The SS ''Adviser'' was a steamship in the service of the

Harrison Line Harrison Line, officially ''T&J Harrison'', was a shipping line founded by the brothers Thomas and James Harrison in Liverpool, England in 1853. It ran both cargo and passenger services, starting with the import of French brandy from Charente. ...

from 1939. On 15 Nov 1942, she was cruising about 200 miles southeast of

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

. At 01.45 hours she was attacked by U-178 and struck by two torpedoes. The crew abandoned the ship, concerned that it was sinking. But when they heard

depth charges A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon. It is intended to destroy a submarine by being dropped into the water nearby and detonating, subjecting the target to a powerful and destructive hydraulic shock. Most depth charges use h ...

being dropped at some distance they reboarded the ship the following morning. Two tugs took the ship into tow and brought it safely to Durban arriving on 19 November. She was repaired and returned to service in August 1943. On 7 November 1949

Richard Acland Sir Richard Thomas Dyke Acland, 15th Baronet (26 November 1906 – 24 November 1990) was one of the founding members of the British Common Wealth Party in 1942, having previously been a Liberal Member of Parliament (MP). He joined the Labour Pa ...

, MP for

Gravesend Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, situated 21 miles (35 km) east-southeast of Charing Cross (central London) on the Bank (geography), south bank of the River Thames and opposite Tilbury in Essex. Located in the diocese of Ro ...

asked

Jim Callaghan Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, ( ; 27 March 191226 March 2005), commonly known as Jim Callaghan, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1976 to 1980. Callaghan is ...

, the

Minister of Transport A ministry of transport or transportation is a ministry responsible for transportation within a country. It usually is administered by the ''minister for transport''. The term is also sometimes applied to the departments or other government agen ...

as regards the standards of the crews quarters. He was informed that whilst they were not up to the standards of modern ships, they were considered adequate, although the owners were asked to deal with some minor issues.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Adviser, SS Ships of the Harrison Line 1939 ships