Captain Frederick W Vibert was the first captain of this ship, and was so for many years after it’s launch in 1909.
The S S Mantua was built by Caird & Company Greenock, Yard No 316
Engines by the shipbuilder . More details Below.
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Port of Registry: Greenock
Propulsion: 2 x quadruple expansion four cylinder steam engines, 13000 ihp, twin screw, 16.5 knots
Launched: Wednesday, 10/02/1909
Built: 1909
Ship Type: Passenger Liner
Ship’s Role: London~India/Australia mail service
Tonnage: 10885 gross; 5906 net; 7060 dwt
Length: 540ft 0in
Breadth: 61ft 4in
Draught: 28ft 6in
Owner History:
Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co London
Status: Arrived for Scrapping – 15/09/1935
Remarks:
20/02/1909: Launched by Miss Bessie Caird for The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, London.
15/04/1909: Registered. She was one of the first P&O ships to be fitted with wireless from new.
04/06/1909: Left Tilbury on her maiden voyage to Colombo, Melbourne and Sydney. As built she could accommodate 400 first class and 200 second class passengers.
1914: Requisitioned as an Armed Merchant Cruiser.
1915~1919: Used for trooping.
1919~1920: Refitted by Vickers~Armstrong at Barrow, and returned to Australia service.
08/07/1935: Sold for scrapping to China Shipbreakers Ltd, China and delivered 15/09/1935 at Shanghai.
21/09/1935: Handed over to shipbreakers.
I have obtained several great pictures of the ship, both in it’s time as a passenger ship and as an armed merchant cruiser during the first world war. I was also able to obtain the crew list of the Mantua’s first voyage to Australia in 1909 in which Frederick was captain. It is reproduced in PDF format below.
mantua1909crewlist
