TSS Duke of York (1894)

The passenger steamer SS ''Peel Castle'' was operated by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company from her purchase in 1912 until she was sold for breaking in 1939.

Construction and dimensions

Peel Castle was built as ''Duke of York'' at Dumbarton by William Denny and Brothers, who also supplied her engines and boilers. She had a registered tonnage of ; length 310 feet; beam 37 feet; draught 16 feet and a design speed of 17 knots.

Peel Castle had accommodation for 1,162 passengers, and a crew of 42.

Pre-war service

As ''Duke of York'' she entered service in 1894 on the joint Fleetwood - Belfast service of the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway and the London & North Western Railway. In 1911, she was sold to the "Turkish Patriotic Committee". In 1912 the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company purchased her and renamed her ''Peel Castle''; the company also purchased ''Duke of Lancaster'', renamed ''The Ramsey''."Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway - Services from Fleetwood and Belfast," http://simplonpc.co.uk/LMS-LYR1.html

War service

She was requisitioned by the British Admiralty, Admiralty at the outbreak of war in 1914.

She was fitted out as an Ocean boarding vessel, Armed Boarding Vessel (ABV) by Cammell Laird in late November 1914. She was to have 100 officers and crew and was fitted out as an auxiliary ship, auxiliary, capable of carrying boarding parties and prize crews, and was put under the command of Lieutenant-Commander P. E. Haynes Royal Navy Reserve, RNR

''Peel Castle'' sailed under the White Ensign in January 1915, her engine room manned mostly by Steam Packet Company personnel, and became part of the Downs Boarding Flotilla, a section of the Dover Patrol. She remained with the Patrol for three years and one month.

She would spend ten days at sea and four days in port at Dover. She was mainly tasked with regulating the large amount of maritime traffic between the Kent coast and the Goodwin Sands and to act as one of the guard ships that would stop and examine all neutral shipping proceeding to Continental ports. For the duration of the war the Dover Strait was closed by anti-submarine nets and minefields. No ship could pass except through the Patrol, and at one stage British warships were intercepting, searching and marshalling up to 115 vessels a day.

In this strenuous work, ''Peel Castle'' played a busy and successful part. She was first fired upon by a retreating merchantman, and then at least once by artillery battery, British shore batteries. She endured many air raids and sent boarding parties onto many ships. Her crew captured a number of enemy personnel who were trying to get back to Europe hidden in neutral ships, including Franz von Rintelen, an infamous agent of Admiral Tirpitz.

In 1916 she was badly damaged by fire and had to be refitted at Chatham, Kent, Chatham. Later she transferred to the Orkney Islands. After having been fitted with depth charge throwers and Paravane (weapon), paravanes and with her boat deck extended as a landing for kite balloons, she patrolled north of Shetland.

''Peel Castle'' was next moved to the Humber-Tyne Patrol, an area where shipping was very concentrated and where losses had been heavy. With her observer aloft in the Observation balloon, balloon she would cruise up and down the convoys, looking for enemy submarines.

The war over, ''Peel Castle'' was refitted once more, this time as a troop carrier, work she continued until May 1919, after which she returned to Liverpool and resumed her peacetime Steam Packet Company duties.

Post-war service

Upon returning to the Steam Packet fleet, ''Peel Castle'' was mainly used for subsidiary winter services. She undertook the direct Friday sailing from Liverpool to Ramsey, Isle of Man, Ramsey, and also excursion trips and cargo duties.

On the morning of Saturday 7 June 1924, ''Peel Castle'' went aground in Douglas Bay.''The Isle of Man Examiner.'' Friday, 13 June 1924 She had left Port of Liverpool, Liverpool operating the 24-hour clock#Midnight 00:00 and 24:00, midnight sailing, and had approximately 550 passengers embarked. As she approached Douglas, Isle of Man, Douglas, ''Peel Castle'' encountered a bank of fog which forced her to slow her speed. Steaming at minimal speed, ''Peel Castle'' continued inbound to Douglas Harbour, Douglas, sounding her Whistle#Ships, whistle continuously, but ran Ship grounding, aground on a Shoal#Sandbars and longshore bars, bank of sand in the middle of Douglas foreshore. The impact was reported to be so slight that passengers were unaware of the situation until members of the ship's company informed them of the development.

As the tide receded and the fog began to lift, a large crowd gathered on the shore. Passengers remained on board ''Peel Castle'' until she refloated. Shortly after 24-hour clock#Midnight 00:00 and 24:00, 13:00hrs the vessel was refloated, aided by the SS Fenella (1881), ''Fenella'', and then proceeded to Douglas Harbour under her own power.

No apparent damage could be seen so ''Peel Castle'' left Douglas, Isle of Man, Douglas the following day, bound for the Drydock#Graving, Graving Dock at Cammell Laird, Cammell Laird's in order to be inspected by representatives of Lloyd's of London. No damage was found on the subsequent inspection, and ''Peel Castle'' returned to service.

Disposal

''Peel Castle'' was retired after a service life of 45 years. She was broken up at Dalmuir on the River Clyde, Clyde in February 1939.

References

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Peel Castle, SS
Ships of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company
1894 ships
Steamships of the United Kingdom