SS Llandaff Castle

SS Llandaff Castle was a British steam passenger–cargo liner operated by the Union-Castle Line. Built in 1926, she was used extensively during the Second World War for troop transport, and was sunk by a German submarine in 1942 off the coast of Zululand.

History
Name	Llandaff Castle
Operator	Union-Castle Line
Builder	Workman, Clark and Company, Belfast
Launched	10 August 1926
Completed	January 1927
Fate	Torpedoed and sunk 30 November 1942
General characteristics
Type	Passenger/cargo ship
Tonnage	10,786 GRT
Length	471 ft (144 m)
Beam	61.7 ft (18.8 m)
Propulsion	2 × quadruple-expansion steam engines; twin screws
Speed	14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph)

Construction

Llandaff Castle was built by Workman, Clark & Co. in Belfast with the yard number 488. The ship was launched on 10 August 1926, and completed in January 1927.^[1] She was a steel-hulled twin-screw vessel, measuring 471 feet (144 m) in length with a beam of 61.7 ft (18.8 m) and a depth of 39.2 ft (11.9 m).^[1] The vessel was measured at 10,786 gross register tons (GRT) and she was powered by two quadruple-expansion steam engines producing 1,086 nominal horsepower, giving a service speed of approximately 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph).^[1]

She was named after Llandaff Castle in Cardiff, Wales.

Civilian service

The ship operated on Union-Castle's "Round Africa" mail service, making voyages between the United Kingdom and southern and eastern Africa via Mediterranean and East African ports.^[2] She carried first- and third-class passengers, with accommodation for 225 in first class and 186 in third class.^{[3][circular reference]}

Wartime service

With the outbreak of the Second World War, Llandaff Castle was requisitioned in 1939 for use as a troop transport. During her conversion, the passenger cabins were reconfigured to accommodate up to 1,150 troops. She was also armed with a 4.7‑inch naval gun on her stern, along with two machine guns mounted amidships. This armament remained in place throughout her wartime service.^[4]

In August 1940, she transported 300 child evacuees to South Africa under the auspices of the Children's Overseas Reception Board (CORB) scheme.^[5]

During 1941 and 1942, she conveyed British and Commonwealth forces between Africa and the Middle East. In May 1942, she took part in Operation Ironclad, the Allied invasion of Madagascar.^[5]

Sinking

On 26 November 1942, Llandaff Castle departed Dar es Salaam en route to Durban, carrying 155 crew, 4 gunners, and 150 passengers, including Soviet military personnel and their families, along with around 300 tons of cargo.^[5] On 30 November, she was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-177 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Robert Gysae, approximately 100 nautical miles (190 km; 120 mi) east of Zululand at 27°20′S 33°40′E.^[5]

The ship was hit by two torpedoes at 17:29 hours and broke in two. A third torpedo struck the stern section at 17:47, followed by a coup de grâce at 18:09.^[5] Three crewmen were killed, but 310 survivors were rescued on 2 December by HMS Catterick and taken to Durban.^[5] According to reports, when the German U-boat surfaced and asked the survivors if they were all right, one replied they were "just wet", prompting laughter from the Germans, who then departed.^[5]

Legacy

Llandaff Castle was the largest ship ever sunk by U-177.^[5] The Union-Castle Line would go on to lose several vessels during the war, but made a significant contribution to Allied logistics, transporting more than 1.3 million troops.^[6]