Technical

Official Number: 165363
Yard Number: 556
Completed: 1936
Gross Tonnage: 655
Net Tonnage: 254
Length: 188.1 ft
Breadth: 28.1 ft
Depth: 15.5 ft
Engine: T.3-cyl & LP turbine with DR gearing & hydraulic coupling by Deutsche Schiffs und Maschinenbau AG Seebeck, Wesermünde
Built: Deutsche Schiffs und Maschinenbau AG Weser, Bremen

History

1936: Ordered by Leverhulme Ltd, London to absorb frozen credits in Germany.
11.1936: Completed by Deutsche Schiff und Maschinenbau AG Seebeck, Wesermünde (Yd.No.556) for MacLine Ltd, London (Leverhulme Ltd) as NORTHERN GIFT.
23.11.1936: Registered at London (LO166). Operating out of Fleetwood (Edward D. W. Lawford, manager).
18.12.1936: First landing at Fleetwood, 500 boxes grossed £680.
21.9.1937: Last landing at Fleetwood, 780 boxes grossed £645.
9.10.1937: Sold to Northern Trawlers Ltd, London (H. Markham Cook, Grimsby, manager).
1.9.1939: Requisitioned for war service as a patrol vessel (P.No.4.50) (Hire rate £425.15.0d/month).
1942: Fitted out for anti-submarine duties.
5.4.1943: Convoy ONS-3 comprising eighteen ships (plus others joining later), escorted by Escort Group 40 sailed Liverpool for Halifax, NS, Commodore (Capt Jeffery Elliott DSO RD RN in steamer ASHIANTIAN (4,917grt/1935) (Master Charles Carter Taylor). NORTHERN GIFT (Ty/Act/LtCdr A.J. Clemence, RNR) with NORTHERN PRIDE (P.No.) (Ty/Lt Albert Richard Cornish RNR)detailed as rescue ships.
10.4.1943: NORTHERN PRIDE left convoy for Belfast with machinery defects.
21.4.1943: At 8.00 am. SE of Cape Farewell convoy attacked by U-boats. At 8.07 am. ASHANTIAN was struck by one torpedo fired by U.415 sustaining damage on the starboard side between No.3 hold and the stokehold, ingress of water leading to a list of 45° and started to settle by the bow. Crew abandoned in port lifeboat (47 men) and a raft, others jumped in to sea and clung on to debris and rafts. ASHANTIAN foundered some seven minutes after the torpedo struck, the Master, Commodore, thirteen crew and one gunner were lost. Within three hours, NORTHERN GIFT had taken onboard fifty survivors. At 8.14 am. steamer WANSTEAD (5,486grt/1928)(Master William B. Johnston) was struck by one torpedo fired from the stern tubes of U.415 and the ship set on fire. The Master, forty crew and seven gunners abandoned and picked up by HMS POPPY (P.N.K213) (Lt N.K. Boyd, DSC RN) and Northern Gift. POPPY attempted to sink the WANSTEAD but a torpedo from U.413 at 1.45 pm resulted in her sinking.
25.4.1943: At St. John’s, NFL landed survivors of both ships; 3rd Eng of ASHANTIAN died from exposure on route.
1944: Assigned to Operation Neptune – Normandy landings.
23.5.1944: Convoy escort duties in British waters and across the Channel in support of landings.
3.7.1944: Operation Neptune ended.
10.1944: Stranded off the Needles; repaired at Birkenhead and returned to service.
10.1944: Remeasured 620g 254n.
1945: Employed as ocean escort vessel.
23.10.1945: Returned to owner.
1947: Sold to Alliance H/F, Reykjavik, Iceland. Renamed KÁRI (RE195).
1950: Sold to Ludwig Janssen & Co, Wesermünde. Renamed GRONLAND.
1957: Sold to W. Ritscher, Hamburg for breaking up.
7.3.1957: Delivered Hamburg.

Click to enlarge images

S.T. Northern Gift LO166
Picture © John Clarkson

HMS Northern Gift
Survivors from Ashantian and Wanstead

S.T. Kári RE195
Picture courtesy of the JJ collection

Changelog
22/12/2008: Page published. 5 updates since then.
19/11/2017: Removed FMHT watermark from images.
19/04/2019: Added information and image.