Athena
September 4, 1939, cishe ngo-10:30 ekuseni, amanzi asenyakatho ye-Ireland. Umkhumbi wabagibeli waseBrithani i-Athenia, ugingqike kusihlwa ngo-U30 ngaphambi nje kokuba ucwile.
Ekuqaleni kuka-Okthoba nyakenye, kwavela ulwazi kwabezindaba baseBrithani mayelana nokutholakala kwengozi ye-liner yase-Athenia. Lokhu kwakungenxa yokushicilelwa kwenye incwadi kaDavid Mearns, owanikela ngesinye sezahluko kulo mkhumbi, wacwiliswa umkhumbi-ngwenya ngesikhathi sokuqala sempi phakathi kweFoggy Albion neThird Reich. Nakuba u-Mearns ebeka ukuthi ukusetshenziswa kwerobhothi elingaphansi kwamanzi kuphela okuzovumela ngokuqiniseka okungu-XNUMX% ukuhlonza into etholwe yi-sonar, idumela alitholile phakathi neminyaka yosesho oluyimpumelelo (wathola, phakathi kwezinye izinto, ukuphahlazeka komkhumbi wezempi. Hood) iphakamisa ukuthi lokhu kuwumkhuba nje. Ngokulindele kuye, kufanelekile ukukhumbula umlando we-Athene.
Umkhumbi weCunard Line, ongomunye wabanikazi bemikhumbi ababili baseBrithani obusa ukuhamba kwabagibeli eNyakatho ye-Atlantic, wonakaliswe kabi phakathi neMpi Yezwe Yokuqala, ikakhulukazi ngenxa yemikhumbi-ngwenya yaseKaiser. Kwakusobala ukuthi ukulahlekelwa kwemikhumbi ethathwe eJalimane kwakungeke kunxeshezelwe futhi amalayini asaphila (ayisi-7 kwabangu-18, kuhlanganise neMauritania ne-Aquitaine enkulu kunazo zonke) kwakudingeka asekelwe ukufuduka okusha. Ngakho, uhlelo olwakhiwe ngaphambi kokuphela kwengxabano enkulu lwabiza ukwakhiwa kwamayunithi angu-14. Izinkinga zezimali zivimbele ukuvela kwesinye isiqhwaga esinesivinini esikhulu, kulokhu kugcizelelwa ukonga uphethiloli nokuheha abagibeli abangadingi ukuxhamazela, kodwa abafuna ukunethezeka “kuphela” ngentengo ephusile. Ngokuvumelana nalezi zidingo, kwathuthukiswa amaphrojekthi emikhumbi esuswa endaweni ecishe ibe ngamathani angu-20 noma angu-000, ngefaneli eyodwa kanye ne-turbine drive, okwenza kwaba nokwenzeka ukuthuthukisa isivinini sokuhamba samafindo angu-14-000. Uchungechunge lwamafindo ayisithupha amancane amayunithi, aklanywe nguCunard Nomenclature "A-class ", eyethulwe ngu-Ausonia (15 GRT, abagibeli abayi-16), eyasungulwa ngo-August 13.
I-Anchor-Donaldson yasungulwa eminyakeni emihlanu ngaphambili ukuze iqhube imikhumbi yabagibeli engu-4 ye-Donaldson Line emizileni esuka e-Liverpool nase-Glasgow eya e-Montreal, e-Quebec nase-Halifax. Ngaphambi kokuphela kwempi, ababili babo, "Athena" (8668 GRT) kanye "Letitia" (8991 GRT), balahlekile (owokuqala waba yisisulu sika-U 16 1917 Agasti 53, kanti owesibili, wabe umkhumbi esibhedlela. , yawela ogwini enkungwini engaphansi kwechweba eshiwo ekugcineni yaphuka isibambo). Njengoba i-Anchor Line kwakungekaCunard, inkampani yaqala ukwakha kabusha umkhumbi ngokuthatha izintambo - ngenxa yemali ebolekiwe enkulu evela ku-Commercial Bank of Scotland - umkhumbi wekilasi elithi "A" owakhiwe kwenye yezindlela ezithambekayo ze-Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Co. eGovan eduze naseGlasgow, eyaqala ngo-1922.
I-Athenia entsha yethulwa ngo-28 January 1923. Ngesigidi esisodwa samaphawundi angama-250, umthengi wathola umkhumbi womumo wesimanje ngalezo zikhathi, ngokufuduka okungamathani ayi-000, onobude obungamamitha ayi-13 nobubanzi obukhulu obungama-465 m, nama-boilers oketshezi angama-160,4 no-20,2. izinjini zesitimu ezidlulisa ukuzungezisa kwazo kuma-gearbox kuma-cardan shaft ama-6. Ekuqaleni yayakhelwe abagibeli abangu-2 ekhabetheni lekilasi kanye ne-516 ekilasini III. Ngenxa yokuvinjelwa kwenani labafuduki yi-United States neCanada kanye nokwanda kokugeleza kwezivakashi, kusukela ngo-1000, ngemva kokwakhiwa kabusha kwe-salon, wakwazi ukuthola abantu abangu-1933 ekuqaleni, abangu-314 emagumbini ekilasi labavakashi. kanye nabantu abangama-310. ekilasini III. I-Anchor-Donaldson izamile ukuheha abagibeli bayo abancibilika kakhulu ngesiqubulo esithi i-Athenia “inabo bonke ubuntofontofo behhotela eliwubukhazikhazi,” kodwa labo abake bahamba ngomkhumbi kunoma yimaphi amalayini amakhudlwana anoma yimuphi ulayini kufanele ngabe baqaphela ukwehla, ngisho nangaphezulu. imenyu. Nokho, bekungeke kube ihaba ukusho ukuthi kwakuwumkhumbi ophumelele kakhulu, kwaze kwaba ngo-928 ukusebenza kwawo akuzange kuphazanyiswe ukushayisana, ukudilika, noma umlilo.
Ikanye newele layo i-Letitia, eyethulwa ngo-1925, i-Athenia yakha amayunithi amabili amakhulu we-Anchor-Donaldson Line, ephatha ngaphansi kwamaphesenti angu-5 wethrafikhi yaseNyakatho ye-Atlantic. Yayiqhudelana kakhulu nolayini beCanadian Pacific Railway, evame ukufona eHalifax (ngesikhathi ifika ezansi, yase yenze izindiza ezingaphezu kweziyi-100, ezithatha isilinganiso sezinsuku eziyi-12). Njengoba ukuhamba kwezimoto ngaphesheya kwe-Atlantic kwehla ebusika, ngezikhathi ezithile kwakusetshenziselwa ukuhamba ngomkhumbi. Kusukela ngo-1936, ngemva kokuba i-Anchor ivaliwe futhi izimpahla zayo zathengwa omunye wozakwethu, yadlulela ezandleni ze-Donaldson Atlantic Line eyayisanda kwakhiwa.
Njengoba iphunga lenye impi eYurophu lalishuba, izihlalo zanda kakhulu emikhunjini eyayinqamula i-Atlantic. Ngenkathi i-Athenia isuka eGlasgow ngomhlaka-1 Septhemba, njengoba bekuhleliwe, bekunabagibeli abangama-420, okuhlanganisa nezakhamizi zase-US eziyi-143. I-Moring yenzeke ngemva nje kwemini, ngemva nje kuka-20 ntambama i-Athenia yangena eBelfast, ithatha abantu abangu-00 lapho. UJames Cook, obengukaputeni wayo kusukela ngo-136, waziswa lapho ukuthi uzohamba ngomkhumbi endaweni engaqondakali lapho elubangise eLiverpool. Lapho efika lapho, wathola iziyalezo ezivela ku-Admiralty ehhovisi likakaputeni, emyala ukuba futhi, ngemva kokushiya i-Atlantic, alandele umzila osenyakatho wendlela evamile. Kusukela ngo-1938:13, abagibeli abaningi baye bagibela i-Athenia - babengu-00. Ngakho, sebebonke, umkhumbi wathatha abantu abangu-546 ngomkhumbi, okungaphezu kokujwayelekile. Izakhamizi zaseCanada (1102) kanye ne-USA (469) zenze kahle kakhulu, ngamaphasipoti aseBrithani - abagibeli abangu-311, abavela ezwekazini laseYurophu - 172. Iqembu lokugcina lalihlanganisa abantu abangu-150 bemvelaphi yamaJuda nama-passports aseJalimane, kanye namaPoles namaCzech.
e-Northern Ireland
NgoMgqibelo 2 September ngo-16 Athenia waqala ukushiya umlomo weMersey. Ngisho nangaphambi kokuba aye olwandle, kwezwakala elinye i-alamu yezikebhe. Ngesikhathi sokudla kwakusihlwa, omunye wabagibeli ohlezi etafuleni likakaputeni uveze ukuthi umkhumbi ubukeka ugcwele ngokweqile, okwadingeka ukuba isikhulu somsakazo uDavid Don siphendule, "Ngicela ungakhathazeki, lizoba khona ijakhethi yakho." Ukungakhathali kwakhe, okwangempela noma okokuzenzisa, kwakunesisekelo esiqinile, njengoba kwakunezikebhe zokusindisa abantu ezingu-30, izihlenga ezingu-26, amavesti angaphezu kuka-21 kanye nama-lifebuoy angu-1600 18. Eziningi zezikebhe zazihlelwe zaba izigaba, isikebhe ngasinye esikhulu, esingaphansi sasihlalisa abantu abangu-86, kanti ezincane ezingaphezulu, ezibhalwe inombolo efanayo nohlamvu A, 56 ngasinye, zazishayelwa izinjini ezivuthayo zangaphakathi. Sekukonke, izikebhe zazingathatha abantu abangama-3, futhi izihlenga - abantu abathathu.
Cishe ngo-3:03 ngo-40 Septemba, i-Athenia emnyama futhi emazombezombe yadlula isiqhingi sase-Inishtrahall enyakatho ye-Ireland. Ngokushesha ngemva kuka-11:00 umphathi womsakazo owayesemsebenzini wathola umlayezo mayelana nesimo sempi phakathi kweBrithani neThird Reich. Ngokushesha nangokuzola ngangokunokwenzeka, umlayezo wadluliselwa kubagibeli. UCook wabuye wayala ukuba kuqaliswe izikebhe nezihlenga futhi kuhlolwe izicisha-mlilo namapayipi amanzi. Kusihlwa, ukushuba kwesimo emkhunjini kwaqala ukudamba, njengoba umzuzu nomzuzu umkhumbi wawulokhu uqhela emanzini angaba yingozi. Ngokushesha ngemva kuka-19, ngesivinini esingaguquki samafindo angu-00, wafinyelela endaweni ecishe ibe ngu-15°56'N, 42°14'W, cishe amakhilomitha angu-05 olwandle eningizimu-ntshonalanga ye-Rockall. Ukubonakala kwakukuhle, kunomoya opholile ovela eningizimu, ngakho-ke amagagasi ayengaba imitha elilodwa nesigamu kuphela. Nokho, lokhu kwanele ukuvimbela abagibeli abaningi ukuba babonakale ezidlweni zakusihlwa ezazisanda kuqala. Ukuqinisa bekuzophela lapho ngabo-55:19 i-jolt enamandla ishaya ingemuva le-Athenia. Abaningi bezisebenzi zakhe kanye nabagibeli ngokushesha bacabanga ukuthi umkhumbi wawufakwe i-torpedoed.
U-Colin Porteous, isikhulu sesithathu esiphethe iwashi, ngokushesha wenze kusebenze izindlela zokuvala iminyango kuma-bulkheads angangeni manzi, waphendulela ucingo lwenjini endaweni ethi "Stop" futhi wayala u-"Don" ukuthi adlulisele isignali yokucindezeleka. Eshiya indawo yakhe etafuleni, uCook waya ebhulohweni ephethe ithoshi, ngoba zonke izibani ezingaphakathi zacima. Endleleni, wezwa uhlu lomkhumbi kakhulu ngakwesobunxele, wabe eseqonda kancane futhi wathatha i-trim. Lapho efika ebhulohweni, wayala ukuthi kuvulwe ijeneretha lezimo eziphuthumayo wabe esethumela isikhulu esisebenza ngomshini ukuba siyohlola umonakalo. Lapho ukaputeni ebuya, wezwa ukuthi igumbi lenjini laligcwele amanzi, inqwaba ehlukanisa igumbi likabhayela yayivuza kakhulu, izinga lamanzi engxenyeni engemuva yedekhi engu-C lalicishe libe ngamamitha angu-0,6, kanti emgodini ngaphansi kwesembozo se-No. . 5. Isikhulu sikamakhenikha saphinde satshela uCook ukuthi ugesi wanele kuphela ukukhanyisa, kodwa amaphampu ayengakakwazi ukumelana nokuthutheleka kwamanzi okungaka.
