Themistocles

The Themistocles was a passenger liner built by Harland and Wolff in Belfast alongside the ill-fated Titanic. Launched on September 22, 1910, she was similar in concept to White Star Line's "Athenic" class vessels built eight years earlier. She was notable for being the only vessel to retain her original name following the collapse of the Kylsant Group.

Construction and Design

Built as a sister ship to Demosthenes, the vessel featured twin-screw propulsion powered by Harland & Wolff quadruple-expansion engines. Her distinctive livery consisted of a black hull, white superstructure, buff and black funnel, and red boot-topping.

Early Service Years (1911-1914)

The Themistocles commenced her maiden voyage on February 16, 1911, operating on the London-Australia service route. This peaceful commercial service would last only three years before the outbreak of World War I.

World War I and Interwar Period (1914-1939)

Throughout World War I, the vessel served as a troop carrier. In 1920, she underwent a refit in Aberdeen before returning to the Australian service. In 1928, she was transferred to White Star Line for the Liverpool-Brisbane route. Following the Kylsant Group's collapse, she was sold to Shaw Savill & Albion in 1932. The following year, her boilers were redesigned to improve efficiency.

World War II Service (1939-1945)

Unlike many merchant vessels, Themistocles was not requisitioned for military use during World War II but continued her Brisbane trade while carrying military personnel between ports. Her substantial refrigerated cargo capacity of over 212,000 cubic feet proved invaluable for transporting frozen supplies and materials crucial to Britain's war effort. She served as a Commodore of Convoys vessel to assembly points such as Cape Town and Halifax, and despite numerous enemy attacks, survived the war unscathed.

Final Years (1946-1948)

Given her advancing age, the cost of a post-war refit was deemed unjustifiable. The vessel was withdrawn from service in 1946 and laid up in the River Blackwater. In August 1948, she was sold for scrap and delivered to breakers on Tyne-side.

Key Facts

Specification	Details
Gross Tonnage	11,231
Length	517 ft (157.6 m)
Beam	63 ft (19.2 m)
Draught	31 ft (9.4 m)
Engine	Quadruple-expansion (6000 Ihp)
Speed	15 knots
Passenger Capacity	102 first class, 258 third class
Crew	160