SS Moldavia
Encyclopedia
The RMS Moldavia was a passenger steamship owned by the P&O Line
. She was launched on 28 March 1903 and traveled the England
to Australia
route via the Suez Canal
.
The Moldavia was purchased by the Admiralty
in 1915 and converted into an armed merchant cruiser. She was torpedoed and sunk on 23 May 1918 off Beachy Head
in the English Channel
by a single torpedo from U-boat
UB-57. At the time of her sinking she was being used as a troopship
for United States troops. Fifty-six Americans soldiers were lost in the sinking.
of Greenock, Scotland
for the
Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company. Her yard number was 301 and she was launched on 28 March 1903. The completed ship was 520 ft (158.5 m) in length, a beam of 58.3 ft (17.8 m) and a draught of 24.8 ft (7.6 m). The gross tonnage for the Moldavia was 9,500. Coal storage was 2,000 tons and cargo approximately 3,500 tons. The Moldavia was constructed for 348 first and 166 saloon class passengers.
Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company
The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, which is usually known as P&O, is a British shipping and logistics company which dated from the early 19th century. Following its sale in March 2006 to Dubai Ports World for £3.9 billion, it became a subsidiary of DP World; however, the P&O...
. She was launched on 28 March 1903 and traveled the England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
route via the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
.
The Moldavia was purchased by the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
in 1915 and converted into an armed merchant cruiser. She was torpedoed and sunk on 23 May 1918 off Beachy Head
Beachy Head
Beachy Head is a chalk headland on the south coast of England, close to the town of Eastbourne in the county of East Sussex, immediately east of the Seven Sisters. The cliff there is the highest chalk sea cliff in Britain, rising to 162 m above sea level. The peak allows views of the south...
in the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
by a single torpedo from U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
UB-57. At the time of her sinking she was being used as a troopship
Troopship
A troopship is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime...
for United States troops. Fifty-six Americans soldiers were lost in the sinking.
Construction
The Moldavia was constructed by Caird & CompanyCaird & Company
Caird & Company was a Scottish shipbuilding and engineering firm based in Greenock. The company was established in 1828 by John Caird when he received an order to re-engine Clyde paddle-tugs....
of Greenock, Scotland
Greenock
Greenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
for the
Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company. Her yard number was 301 and she was launched on 28 March 1903. The completed ship was 520 ft (158.5 m) in length, a beam of 58.3 ft (17.8 m) and a draught of 24.8 ft (7.6 m). The gross tonnage for the Moldavia was 9,500. Coal storage was 2,000 tons and cargo approximately 3,500 tons. The Moldavia was constructed for 348 first and 166 saloon class passengers.
See also
- Recreational divingRecreational divingRecreational diving or sport diving is a type of diving that uses SCUBA equipment for the purpose of leisure and enjoyment. In some diving circles, the term "recreational diving" is used in contradistinction to "technical diving", a more demanding aspect of the sport which requires greater levels...
- Shipwrecks
- List of shipwrecks
- 58th Infantry Regiment (United States)58th Infantry Regiment (United States)The 58th Infantry Regiment is a Regiment of the United States Army first established in 1917.-Lineage:Constituted 15 May 1917 in the regular army as the 58th Infantry. Organized 5 June 1917 at Gettysburg National Park, Pennsylvania, from personnel of the 4th Infantry Regiment. Assigned to the 4th...