SS Maplewood was a British cargo steamship. She was launched on the River Tees in 1915. A U-boat sank her in the Mediterranean in 1917.

Maplewood being torpedoed by U-35
History
United Kingdom
NameMaplewood
OwnerConstantine & Pickering
Port of registryMiddlesbrough
BuilderRopner & Sons, Stockton
Yard number503
Launched10 September 1915
CompletedOctober 1915
Identification
FateTorpedoed 1917
General characteristics
Typecargo ship
Tonnage3,239 GRT, 1,911 NRT
Length335.0 ft (102.1 m)
Beam48.1 ft (14.7 m)
Depth23.3 ft (7.1 m)
Installed power278 NHP
Propulsion

Building

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In 1912 Joseph Constantine and Warley Pickering of Middlesbrough, Yorkshire took delivery of a pair of sister ships: Thorpwood, launched that January by William Gray & Company of West Hartlepool,[1] and Wearwood, launched that April by John Blumer & Co of Sunderland.[2] In 1915 Ropner & Sons of Stockton-on-Tees built a third ship for Constantine and Pickering to the same measurements. She was built as yard number 503, launched on 10 September 1915 as Maplewood, and completed that October.[3]

Maplewood's registered length was 335.0 ft (102.1 m), her beam was 48.1 ft (14.7 m) and her depth was 23.3 ft (7.1 m). Her tonnages were 3,239 GRT and 1,911 NRT. She had a single screw, driven by a three-cylinder triple-expansion engine built by Blair & Co of Stockton that was rated at 278 NHP. Warley and Pickering registered Maplewood at Middlesbrough. Her UK official number was 136078 and her code letters were JLWH.[4]

Loss

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In April 1917 Maplewood left La Goulette in Tunisia with a cargo of iron ore for Middlesbrough. On 7 April U-35 sank her by torpedo 47 nautical miles (87 km) southwest of Cape Sperone, Sardinia. All of her crew survived, but U-35 took her Master prisoner.[5][6]

References

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  1. ^ "Thorpwood". Tees Built Ships. Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  2. ^ "Wearwood". Wear Built Ships. Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  3. ^ "Maplewood". Tees Built Ships. Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  4. ^ Mercantile Navy List. London. 1916. p. 378 – via Crew List Index Project.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  5. ^ "British Merchant Ships Lost to Enemy Action Part 2 of 3 – January–August 1917 in date order". Naval-History.net. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  6. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Maplewood". uboat.net. Retrieved 24 March 2024.