Chitral (1)

Chitral (1) was one of P&O's "C-class" vessels built in the post-WWI period to service the Australia route. Launched in 1925, she was primarily designed as a cargo vessel with modest passenger accommodation, reflecting P&O's strategic focus on combined passenger-cargo operations in the interwar period.

Construction and Design

Built by Alexander Stephens & Sons in Scotland, Chitral (1) was launched on January 27, 1925, and completed in June of the same year. She was one of three sister ships delivered in rapid succession during 1925, alongside Cathay (2) and Comorin, later joined by Corfu, Carthage, and Canton (4) to form the complete "C-class" fleet.

Pre-war Service (1925-1939)

Chitral (1) commenced her maiden voyage from London to Sydney on July 3, 1925. During the Spanish Civil War in 1936, while anchored off Gibraltar, she narrowly escaped damage when bombs from a Spanish aircraft missed the vessel.

Wartime Service (1939-1945)

Upon the outbreak of World War II, Chitral (1) was commissioned by the British Ministry of War for service as an armed merchant cruiser. She was equipped with seven six-inch guns and three four-inch anti-aircraft guns. Operating as HMS Chitral, she patrolled the North Sea where she intercepted the German cargo vessel Bertha Fisser, which was subsequently scuttled by its crew. Following a refurbishment in Baltimore, she served as a troop carrier.

Post-war Service (1945-1953)

After the war, Chitral (1) played a crucial role in post-war reconstruction, repatriating both Axis and Allied prisoners of war and transporting Allied Occupation Forces to Japan, including numerous voyages from Australia and New Zealand. In late 1947, she underwent an extensive overhaul on the Clyde, retaining both funnels and being converted to a single-class vessel accommodating 750 passengers. On December 30, 1948, she began her first post-war voyage to Australia, carrying assisted migrants outbound and fare-paying passengers on return journeys. The vessel maintained her traditional P&O black-hulled livery until her sale to the British Steel Corporation for scrapping in 1953.

Key Facts

Specification	Details
Gross Tonnage	15,248 tons
Length	548 ft (167m)
Beam	70 ft (21.3m)
Draught	31 ft (9.4m)
Engines	Twin quadruple-expansion (13,000 IHP)
Speed	Initially 16 knots, later 17 knots
Passenger Capacity	Original: 203 first class, 103 tourist Post-1947: 750 single class
Cargo Capacity	450,000 cubic feet
Crew	248