SS Delhi
Encyclopedia
The SS Delhi was a steamship of the Peninsular & Orient Line
(P&O) that was lost off Cape Spartel
, northern Morocco
on 12 December 1911. Among the passengers was Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife
, whose subsequent death in Egypt was ascribed to ill-health caused during the wreck, and his family, the Princess Royal
and daughters Princesses Alexandra and Maud.
Delhi was a modern ship, built in 1905/6 by Caird & Co., of Greenock
, one of a class of four ships (Delta, Evanha and Dongola). She had a displacement
of 8090 tons and a capacity of 163 first class and 80 second class passengers.
The ship, carrying a hundred passengers, ran aground in fog and heavy seas and her lifeboats were smashed. Three warships, the British battleship HMS London
and cruiser HMS Duke of Edinburgh and the French cruiser Friant responded to the Delhi's distress calls, made by wireless
. The Gibraltar
lifeboat also assisted, with the Captain of the Port, Commander William Niles as volunteer coxswain (Niles had had previous experience as coxswain on Cardigan
lifeboat).
Ship's boats from the warships ferried survivors to shore or to the warships, taking five days to complete the rescue. The bad weather made the rescue difficult and at least one British boat capsized and the Gibraltar lifeboat was stove in and became half full of water; three French sailors were lost in a separate rescue attempt.
Several awards of The Board of Trade Medal for Saving Life at Sea
, in silver, were made including Max Horton, who later commanded the British Western Approaches
during World War II, Commander William Niles, Rear-Admiral Sir Christopher George Francis Maurice Cradock, KCVO,
CB, and Lt Noel Corbett of the London (who also received the Royal Humane Society
's silver medal, for the rescue of a seaman washed overboard during the rescue efforts)
Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company
The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, which is usually known as P&O, is a British shipping and logistics company which dated from the early 19th century. Following its sale in March 2006 to Dubai Ports World for £3.9 billion, it became a subsidiary of DP World; however, the P&O...
(P&O) that was lost off Cape Spartel
Cape Spartel
Cape Spartel is a promontory in Morocco about above sea level at the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, 12 km West of Tangier. It is frequently but incorrectly referred as the northernmost point of Africa, which is instead Ras ben Sakka, Tunisia....
, northern Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
on 12 December 1911. Among the passengers was Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife
Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife
Alexander William George Duff, 1st Duke of Fife KG, KT, GCVO, PC, VD , styled Viscount Macduff between 1857 and 1879 and known as The Earl Fife between 1879 and 1889, was a British Peer who married Princess Louise of Wales, the third child and eldest daughter of King Edward VII and Alexandra of...
, whose subsequent death in Egypt was ascribed to ill-health caused during the wreck, and his family, the Princess Royal
Louise, Princess Royal and Duchess of Fife
The Princess Louise, Princess Royal and Duchess of Fife was the third child and the eldest daughter of King Edward VII and Alexandra of Denmark...
and daughters Princesses Alexandra and Maud.
Delhi was a modern ship, built in 1905/6 by Caird & Co., of Greenock
Greenock
Greenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
, one of a class of four ships (Delta, Evanha and Dongola). She had a displacement
Displacement (ship)
A ship's displacement is its weight at any given time, generally expressed in metric tons or long tons. The term is often used to mean the ship's weight when it is loaded to its maximum capacity. A number of synonymous terms exist for this maximum weight, such as loaded displacement, full load...
of 8090 tons and a capacity of 163 first class and 80 second class passengers.
The ship, carrying a hundred passengers, ran aground in fog and heavy seas and her lifeboats were smashed. Three warships, the British battleship HMS London
HMS London (1899)
HMS London was a Formidable class battleship in the British Royal Navy, often considered to be part of the London class or subclass.-Technical Description:...
and cruiser HMS Duke of Edinburgh and the French cruiser Friant responded to the Delhi's distress calls, made by wireless
Wireless
Wireless telecommunications is the transfer of information between two or more points that are not physically connected. Distances can be short, such as a few meters for television remote control, or as far as thousands or even millions of kilometers for deep-space radio communications...
. The Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
lifeboat also assisted, with the Captain of the Port, Commander William Niles as volunteer coxswain (Niles had had previous experience as coxswain on Cardigan
Cardigan, Ceredigion
Cardigan is a town in the county of Ceredigion in Mid Wales. It lies on the estuary of the River Teifi at the point where Ceredigion meets Pembrokeshire. It was the county town of the pre-1974 county of Cardiganshire. It is the second largest town in Ceredigion. The town's population was 4,203...
lifeboat).
Ship's boats from the warships ferried survivors to shore or to the warships, taking five days to complete the rescue. The bad weather made the rescue difficult and at least one British boat capsized and the Gibraltar lifeboat was stove in and became half full of water; three French sailors were lost in a separate rescue attempt.
Several awards of The Board of Trade Medal for Saving Life at Sea
Sea Gallantry Medal
The Sea Gallantry Medal , is an award for civil gallantry at sea in Great Britain and the Commonwealth. The Merchant Shipping Act 1854 permitted the issue of this award and SGMs were first struck in 1855...
, in silver, were made including Max Horton, who later commanded the British Western Approaches
Western Approaches
The Western Approaches is a rectangular area of the Atlantic ocean lying on the western coast of Great Britain. The rectangle is higher than it is wide, the north and south boundaries defined by the north and south ends of the British Isles, the eastern boundary lying on the western coast, and the...
during World War II, Commander William Niles, Rear-Admiral Sir Christopher George Francis Maurice Cradock, KCVO,
CB, and Lt Noel Corbett of the London (who also received the Royal Humane Society
Royal Humane Society
The Royal Humane Society is a British charity which promotes lifesaving intervention. It was founded in England in 1774 as the Society for the Recovery of Persons Apparently Drowned, for the purpose of rendering first aid in cases of near drowning....
's silver medal, for the rescue of a seaman washed overboard during the rescue efforts)