Court Line - the company and its ships

Lorca

 

The name Lorca was kept when she joined the Court Line fleet in 1943.

 

She had a service life of 25 years which included taking part in a large number of WW2 convoys but which was brought to an end when she ran aground on the St Lawrence in 1955 and was abandoned and broken up.

Basic Data

Type: Cargo ship

Registered owners,managers and operators:

Cory & Strick (Steamers)  Ltd.

Managers Frank C.Strick & Co. Ltd. London

Builders: J Redhead & Sons Ltd.

Yard: South Shields

Country: UK

Yard number: 504

Registry: N/K

Official number: 162525

Signal letters: N/K

Call sign: N/K

Classification society: N/K

Gross tonnage: 4,875

Net tonnage: 3,007

Deadweight: N/K

Length: 393.4ft

Breadth: 53.8 ft

Depth: 26.5 ft

Draught: N/K

Engines: 3 cylinder triple expansion steam engine

Engine builders: J. Redhead & Sons Ltd

Works: South Shields

Country: UK

Power: N/K

Propulsion: Single screw

Speed: 10.5 knots

Cargo capacity: N/K

Crew: N/K

Service Pre WW2

 

No information is currently known other than the changes of owners and names shown in the Career Highlights section.

 

Participation in WW2 Convoys

 

Lorca took part in 75 convoys according to information shown in the table below which is provided courtesy of Convoyweb   - see  Ext. Ref. #5.

Service Post WW2

 

She went aground on Bird Rocks, Magdalen Island, St Lawrence on 13 Auguest 1955 on route from Sydney to Montreal with a cargo of coal. She was abandoned and broken up but details of where this took place are not currently known.

 

Images

 

No images have been located to date. Anyone having one is requested to contact this site (see Home Page).

Career Highlights

Date

Event

22 Sep 1930

Launched

12 Jan 1931

Completed

1943

Acquired by the United British Steam Ship Co. Ltd. - Managers Haldin & Phillipps

1944

Sold to Maritime Shipping & Trading Co. Ltd. - Managers Michalinos & Co. Ltd. And renamed Loradore

13 Aug 1955

Went aground

17 Aug 1955

Abandoned and broken up (location of breakers not known)

Convoy No.

Route

Convoy No.

Route

OA.16G

Oct 1939: Southend - Formed OG.2

OG.2

Oct 1939: Formed at sea - Gibraltar

HG.6

Nov 1939: Gibraltar - Uk Ports

HG.13

Dec 1939: Gibraltar - Liverpool

OG.18

Feb 1940: Formed at sea - Gibraltar

OB.90

Feb 1940: Liverpool - Formed OG.18

OB.120

Mar 1940: Liverpool - Formed OG.24

HG.22F

Mar 1940: Gibraltar - Liverpool

OG.24

Apr 1940: Formed at sea - Gibraltar

OB.150

May 1940: Liverpool - Formed OG.30

OG.30

May 1940: Formed at sea - Gibraltar

SL/MKS.36

Jun 1940: Freetown - Liverpool

HGZ

Jun 1940: Gibraltar - Joined sl.36

R.31

Jun 1940: Oran - Gibraltar

HX.70

Sep 1940: Halifax - Liverpool

OA.231

Oct 1940: Methil - Dispersed

FS.353

Dec 1940: Methil - Southend

SC.16

Dec 1940: Halifax - Liverpool

FS.396

Jan 1941: Methil - Southend

WN.71

Jan 1941: Clyde - Methil

EN.74/1

Feb 1941: Methil - Oban

EN.75/1

Feb 1941: Methil - Oban

OB.291

Feb 1941: Liverpool - Dispersed

SL/MKS.72

Apr 1941: Freetown - Liverpool

OB.337

Jun 1941: Liverpool - Dispersed 48.17N 20.40W

SL/MKS.82

Jul 1941: Freetown - Liverpool

PQ.1

Sep 1941: Hvalfjord - Archangel

QP.2

Nov 1941: Archangel - Kirkwall

ON.14

Sep 1941: Liverpool - Dispersed 56.25N 24.50W

OS/KMS.15

Dec 1941: Liverpool - Bathurst

WN.207

Nov 1941: Oban - Methil

EN.22

Dec 1941: Methil - Oban

SL/MKS.102

Mar 1942: Freetown - Liverpool

BB.157

Apr 1942: Belfast Lough - Milford Haven

OS/KMS.26

Apr 1942: Liverpool - Freetown

OS/KMS.27

May 1942: Liverpool - Freetown

BB.190

Jun 1942: Belfast Lough - Milford Haven

SL/MKS.112

Jun 1942: Freetown - Liverpool

OSS.34

Jul 1942: Ex os 34 - Takoradi

OS/KMS.34

Jul 1942: Liverpool - Freetown

TS.15

Aug 1942: Takoradi - Freetown

SL/MKS.121

Sep 1942: Freetown - Liverpool

ON.138

Oct 1942: Liverpool - NYC

TAG.22

Nov 1942: Trinidad - Guantanamo

ON.146

Nov 1942: Liverpool - NYC

ST.46

Dec 1942: Freetown - Takoradi

FTT.6

Dec 1942: Freetown - Trinidad

TAG.SP

Jan 1943: Trinidad - Kingston, Jamaica

ZG.20

Jan 1943: Cristobal - Guantanamo

SC.120

Feb 1943: NYC - Liverpool

OS/KMS.45

Mar 1943: Liverpool - Freetown

SL/MKS.129

May 1943: Freetown - Rendezvous with MKS.13

SL/MKS.129MK

May 1943: Rendezvous of SL129 with MKS13 - Liverpool

OS/KMS.51

Jul 1943: Ex OS51/ KMS20 - Freetown

OS/KMS.51KM

Jul 1943: Liverpool - Convoy Split

SL/MKS.136

Sep 1943: Freetown - Rendezvous with MKS.24

SL/MKS.136MK

Sep 1943: Rendezvous of SL136 with MKS24G - Liverpool

WN.484

Sep 1943: Loch Ewe - Methil

OS/KMS.59KM

Nov 1943: Liverpool - Convoy Split

EN.306

Nov 1943: Methil - Loch Ewe

KMS.33

Nov 1943: Gibraltar - Port Said

KMS.33G

Nov 1943: Ex OS59/ KMS33 - Gibraltar

MKS.34

Dec 1943: Port Said - Gibraltar

SL/MKS.147

Jan 1944: Freetown - Rendezvous with MKS.38

OS/KMS.62

Jan 1944: Ex OS62/ KMS37 - Freetown

SL/MKS.147MK

Feb 1944: Rendezvous of SL147 with MKS38 - Liverpool

OS/KMS.70KM

Mar 1944: Liverpool - Convoy Split

KMS.44G

Mar 1944: Ex OS70/ KMS44 - Gibraltar

GUS.38

Apr 1944: Port Said - Hampton Roads

MKS.46

Apr 1944: Port Said - Gibraltar

MKS.48G

May 1944: Gibraltar - Rendezvous with SL.157

SL/MKS.157MK

May 1944: Rendezvous of SL157 with MKS48 - Liverpool

OS/KMS.81KM

Jun 1944: Liverpool - Convoy Split

KMS.55

Jul 1944: Gibraltar - Port Said

KMS.55G

Jul 1944: Ex OS81/ KMS55 - Gibraltar