RMS Laconia (1911)

History

The first RMS Laconia , built by the naval manufacturer Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson , for the silent partner company Cunard Line. The ship is inaugurated the July 27th 1911, is delivered to the company Cunard Line the December 12th 1911, and is begun its service the January 20th 1912.

At the dawn of the First World War, Laconia transformed into commercial Cruiser armed in 1914 and based at Simonstown in the Atlantic Ocean of the south. The building patrolled the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean of the south until April 1915. Laconia was employed as conveyer of Prisonnier S or military hospital for transport of wounded between the Africa of the east (old German colonies) and the Tanga. Given again to the company Cunard Line , in July 1916, Laconia takes again its service of cruising the September 9th 1916.

The February 25th 1917, Laconia is torpedoed by the U-50 of the Kaiserliche Marine with 11 kilometers (six miles) in the west of Fastnet between the the United States and the England, with 75 passengers (34 in first class and 41 in second class) and a crew of 217 men under the command of the Irvine captain. The first Torpille reaches the right side with height of the engine room, the wounded but not run ship, and twenty minutes later a second torpedo runs Laconia around 10 p.m. 20, with on its board 12 people killed, including 6 sailors, 3 passengers Britannique S and three passengers American S.

Anecdote

For the posterity of the boat, the company Cunard Line, will order a second ship with the same naval manufacturer and the same name will give him: to see RMS Laconia (1921).

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