# RMS Fort Victoria

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The ship as Willochra History Name Willochra (1912–19) Fort Victoria (1919–29) Owner Adelaide Steamship Co (1912–19) Furness, Withy & Co (1919–29) Operator Adelaide Steamship Co (1912–13) Union Steamship Company of New Zealand (1913–15) Adelaide Steamship Co (1915–19) Quebec Steamship Co (1920–21) Bermuda & West Indies Steamship Co (1921–29) Port of registry Port Adelaide (1912–19) Montreal (1920–21) Hamilton (1921–29) Route United States – Australia – New Zealand (1912–19) Builder William Beardmore & Company, Dalmuir Yard number 507 Launched 14 August 1912 Completed 7 February 1913 Out of service 18 December 1929 Identification UK official number 122744 code letters JBPH Fate Sunk by collision General characteristics Type passenger ship Tonnage 7,784 GRT, 4,532 NRT Length 411.7 ft (125.5 m) Beam 56.7 ft (17.3 m) Depth 34.1 ft (10.4 m) Decks 2 Installed power 762 NHP Propulsion 2 × screws 2 × quadruple expansion engines Speed 16 knots (30 km/h)

***Fort Victoria*** was a 7,784 GRT [passenger](/source/Passenger_ship) [steamship](/source/Steamship) that was built in 1912 as ***Willochra***. During the [First World War](/source/First_World_War) she was requisitioned for use as a [troopship](/source/Troopship). In 1920 she was sold and renamed *Fort Victoria*, serving until lost in a collision in 1929.

## History

[William Beardmore & Co Ltd](/source/William_Beardmore_and_Company) built the ship at [Dalmuir](/source/Dalmuir), [West Dunbartonshire](/source/West_Dunbartonshire) as yard number 507. She was launched as *Willochra* on 14 August 1912[1] and completed on 7 February 1913[2] for the [Adelaide Steamship Company](/source/Adelaide_Steamship_Company).[1] Her identical sister ships, also built by William Beardmore and Company, were [*Warilda*](/source/HMAT_Warilda) (1911) and [*Wandilla*](/source/HMAT_Wandilla) (1912).

In 1913, *Willochra* was [chartered](/source/Bareboat_charter) by the [Union Steamship Company of New Zealand](/source/Union_Company).[3] In November 1914, *Willochra* was requisitioned, as a troopship making numerous journeys with reinforcements to the war, notably Egypt, and returning with wounded.[4][5][6] In 1918 she was requisitioned by the UK for transatlantic duties and painted in [dazzle camouflage](/source/Dazzle_camouflage). At the end if the war she repatriated German prisoners to Europe.

In 1919, *Willochra* was sold to [Furness Withy](/source/Furness_Withy). She was refitted and renamed *Fort Victoria*.[4] Initially, she was operated by the Quebec Steamship Company, [Montreal](/source/Montreal) but in 1921 she was transferred to the Bermuda & West Indies Steamship Co, [Hamilton](/source/Hamilton%2C_Bermuda), [Bermuda](/source/Bermuda). Both companies were owned by Furness Withy.[1] On 18 December 1929, *Fort Victoria* sailed from [New York Harbor](/source/New_York_Harbor) for Hamilton with just over 200 passengers on board. The weather at the time was dense fog, and *Fort Victoria* stopped to await an improvement in conditions. While anchored,[4] she was hit by the [Clyde-Mallory Line](/source/Clyde-Mallory_Line)'s [*Algonquin*](/source/USAHS_Algonquin),[7] a liner which was on a voyage from [Galveston, Texas](/source/Galveston%2C_Texas) to [New York](/source/New_York_City). *Algonquin* cut into the port side of *Fort Victoria*. Distress calls were made by both ships, which were answered by the [United States Coast Guard](/source/United_States_Coast_Guard) and other ships in the area. All on board *Fort Victoria* were rescued before the ship sank later that day.[4] The position of the wreck is [40°28′27″N 73°53′13″W / 40.47417°N 73.88694°W / 40.47417; -73.88694](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=RMS_Fort_Victoria&params=40_28_27_N_73_53_13_W_).[7] To replace *Fort Victoria*, a contract was given to [Vickers-Armstrong's](/source/Vickers) to build [SS *New Australia*](/source/SS_New_Australia), which entered service in 1933.[8]

## Description

The ship was a 7,714 GRT cruise ship. She was 411 feet 7 inches (125.45 m) long with a beam of 56 feet 7 inches (17.25 m).[1] She had two [screws](/source/Propeller), each driven by a [quadruple expansion engine](/source/Marine_steam_engine#Triple_or_multiple_expansion). The combined power of her twin engines was rated at 762 [NHP](/source/Horsepower#Nominal_horsepower), and gave her a speed of 16 knots (30 km/h).[2] As *Fort Victoria* she was fitted up for 400 first class passengers, and had no accommodation for other classes.[9]

## Model

A boardroom model of *Willochra* is in the possession of the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum, [Newport Beach, California](/source/Newport_Beach%2C_California).[10]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Clyde_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Clyde_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Clyde_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Clyde_1-3) ["Willochra"](https://www.clydeships.co.uk/view.php?&ref=2077). *Scottish Built Ships*. Caledonian Maritime Research Trust. Retrieved 23 June 2023.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Miramar_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Miramar_2-1) ["1122744"](https://www.miramarshipindex.nz/ship/1122744). [Miramar Ship Index](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Miramar). Retrieved 31 October 2009.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Union_3-0)** ["Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand"](https://web.archive.org/web/20091010100509/http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/unionnz.html). The Ships List. Archived from [the original](http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/unionnz.html) on 10 October 2009. Retrieved 31 October 2009.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Sea_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Sea_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Sea_4-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Sea_4-3) Eastlake, Keith (1998). *Sea Disasters, the truth behind the tragedies*. London N7: Greenwich Editions. p. 20. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-86288-149-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-86288-149-8).{{[cite book](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_book)}}: CS1 maint: location ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_location))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Flotilla Australia"](https://www.flotilla-australia.com/hmnzt.htm).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Adelaide_6-0)** ["Adelaide Steamship"](https://web.archive.org/web/20101121101132/http://merchant-navy-ships.com/index.php?id=7%2C0%2C0%2C1%2C0%2C0). Merchant Navy Ships. Archived from [the original](http://merchant-navy-ships.com/index.php?id=7,0,0,1,0,0) on 21 November 2010. Retrieved 31 October 2009.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Wreck_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Wreck_7-1) ["SS Fort Victoria (+1929)"](http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?23080). Wrecksite. Retrieved 31 October 2009.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Bermuda_8-0)** ["About Furness Bermuda Line"](http://www.furnessbermudaline.com/index_files/Page1207.htm). Furness Bermuda Line. Retrieved 31 October 2009.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-TT_9-0)** ["Bermuda Steamship Service"](http://www.timetableimages.com/maritime/images/fur24b1.htm). Timetable images. Retrieved 31 October 2009.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Model_10-0)** ["Newport Harbor Nautical Museum"](http://www.thenrg.org/MIS/newprtbh.html?nauticalresearchguild=27762dc40d3a25861882fd3777bc45c2). The Nautical Research Guild. Retrieved 31 October 2009.

## External links

- [Colour postcard of SS *Fort Victoria*](https://web.archive.org/web/20111002120944/http://www.photoship.co.uk/JAlbum%20Ships/Old%20Ships%20F/slides/Fort%20Victoria-01.html)

- [Monochrome postcard of Fort Victoria](http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=196874)

v t e Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1929 Shipwrecks 2 Jan: Malakoff 16 Jan: Hsin Wah 12 Feb: Alloway 19 Feb: Kanowna 22 Mar: I'm Alone 25 Mar: Muggia 29 Mar: Selje 26 May: Aleutian 9 Jul: HMS H47 17 Jul: USS General Alava 1 Aug: Asakaze 30 Aug: San Juan 7 Sep: Kuru 9 Sep: Andaste 11 Sep: Acielle 2 Oct: Commandant Bultinck 22 Oct: Milwaukee 29 Oct: Wisconsin 31 Oct: Senator 4 Nov: Gilbert San 29 Nov: Norwich City 7 Dec: Ägir 18 Dec: Fort Victoria Unknown date: San Antonio Other incidents 5 Jan: Siboney 20 Jan: President Garfield 29 Jan: City of Cairo 28 Feb: Liberty Glo 7 Mar: Thétis 10 Mar: Pengreep 22 Mar: USCGC Dexter 25 Mar: Germaine L D 26 Mar: Europa 28 Mar: Libia 30 Mar: Naïade 6 Apr USS Childs 7 Apr Paris 18 Apr Paris 27 Apr: Duchess of Richmond April (unknown date) Franconia 15 May: Irwell May (unknown date): Duke of Lancaster, Duke of Rothesay 9 Jul: HMS L12 11 Jul: I-55, Kinugasa 3 Aug: Medway Queen 9 Aug: Viceroy of India 20 Aug Paris September (unknown date): Binnendijk, Eider 5 Oct: NRP Adamastor 12 Oct: USFS Widgeon 13 Oct: Empress of Canada 19 Oct: Bowes Castle 20 Oct: USAT Liberty 6 Nov: Barbana G 13 Nov: Ro-63 22 Nov: Parizhskaya Kommuna 7 Dec: Aba 18 Dec: Algonquin 24 Dec: Roosevelt 1928 1930

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [RMS Fort Victoria](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Fort_Victoria) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Fort_Victoria?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.