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MV Nottingham was a refrigerated cargo motor ship that was built in Scotland in 1941 for the Federal Steam Navigation Co. On her maiden voyage a u-boat torpedoed her, sinking her with all hands.
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | Nottingham |
| Namesake | Nottingham |
| Owner | Federal Steam Nav Co |
| Port of registry | London |
| Builder | Alexander Stephen & Sons |
| Yard number | 576 |
| Launched | 12 August 1941 |
| Completed | November 1941 |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | Sunk by torpedo, 7 Nov 1941 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | refrigerated cargo ship |
| Tonnage | 8,532 GRT, 5,022 NRT |
| Length | 457.5 ft (139.4 m) |
| Beam | 60.3 ft (18.4 m) |
| Draught | 27 ft 5 in (8.36 m) |
| Depth | 35.6 ft (10.9 m) |
| Decks | 3 |
| Installed power | 1,294 NHP |
| Propulsion | single-acting two-stroke diesel |
| Speed | 15 knots (28 km/h) |
| Crew | 56 crew + 6 DEMS gunners |
| Sensors and processing systems |
|
| Notes | sister ship: Gloucester |
She was the first of two ships of this name in the Federal Steam fleet. The second Nottingham was a motor ship that was launched in 1949 and scrapped in 1971.[1]
In 1941 Alexander Stephen and Sons of Linthouse, Glasgow built a pair of refrigerated cargo ships for Federal Steam. Gloucester was launched on 3 March 1941 and completed that July.[2] Her sister ship Nottingham was launched on 12 August and completed at the beginning of November.[3]
Each ship had a registered length of 457.5 ft (139.4 m), beam of 60.3 ft (18.4 m) and depth of 35.6 ft (10.9 m). Each had a single screw driven by a Barclay, Curle & Co six-cylinder, single-acting, two-stroke diesel engine. Nottingham's engine was rated at 1,294 NHP[4] and gave her a speed of 15 knots (28 km/h).[5]
At the beginning of November 1941 Nottingham left Glasgow on her maiden voyage. She was bound for New York with a general cargo that included Scotch whisky.[6] Her Master was Captain Francis Cecil Pretty, who in 1917 had been awarded the DSC when he was a Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve,[7] and in February 1941 had been made an OBE for keeping control of his ship after she was damaged by enemy action.[8]
On the night of 7 November U-74 engaged Nottingham in mid-Atlantic about 550 nautical miles (1,020 km) southeast of Cape Farewell, Greenland. Nottingham tried to ram the U-boat, but missed. The U-boat fired a torpedo from one of its stern tubes, which hit Nottingham in the stern at 2234 hrs. Nottingham stopped, and at 2250 hrs U-74 fired a spread of two torpedoes, both of which missed. At 2259 hrs a further torpedo from the U-boat hit Nottingham, sinking her.[9]
U-74 saw Nottingham's crew abandon ship in her lifeboats. But none of the boats was seen again, and all of Nottingham's 56 crew and six DEMS gunners were lost.[9]
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