Warwick Castle (III)

The Warwick Castle (3) was a passenger liner built by Harland and Wolff in Belfast for the Union-Castle Line. Launched on April 29, 1930, she was the third vessel to bear this name in the company's fleet. The ship began her career on the Southampton-Cape Town route with her maiden voyage on January 30, 1931.

Early Service (1930-1938)

The vessel initially operated with a distinctive violet/mauve hull and white superstructure, characteristic of Union-Castle Line vessels. She was configured to carry 260 first class, 245 second class, and 254 third class passengers, served by a crew of 350.

1938 Rebuild

In 1938, Warwick Castle underwent a significant rebuild at Harland and Wolff. The vessel received new Burmeister & Wain diesel engines producing 26,000 BHP, increasing her service speed to 20 knots. Her profile was altered by reducing her two funnels to one, and her gross tonnage slightly decreased to 20,107 GRT. The passenger accommodation was reconfigured to carry 262 first class, 228 second class, and 209 tourist class passengers. She began trials of her new configuration on September 30, 1938.

Wartime Service and Loss

Following the outbreak of World War II, Warwick Castle was converted for service as a troopship. While returning from North Africa to England, she was attacked by German submarine U-413 approximately 200 nautical miles off Portugal. The attack proved fatal, and she sank at position 38°44' N, 13°00' W with the loss of 63 lives.

Key Facts

Specification	Details
Built by	Harland and Wolff, Belfast
Yard Number	840
Gross Tonnage	20,445 GRT (original), 20,107 GRT (after 1938)
Length	677 ft (206.4 m)
Beam	75.5 ft (23.0 m)
Propulsion	Burmeister & Wain diesel engines (original and 1938 replacement)
Speed	16-18 knots (original), 20 knots (after 1938)
Screws	Twin
Home Port	Southampton