and topgallant sail
s. The windjammer
was ordered by the F. Laeisz shipping company of Hamburg
and launched at the Blohm & Voss yard, Hamburg, on 23 June 1917. After delays arising from a shortage of materials during and after First World War, she was completed on 6 March 1920. Priwall was used on the nitrate
trade route to the west coast of South America; she also made several voyages from South Australia’s Spencer Gulf
grain ports to Europe. Her code Letters
were RWLN; in 1934 they were changed to DIRQ.
. However, due to the incomplete state of the ship, delivery to the Allies was not enforced and thus allowed the Laeisz company to finish construction – and, after outfitting, to operate the ship as intended, carrying general cargo outbound and nitrate or grain to Europe.
Priwall was one of the Flying P-Liner
s that enhanced the reputation of her owners. As with all Laeisz ships, Priwall was well maintained, and the company’s captains were known as fine steersmen and bold sailors. During a 1932 voyage on Christmas Day, the ship covered 384 nautical miles (711.2 km) in 24 hours (an average speed of 16 knots (31.4 km/h)). In 1935, she 'won' the Great Grain Race
by sailing from Port Victoria
to Queenstown
in 91 days. In 1938, Priwall recorded the fastest ever westward rounding of Cape Horn
by a commercial sailing ship in five days and fourteen hours under Captain Adolf Hauth.
Her final voyage under Laeisz ownership commenced on 23 May 1939 at Hamburg, bound for Valparaiso
. During the voyage, on a rare mid-ocean meeting in the South Atlantic, Priwall passed by the Finnish
barque Lawhill
en route from South Australia to Europe with a cargo of grain; Priwall also sighted the liner . The ship rounded Cape Horn on 21 July in the gale-force winds of the southern winter as the last commercial windjammer completing this east-to-west passage, and reached the sheltered anchorage of Corral, Chile. There the crew maneuvered the mizzen upper top yard to the foremast to replace its broken upper top yard. Continuing on to Talcahuano
to off-load freight, she finally arrived at Valparaiso on 3 September 1939. Priwall was then interned at Valparaiso at the onset of the Second World War. In 1941, to avoid potential seizure by the Allies, the ship was deeded as a gift to the Republic of Chile in a ceremony attended by the Governor of Valparaíso, Mr. Alfredo Rodríguez Mac-Iver. Renamed Lautaro, she was used as a cargo carrying training ship by the Chilean Navy
. On 28 February 1945, while loading nitrate, she caught fire off the Peruvian coast and was destroyed.
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
-hulled
Hull (watercraft)
A hull is the watertight body of a ship or boat. Above the hull is the superstructure and/or deckhouse, where present. The line where the hull meets the water surface is called the waterline.The structure of the hull varies depending on the vessel type...
barque
Barque
A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing vessel with three or more masts.- History of the term :The word barque appears to have come from the Greek word baris, a term for an Egyptian boat. This entered Latin as barca, which gave rise to the Italian barca, Spanish barco, and the French barge and...
with royal sails
Royal (sail)
A royal is a small sail flown immediately above the topgallant on square rigged sailing ships. It was originally called the "topgallant royal" and was used in light and favorable winds....
over double top
Topsail
A topsail is a sail set above another sail; on square-rigged vessels further sails may be set above topsails.- Square rig :On a square rigged vessel, a topsail is a square sail rigged above the course sail and below the topgallant sail where carried...
and topgallant sail
Topgallant sail
On a square rigged sailing vessel, a topgallant sail is the square-rigged sail or sails immediately above the topsail or topsails. It is also known as a gallant or garrant sail....
s. The windjammer
Windjammer
A windjammer is the ultimate type of large sailing ship with an iron or for the most part steel hull, built to carry cargo in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century...
was ordered by the F. Laeisz shipping company of Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
and launched at the Blohm & Voss yard, Hamburg, on 23 June 1917. After delays arising from a shortage of materials during and after First World War, she was completed on 6 March 1920. Priwall was used on the nitrate
Nitrate
The nitrate ion is a polyatomic ion with the molecular formula NO and a molecular mass of 62.0049 g/mol. It is the conjugate base of nitric acid, consisting of one central nitrogen atom surrounded by three identically-bonded oxygen atoms in a trigonal planar arrangement. The nitrate ion carries a...
trade route to the west coast of South America; she also made several voyages from South Australia’s Spencer Gulf
Spencer Gulf
The Spencer Gulf is the westernmost of two large inlets on the southern coast of Australia, in the state of South Australia, facing the Great Australian Bight. The Gulf is 322 km long and 129 km wide at its mouth. The western shore of the Gulf is the Eyre Peninsula, while the eastern side is the...
grain ports to Europe. Her code Letters
Code letters
Code letters were a method of identifying ships before the introduction of modern navigation aids. Later, with the introduction of radio, code letters were also used as radio callsigns.-History:...
were RWLN; in 1934 they were changed to DIRQ.
History and performance
While still at the builders, Priwall (with other German merchant vessels) was identified in 1919 for confiscation by the Allies as World War I reparationsWorld War I reparations
World War I reparations refers to the payments and transfers of property and equipment that Germany was forced to make under the Treaty of Versailles following its defeat during World War I...
. However, due to the incomplete state of the ship, delivery to the Allies was not enforced and thus allowed the Laeisz company to finish construction – and, after outfitting, to operate the ship as intended, carrying general cargo outbound and nitrate or grain to Europe.
Priwall was one of the Flying P-Liner
Flying P-Liner
The Flying P-Liners were the sailing ships of the German shipping company F. Laeisz of Hamburg.The company was founded in 1824 by Ferdinand Laeisz as a hat manufacturing company. He was quite successful and distributed his hats even in South America...
s that enhanced the reputation of her owners. As with all Laeisz ships, Priwall was well maintained, and the company’s captains were known as fine steersmen and bold sailors. During a 1932 voyage on Christmas Day, the ship covered 384 nautical miles (711.2 km) in 24 hours (an average speed of 16 knots (31.4 km/h)). In 1935, she 'won' the Great Grain Race
Grain race
Grain Race or The Great Grain Race was the informal name for the annual windjammer sailing season generally from South Australia's grain ports on Spencer Gulf to Lizard Point, Cornwall on the southwesternmost coast of the United Kingdom, or to specific ports...
by sailing from Port Victoria
Port Victoria, South Australia
Port Victoria is a town on the Spencer Gulf coast of southern Yorke Peninsula. At the 2006 census, Port Victoria had a population of 345.Like many other coastal towns on the peninsula, it has a jetty and used to be a thriving port for the export of grain to England. Its anchorage is sheltered from...
to Queenstown
Cobh
Cobh is a seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland. Cobh is on the south side of Great Island in Cork Harbour. Facing the town are Spike Island and Haulbowline Island...
in 91 days. In 1938, Priwall recorded the fastest ever westward rounding of Cape Horn
Cape Horn
Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...
by a commercial sailing ship in five days and fourteen hours under Captain Adolf Hauth.
Her final voyage under Laeisz ownership commenced on 23 May 1939 at Hamburg, bound for Valparaiso
Valparaíso
Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...
. During the voyage, on a rare mid-ocean meeting in the South Atlantic, Priwall passed by the Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
barque Lawhill
Lawhill
The Lawhill was a steel-hulled four-masted barque rigged in "jubilee" or "baldheaded" fashion, i.e. without royal sails over the topgallant sails, active in the early part of the 20th century...
en route from South Australia to Europe with a cargo of grain; Priwall also sighted the liner . The ship rounded Cape Horn on 21 July in the gale-force winds of the southern winter as the last commercial windjammer completing this east-to-west passage, and reached the sheltered anchorage of Corral, Chile. There the crew maneuvered the mizzen upper top yard to the foremast to replace its broken upper top yard. Continuing on to Talcahuano
Talcahuano
Talcahuano is a port city and commune in the Biobío Region of Chile. It is part of the Greater Concepción conurbation. Talcahuano is located in the south of the Central Zone of Chile.-Geography:...
to off-load freight, she finally arrived at Valparaiso on 3 September 1939. Priwall was then interned at Valparaiso at the onset of the Second World War. In 1941, to avoid potential seizure by the Allies, the ship was deeded as a gift to the Republic of Chile in a ceremony attended by the Governor of Valparaíso, Mr. Alfredo Rodríguez Mac-Iver. Renamed Lautaro, she was used as a cargo carrying training ship by the Chilean Navy
Chilean Navy
-Independence Wars of Chile and Peru :The Chilean Navy dates back to 1817. A year before, following the Battle of Chacabuco, General Bernardo O'Higgins prophetically declared "this victory and another hundred shall be of no significance if we do not gain control of the sea".This led to the...
. On 28 February 1945, while loading nitrate, she caught fire off the Peruvian coast and was destroyed.
Captains
F. Laeisz Shipping Company:- Jürgen Jürs (1920–21)
- Carl Brockhöft (1921–24)
- Jürgen Jürs (1925–28)
- K. Schubert (1928–29)
- H. Töpper (1930–31)
- Robert Clauß (1932–35)
- Jürgen Jürs (1935–36)
- Adolf Hauth (1937–1939)
Voyages
Voyages made by Priwall under Laeisz ownership:| From | To | Time (days) |
Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cuxhaven, Germany | San Antonio San Antonio, Chile San Antonio, meaning "Saint Anthony", is a major Chilean port and a commune in San Antonio Province, Valparaíso Region... , Chile Chile Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far... |
76 | 1923 |
| Pisagua, Chile | Cuxhaven | 128 | 1923-24 |
| Hamburg | Talcahuano Talcahuano Talcahuano is a port city and commune in the Biobío Region of Chile. It is part of the Greater Concepción conurbation. Talcahuano is located in the south of the Central Zone of Chile.-Geography:... , Chile |
99 | 1928 |
| Hamburg | Talcahuano | 94 | 1928-29 |
| Iquique Iquique Iquique is a port city and commune in northern Chile, capital of both the Iquique Province and Tarapacá Region. It lies on the Pacific coast, west of the Atacama Desert and the Pampa del Tamarugal. It had a population of 216,419 as of the 2002 census... , Chile |
Dunkirk, France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
1929 | |
| Hamburg | Talcahuano | 89 | 1930 |
| Mejillones Mejillones Mejillones is a Chilean port city and commune in Antofagasta Province, Antofagasta Region. Its name is the plural form of the Spanish mejillón meaning "mussel", referring to a particularly abundant species and preferred staple food of its indigenous inhabitants. It is situated in the northern side... , Chile |
Brügge Brügge Brügge is a municipality in the district of Rendsburg-Eckernförde, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.Its small church and market square are noted for their beauty.... , Belgium Belgium Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many... |
99 | 1930 |
| Hamburg | Valparaiso Valparaíso Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region... , Chile |
87 | 1930 |
| Taltal Taltal Taltal is a Chilean commune and city in Antofagasta Province, Antofagasta Region. According to the 2002 census, the commune population was 11,000 and has an area of .... , Chile |
Brügge, Belgium | 81 | 1930 |
| Hamburg | Port Lincoln, Australia | 138 | 1932 |
| Port Victoria Port Victoria, South Australia Port Victoria is a town on the Spencer Gulf coast of southern Yorke Peninsula. At the 2006 census, Port Victoria had a population of 345.Like many other coastal towns on the peninsula, it has a jetty and used to be a thriving port for the export of grain to England. Its anchorage is sheltered from... , Australia |
Barry, Wales Wales Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²... |
106 | 1933 |
| Hamburg | Wallaroo Wallaroo, South Australia Wallaroo is a port town on the western side of Yorke Peninsula in South Australia, 160 kilometres north-northwest of Adelaide. It is one of the three Copper Triangle towns famed for their historic shared copper mining industry, and known together as "Little Cornwall", the other two being Kadina ... , Australia |
66 | 1932-33 |
| Hamburg | Port Victoria | 65 | 1933-34 |
| Port Victoria | Queenstown Cobh Cobh is a seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland. Cobh is on the south side of Great Island in Cork Harbour. Facing the town are Spike Island and Haulbowline Island... , Ireland Republic of Ireland Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,... |
108 | 1934 |
| Hamburg | Port Victoria | 83 | 1934-35 |
| Port Victoria | Queenstown | 91 | 1935 |
| Hamburg | Valparaiso | 71 | 1938 |
| Hamburg | Valparaiso | 109 | 1939 |
