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SS Orontes
SS Orontes
SS Orontes in Tilbury Docks, circa 1957, about to sail for Sydney on a single-class voyage with (mainly) migrant passengers on the Ten Pound Poms scheme.
Career
Name: SS Orontes
Owner: Orient Line (P & O)
Route: England - Australia (1929-1940)
England - Australia (1948-1962)
Builder: Vickers Armstrong Ltd. at Barrow-in-Furness, England
Maiden voyage: June 1929
Refit: 1947-1948
Homeport: Tilbury
Identification: Code Letters and radio callsign GBXM
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Fate: Scrapped at Valencia, Spain in 1962
General characteristics
Type: Passenger
Tonnage: 20,097 grt
Length: 664 ft (202 m)
Beam: 75 ft 2 in (22.91 m)
Draft: 29 ft 8 in (9.04 m)
Installed power: 2 steam turbines, 20,000 SHP
Propulsion: 2 screws
Speed: 20 knots
Capacity: 1st: 500 passengers
3rd: 1,112 passengers
Total: 1,612 passengers

The SS Orontes was a passenger ship owned by Orient Line.

The ship was built in 1929 by Vickers Armstrong LTD. at Barrow-in-Furness, England.

Its sister ships were Orama (II), Orford, Oronsay, and Otranto (II).

Service[]

The Orontes' maiden voyage was a Mediterranean Cruise in June 1929. From 1929 to 1940, it served on the England to Australia route. Famous passengers included the England cricket team on the way to the Bodyline tour in 1932.[1]

During World War II, the Orontes became a troopship, serving that role from 1940 to 1947.

Known Voyages[]

Date & Place of Engagement Date & Place of Discharge Main Destination
17/09/1932 - Tilbury Unknown Australia
30/03/1945 - Liverpool 6/9/1945 - Tilbury Unknown
07/09/1945 - Tilbury 14/12/1945 - Tilbury Unknown
15/12/1945 - Tilbury 20/5/1946 - Tilbury Unknown
21/05/1946 - Tilbury 10/9/1946 - Tilbury Unknown

The ship was refitted as a single class passenger ship at Thorneycroft from 1947 to 1948 . It served on the England to Australia route from 1948 to 1962.[citation needed] In March 1958, Orontes was involved in a collision with SS Empire Baltic in the River Thames.[2] The Orontes was scrapped at Valencia, Spain in 1962.[citation needed]

References[]

  • Geddes, FL (1948-06-24). "The Reconditioned "Orontes"". p. 774.  - article about the post-war refit
  • McCart, Neil (1987). "Passenger Ships of the Orient Line". P. Stephens. ISBN 978-0-85059-891-9. 

External links[]

  • Description in the Ships List [1]
  • Pictures and passenger list [2]
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