{{Short description|World War II British CAM ship}} {{EngvarB|date=March 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}} {{Infobox ship |section1={{Infobox ship/image |image= |image_caption= }}
|section2={{Infobox ship/career |hide_header= |country= United Kingdom |flag= {{shipboxflag|UK|civil}} |name= SS ''Primrose Hill'' |owner= Putney Hill Steamship Co Ltd<ref name=LR43>{{cite book |url= https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/43/43b0784.pdf |title=Lloyd's Register, Steamships and Motor Ships |location=London |publisher=Lloyd's Register |year=1943 |access-date=10 April 2013}}</ref> |operator= Counties Ship Management Co Ltd, London<ref name=LR43/> |ordered= |builder= William Hamilton & Co, Port Glasgow<ref name=LR43/> |yard_number= 448<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?37419 |title=SS Primrose Hill (+ 1942) |last=Allen |first=Tony |date=9 May 2008 |work=The Wreck Site |access-date=4 July 2010}}</ref> |laid_down= |launched=25 June 1941 |completed= September 1941<ref name=LR43/> |acquired= |in_service= |out_of_service= 29 October 1942<ref name=U2317>{{cite web |url=http://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/ships/2317.html |title=Primrose Hill. |last=Helgason |first=Guðmundur |date=1995–2010 |work=uboat.net |publisher=Guðmundur Helgason |access-date=1 July 2010}}</ref> |homeport= London<ref name=LR43/> |identification=*UK official number 168208<ref name=LR43/> *Call sign BCJZ<ref name=LR43/> *{{ICS|Bravo}}{{ICS|Charlie}}{{ICS|Juliet}}{{ICS|Zulu}} |fate=Sunk by torpedo & shellfire<ref name=U2317/> |notes= }}
|section3={{Infobox ship/characteristics |hide_header= |header_caption= |class= |type= Cargo ship |tonnage=*{{GRT|7628}}<ref name=LR43/> *tonnage under deck 7,217<ref name=LR43/> *{{NRT|5,595}}<ref name=LR43/> *11,400 DWT<ref name=War1>{{cite web |url=http://www.lof-news.co.uk/WarStories/WarStory1/Primrose%20Hill%20Sinking.htm |title=The Sinking of the Primrose Hill |last1=Robertson |first1=Charles |last2=Gerstner |first2=Roy |year=2007 |work=War Stories |publisher=LOF News |access-date=3 July 2010 |archive-date=23 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723113546/http://www.lof-news.co.uk/WarStories/WarStory1/Primrose%20Hill%20Sinking.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> |displacement= |length={{convert|421.1|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name=LR43/> p/p |beam={{convert|60.4|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name=LR43/> |height= |draught= |depth={{convert|35.8|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name=LR43/> |power= 443 NHP<ref name=LR43/> |propulsion=3-cylinder triple-expansion steam engine<ref name=LR43/> |speed= |capacity= |crew= 41 Merchant Navy plus eight DEMS gunners<ref name=U2317/> |armament= |aircraft= 1 Hawker Sea Hurricane |aircraft_facilities= aircraft catapult |notes= sister ships: {{SS|Kingston Hill}}, {{SS|Lulworth Hill}}, {{SS|Marietta E}}, {{SS|Michael E}} }} }}
'''SS ''Primrose Hill''''' was a British CAM ship that saw action in World War II, armed with a catapult on her bow to launch a Hawker Sea Hurricane.<ref name=U2317/> She was completed by William Hamilton & Co in Port Glasgow on the Firth of Clyde in September 1941.<ref name=LR43/>
''Primrose Hill'' was managed by Counties Ship Management Ltd of London (CSM), an offshoot of the Rethymnis & Kulukundis shipbroking company.<ref name=CSM1>{{cite web |url=http://www.lof-news.co.uk/CountiesHistory/Counties1.htm |title=Counties Ship Management 1934-2007 |last=Fenton |first=Roy |year=2006 |work=LOF–News |page=1 |access-date=30 June 2010 |archive-date=30 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100330194244/http://www.lof-news.co.uk/CountiesHistory/Counties1.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> ''Primrose Hill'' was CSM's second CAM ship, in effect replacing ''Michael E'' that had been torpedoed and sunk three months previously on her maiden voyage.
''Primrose Hill''{{'}}s navigation equipment included an echo sounding device and a gyrocompass.<ref name=LR43/> Primrose Hill SS was a British Cargo Steamer of 7,628 tons built in 1941 by William Hamilton's & Co, Port Glasgow, Yard no 448 for Ruthi, Kuluku.
==Propulsion== ''Primrose Hill'' had six corrugated furnaces that heated two 225 lb<sub>f</sub>/in<sup>2</sup> single-ended boilers with a combined heating surface of {{convert|5940|sqft|0}}.<ref name=LR43/> The boilers raised steam for a 443 NHP triple-expansion engine that had cylinders of {{convert|24|in|cm}}, {{convert|39|in|cm}} and {{convert|68|in|cm}} diameter by {{convert|48|in|cm}} stroke.<ref name=LR43/> The engine was built by David Rowan & Co Ltd, Glasgow.<ref name=LR43/>
{{location map|North Atlantic|width=304 |lat=18.97 |long=-28.67 |relief=yes |caption=Approximate position of the sinking of ''Primrose Hill'' in the Atlantic. }}
==Sinking== On 16 October 1942 ''Primrose Hill'' sailed from Glasgow with a mixed cargo including 3,000 tons of coal, 1,796 tons of general cargo, war material and 11 aircraft.<ref name=U2317/> She was as a member of convoy ON 139 for Takoradi on the Gold Coast and Apapa in Nigeria.<ref name=U2317/> The convoy dispersed, and at 2118 hrs on 29 October she was northwest of the Cape Verde Islands when ''UD-5'', a submarine that the Kriegsmarine had captured from the Dutch Navy after the surrender of the Netherlands, fired two torpedoes at her.<ref name=U2317/> One missed but the other hit ''Primrose Hill'' in her engine room killing the second engineer, a greaser and a fireman, and setting the fuel oil in her bunkers on fire.<ref name=War1/> Two of her lifeboats and a number of liferafts were destroyed by the concussion of the blast.<ref name=War1/>
The Master, eight gunners and surviving 37 officers and men<ref name=U2317/> abandoned ship in four lifeboats<ref name=U2317/> and moved to windward as the fire spread throughout the ship.<ref name=War1/> The officers destroyed their uniforms to conceal their identity.<ref name=War1/> ''UD-5'' surfaced and her commander,<ref name=War1/> Bruno Mahn, questioned the survivors<ref name=U2317/> asking for the Master to come aboard ''UD-5''.<ref name=War1/> The survivors claimed all their officers had been killed in the explosion and fire.<ref name=War1/> Mahn clearly did not believe them, but being unable to identify his quarry he gave up and ''UD-5'' left the survivors in the boats.<ref name=War1/>
''Primrose Hill'' remained afloat so at 2246 hrs ''UD-5'' fired her {{convert|88|mm|in|abbr=on}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dutchsubmarines.com/classes/class_o21.htm |title=Class O 21 |date=1997–2006 |work=www.DutchSubmarines.com |access-date=2 July 2010}}</ref> deck gun, hitting the steamship near her bridge.<ref name=U2317/> She continued to float so at 2313 hrs ''UD-5'' fired her deck gun again, hitting ''Primrose Hill'''s stern.<ref name=U2317/> She broke her back and sank at 2345 hrs.<ref name=U2317/>
==Eight days in the lifeboats== The master and third officer had rescued sextants, a chronometer, charts and navigation books from ''Primrose Hill'''s bridge.<ref name=War1/> However, the boats proved to be very short of rations and water for the number of men who had survived.<ref name=War1/> On the morning of 30 October the four lifeboats, keeping close together, set sail and steered eastwards for the Cape Verde Islands.<ref name=War1/> However, by the morning of 31 October wind and currents had taken them westwards.<ref name=War1/> On 1 November they were further west and No. 2 lifeboat lost her rudder.<ref name=War1/> One lifeboat was steel and sailed much worse than the three wooden ones, so on 2 November her occupants transferred themselves and her rations to the three wooden boats and cut the steel one adrift.<ref name=War1/>
On 3 November the remaining boats had been carried further west so they lowered sail and tried rowing, but found the wind and current too strong.<ref name=War1/> At 0300 hrs on 4 November another U-boat found the boats, questioned the crew and then sailed on.<ref name=War1/> Overnight to 5 November the boats managed to row a little eastwards.<ref name=War1/> On 6 November the survivors were just giving up hope of making headway against the current towards Cape Verde and were turning to sail with the current {{convert|1500|mi|km}} in the opposite direction to Brazil,<ref name=War1/> when after 1430 hrs the survivors sighted the Elder Dempster Lines cargo ship MV ''Sansu'' about {{convert|6|mi|km}} away heading southwards.<ref name=War1/> The crew burned smoke flares to attract the ''Sansu'''s attention and rowed to meet her.<ref name=War1/> At about 1530 hrs the ''Sansu'' picked up the survivors and on 11 November<ref name=War1/> landed them at Freetown in Sierra Leone.<ref name=U2317/><ref name=War1/>
==Replacement ship== In 1947 CSM took over the 1943-built Liberty ship {{SS|Samflora||2}} and renamed her ''Primrose Hill''.<ref name=Liberty>{{cite web |url= http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/LibShipsS.html |title=Liberty Ships - S |work=Mariners |access-date=1 July 2010}}</ref> In 1949 she was transferred to another Rethymnis & Kulukundis company, London & Overseas Freighters Ltd, who renamed her ''London Vendor''.<ref name=Liberty/> LOF sold her in 1951 to new owners who registered her in Panama as a flag of convenience and renamed her ''Cabanos''.<ref name=Liberty/> In 1963 she passed to new Panamanian owners who renamed her ''Thebean''.<ref name=Liberty/> She was registered in Greece from 1964 and was scrapped at Onomichi, Japan in 1968.<ref name=Liberty/>
==References== {{reflist}}
==Further reading== *{{cite book |last1=Sedgwick |first1=Stanley |last2=Kinnaird |first2=Mark |last3=O'Donoghue |first3=K.J |title=London & Overseas Freighters, 1948–92: A Short History |orig-year=1992 |year=1993 |publisher=World Ship Society |isbn=0-905617-68-1}} *{{cite book |last1=Sedgwick |first1=Stanley |last2=Sprake |first2=R.F. |title=London & Overseas Freighters Limited 1949–1977 |year=1977 |publisher=World Ship Society |isbn= 0905617037}}
{{coord|18|58|N|28|40|W|display=title}}<!-- source=http://www.lof-news.co.uk/WarStories/WarStory1/Primrose%20Hill%20Sinking.htm -->
{{CAM ships}} {{October 1942 shipwrecks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Primrose Hill}} Category:1941 ships Category:CAM ships Category:Ships built on the River Clyde Category:Maritime incidents in October 1942 Category:Ships of Counties Ship Management Category:Ships sunk by German submarines in World War II Category:Steamships of the United Kingdom Category:World War II shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean Category:World War II merchant ships of the United Kingdom