-- commercial vessels -->
|
|---|
SS Redesmere was a small freighter built during the First World War. Completed in 1915, she was intended for the West African trade. The ship was sunk by the German submarine SM U-70 in October 1917.
Redesmere had an overall length of 290feet, with a beam of 42.7feet and a draught of 19.5feet. The ship was assessed at and . She had a vertical triple-expansion steam engine driving a single screw propeller. The engine was rated at a total of 226 nominal horsepower and produced 1200ihp. This gave her a maximum speed of 9.75kn.[1]
Redesmere, named after Redes Mere,[2] was laid down as yard number 266 by the Sunderland Shipbuilding Co. at its shipyard in Sunderland for the Watson Steamship Co. The ship was launched on 7 September 1911 and completed on 5 October. She was sold to the Lever Brothers' newly formed Bromport Steamship Co. on 11 May 1916. Redesmere was enroute to Southampton from Barry, with a load of coal when she was torpedoed and sunk by UB-40 west of St Catherine's Point on 28 October 1917[3] with the loss of 19 crewmen.[4]