UNUSED OLD POSTCARD SS BEN-MY-CHREE

UNUSED VERY OLD EMBOSSED POSTCARD OF THE

SS BEN-MY-CHREE

SS Ben-my-Chree was ordered in 1907 by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company. She was built at the yards of Vickers, sons and Maxim Ltd in Barrow-in-Furness. The new ship would cost £112,000. She was powered by Vickers direct drive turbine engines coupled to triple screws which moved here over the water at 24.2 knots, although in one sea trial she reached a speed of 24.6 Knots. The ship had a certificate for 2,549 passengers, and she had a crew of 119. The SS Ben-my-Chree engines burnt up to 95 tons of coal a day which made her an expensive ship to run unless she had a full complement of passengers. This proved difficult to achieve by the Steam Packet Company, and so for nine months of the year the Ben-my-Chree found herself laid up

 Royal Navy chartered
The SS Ben-my-Chree was chartered by the Royal Navy on 1 January 1915. On the 2 January 1915 the SS Ben-my-Chree began her transformation to HMS Ben-my-Chree at the shipyards of Cammell Laird in Birkenhead. She was to be converted to a seaplane carrier. Part of her superstructure was removed, aft of her second funnel and a hanger was constructed. This was capable of housing six seaplanes which were lifted in and out of the water by crane. There was also a 60 foot long flying off platform forward .Her armaments consisted of four quick-firing 12-pounder guns, and two 3-pounder guns. Later in May 1916 more 12-pounder guns, and 2-pounder pom-poms, along with 3-pounder guns were added.

 Navy service
She was originally based at Harwich, England, under the command of Commander Cecil L'Estrange Malone, where on 3 May she took part in an abortive air raid on Norddeich using a Sopwith Schneider to be launched from a trolley on the fore deck. The raid was abandoned because of thick fog and the ships returned to harbour the following day. On 6 May, she was accidentally rammed by the destroyer Lennox in thick fog, although damage was slight. Another attempt at raiding Nordeich was made on 11 May but was again abandoned because of several mishaps. During this raid, Ben-my-Chree attempted to launch her Schneider seaplane to attack an airship, but the engine failed to start.

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