Author Topic: Blockships and Boom Defences in Dover Harbour  (Read 2710 times)

Offline Ted Ingham

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Re: Blockships and Boom Defences in Dover Harbour
« Reply #10 on: January 23, 2023, 11:49:58 AM »
Another photo of the Boom Defence vessel RFA Swin or RFA Succor just inside the Western Entrance Dover.
Looks like the Dover Harbour Board tug Dominant in the foreground.

Offline Ted Ingham

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Re: Blockships and Boom Defences in Dover Harbour
« Reply #9 on: January 21, 2023, 09:58:49 PM »
Photograph of either the RFA SWIN or the RFA Succor in Dover Harbour whilst on Block Ship duties.
Interesting to see the old Dover Harbour Board bucket dredger in the background.

Online MartinR

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Re: Blockships and Boom Defences in Dover Harbour
« Reply #8 on: January 21, 2023, 12:06:37 PM »
The Spanish Prince is still visible on the charts as an area marked "Foul" (in other words there is debris on the seabed.  The foul area is charted just inside the 10m contour.  There is an obstruction to 8.6m which would correspond to the small vessel marked alongside her in the sketch provided by Nemo.  There's a further 8.9m obstruction where the stern of the Minnie Larrinaga was and foul ground stretches across most of the entrance.
A couple of posts seem to have misunderstood chart datum.  Chart datum in the UK is normally the Lowest Astronomical Tide (LAT).  This is the lowest level to which the tide will fall neglecting meteorological effects.  The figures on a chart are the depths BELOW chart datum, to that the 8.6 (shown as 86) means that there should be at least 8.6 m of water over the obstruction at any state of the tide.  If the figure is underlined though (31 for example) it is a drying height and means that the bed there is 3.1m ABOVE datum.  If there's 5m of tide I can sail there, but if there is only 2m of tide I can walk there.


Offline Ted Ingham

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Re: Blockships and Boom Defences in Dover Harbour
« Reply #7 on: January 21, 2023, 11:00:20 AM »
Attached image shows the Bar Class Boom Defence vessel HMS Barford together with the lifting craft LC 10 and LC 11 at Dover Eastern Entrance.
Photographed in the early 1950's whilst raising parts of the block ships in the area. Over the years especially in the 60's 70's the eastern was open to ferries.

Offline Nemo

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Re: Blockships and Boom Defences in Dover Harbour
« Reply #6 on: November 27, 2019, 09:13:31 PM »
My memory is imperfect and the various web references conflict; however, I think she was taken down to a height giving 8.5m clearance above chart datum.  I had also forgotten that she was previously the Knight Batchelor and in that guise did a "Titanic" but survived.

Offline Smiffy

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Re: Blockships and Boom Defences in Dover Harbour
« Reply #5 on: November 27, 2019, 05:00:52 PM »
Was Spanish Prince finally removed or is she still there?

Offline Nemo

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Re: Blockships and Boom Defences in Dover Harbour
« Reply #4 on: November 27, 2019, 02:40:08 PM »
Spanish Prince images from WW1 and 2010.

Offline alkhamhills

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Re: Blockships and Boom Defences in Dover Harbour
« Reply #3 on: November 13, 2019, 07:45:47 PM »
SS RFA War Sepoy

Offline alkhamhills

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Re: Blockships and Boom Defences in Dover Harbour
« Reply #2 on: November 13, 2019, 07:37:44 PM »
SS Minnie Larrinaga

Offline alkhamhills

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Blockships and Boom Defences in Dover Harbour
« Reply #1 on: November 13, 2019, 07:26:12 PM »

 During WW11, It was considered that Dover Harbour was in danger from German Submarines, using Harbour Entrance for firing torpedoes at shipping therein. It was decided to block the Harbour Western Entrance, using  two ships, the SS War Sepoy and Minnie Larrinaga  Disposal of the ships commenced 2.5.1950. They were taken to Dover Industries Scrapyard and broken up. The Western Entrance was finally cleared by July 1962 and re-opened 26.4.1964
  There were already two ships at the Western entrance, scuttled in pre WW1. The SS Spanish Prince and SS Livonian

SS(later RFA) WAR SEPOY, Tanker,
built by Wm.Gray,launched 5/12/1918,completed 6/2/1919 for Shipping Controller, managed by Anglo-Mexican Petroleum Co, London; 1921 transferred to Admiralty; 1936 Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
'War Sepoy' was damaged and burnt out during an air attack at Dover,19/7/1940.She was filled with concrete, towed into position within the western entrance and sunk as a blockship,7/9/1940.
 
SS Minnie Larrinaga, Tramp Steamer,(5049grt) built by Russell & Co, Glasgow , launched 30.6.1914. Owned by Miguel de Larrinaga Steamship Co. Whilst discharging Wheat at Surrey Commercial Docks, severely damaged and burnt out during an Air Raid 7.9.1940. Britain Hewitt was appointed to command HM Special Service Vessel MINNIE DE LARRINAGA. Loaded with ballast and topped with concrete, to stop the ballast moving, and dynamite she left Gravesend with two tugs forward and two tugs aft at 0945 hours, 1st February 1941. After the most harrowing 71 miles voyage imaginable Hewitt arrived in Dover at 0430 hours 5th February 1941, where the ship was taken over by the King's Harbour Master and placed in position ready for the Demolition Party to sink her at 0900 as a block ship in the harbour's western entrance by the side of  War Sepoy
 
SS Spanish Prince. Purchased by the Admiralty and scuttled in 1917 in the Western Entrance. 4 large gantries were welded to her decks and netting strung between them. The gantries have long since gone. The vessel was left in place, as it did not pose any difficulty to shipping. However with larger ships. It is now(August 2010) being finally raised

  SS Livonian. Built in 1881(4162 grt) and originally named Ludgate Hill until 1897. Belonging to the Allan Line, then Donaldson Line and purchased by the Admiralty in 1914, and sunk as a blockship, also in the Western Entrance. She was raised in 1932. Probably broken up by Dover Industries Ltd