SS Moresby (1881)

Missionaries aboard Moresby near Normanby Island, Papua New Guinea. Picture taken by Reverend George Brown in 1899.
History
Name	Moresby (1915-1916) Moresby (1898-1915) Jacob Christensen (1882-1898)
Owner	Moresby SS. Co. Ltd (Moller & Co.)
Port of registry	Shanghai, China (1915-1916) Sydney, Australia (1898-1915) Bergen, Norway (1882-1898)
Builder	Raylton Dixon & Co.
Yard number	189
Launched	23 November 1881
Completed	1882
Acquired	1882
In service	1882
Out of service	28 November 1916
Identification	Official number: 107022
Fate	Torpedoed and sunk on 28 November 1916 by SM U-39.
General characteristics
Type	Cargo ship
Tonnage	1,763 GRT
Length	79.5 metres (260 ft 10 in)
Beam	10.5 metres (34 ft 5 in)
Depth	7.3 metres (23 ft 11 in)
Installed power	1 x 2 cyl. compound steam engine, 2 boilers with 4 furnaces
Propulsion	One screw propeller
Speed	9 knots
Crew	45

SS Moresby was a British Cargo ship that was torpedoed by the German submarine SM U-39 in the Mediterranean Sea, 120 nautical miles (220 km) Northwest of Alexandria, Egypt on 28 November 1916 while she was travelling from Saigon, Vietnam to Dunkirk, France carrying a cargo of rice.^[1][2]

Moresby was built as Jacob Christensen in 1881 at the Raylton Dixon & Co. shipyard in Middlesbrough, United Kingdom and launched on 23 November that same year before being completed in 1882. The ship was 79.5 metres (260 ft 10 in) long, had a beam of 10.5 metres (34 ft 5 in) and had a depth of 7.3 metres (23 ft 11 in). She was assessed at 1,763 GRT and had a single 2 cyl. compound steam engine driving a screw propeller as well as 2 boilers with 4 furnaces. The ship had a speed of 9 knots.^[3]

On the morning of 18 February 1910, Moresby ran aground on the Barrier reef near Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia. Several attempts to free her were unsuccessful and by the next morning, the ship's commander Captain Voy ordered all passengers into the lifeboats to be safely brought to Lizard Island. Captain Voy managed to refloat the ship on the morning of 21 February 1910 and proceeded to pick up the stranded passengers on Lizard Island before continuing its journey. The ship had suffered some damage to its forehold on her port side, but was quickly repaired and returned to service.^[4]

Moresby was travelling from Saigon, Vietnam, to Dunkirk, France, while carrying a cargo of rice. Due to the threat posed at sea by German U-boats in the ongoing First World War, Moresby had been defensively armed by her owners.^[5] When on 28 November 1916, while the ship was sailing in the Mediterranean Sea, 120 nautical miles (220 km) northwest of Alexandria, Egypt, she was torpedoed without warning by SM U-39. The ship quickly settled by the stern and sank in 12 minutes. Due to the rapid foundering of the ship, no lifeboats could be deployed. Of the 45 crew on board, 33 perished, including the chief officer and his wife, the chief engineer and 29 Chinese crewmembers. Among the 12 survivors were the ship's captain, second officer and seven Chinese crewmembers.^[6]

The wreck of Moresby is believed to lay at 32°36′N 28°38′E / 32.600°N 28.633°E / 32.600; 28.633.^[7] However the current condition of the wreck is unknown.