SS Akaroa (1914)
SS Akaroa was a UK steam ocean liner and refrigerated cargo ship. She was launched in 1914 in Ireland as Euripides for Aberdeen Line. When new, she was the largest ship in the Aberdeen Line fleet. In the First World War she was an Allied troop ship. From 1929 White Star Line managed her. In 1932 Euripides passed to Shaw, Savill & Albion Line who had her refitted and renamed her Akaroa. She survived the Second World War and was scrapped in Belgium in 1954. Aberdeen Line named some of its ships after classical Greek people and events. Euripides was a tragedian in Classical Athens in the fifth century BC. Shaw, Savill & Albion names some of its ships after places in New Zealand. Akaroa is a small town on South Island. Building Harland and Wolff built Euripides on its slipway number nine in Belfast, launching her on 29 January 1914 and completing her on 6 June. Euripides looked similar to her Aberdeen Line running mates and . However, with a length of between perpendiculars and beam of Euripides was longer and broader. As built, her tonnages were , and about 25,000 tons displacement, and she was the largest ship in Aberdeen Line's fleet. Euripides had a double bottom for the full length of her hull. Her hull was divided into watertight compartments, so that she could remain afloat if any two were flooded. In 1914 newspapers reported that Euripides was built with two classes of passenger accommodation: first and third. First class was on the bridge deck, boat deck, main deck and awning deck. Third class was on the poop and tween deck. However, other sources claim she was built with berths for three classes: 140 first class, 334 third class and 750 steerage. Her holds were refrigerated and had capacity for of cargo. They had a total of seven hatches, served by 19 winches. Like Demosthenes, Euripides had three screws. A pair of four-cylinder triple-expansion steam engines drove her port and starboard screws. Exhaust steam from their low-pressure cylinders powered a low-pressure steam turbine that drove her middle screw. The combined power output of her three engines was rated at 1,401 NHP and gave her a service speed of . George Thompson & Co registered Euripides at Aberdeen. Her UK official number was 133648 and her code letters were JFRC. Maiden voyage Aberdeen Line ran scheduled services between London and Australia via South Africa. Euripides left London on her maiden voyage on 1 July 1914, called at Plymouth on 2 July and Cape Town on 20 July. On 28 July the First World War began as Euripides was crossing the Indian Ocean. She called at Albany, Western Australia on 4 August, Melbourne on 13 August and Sydney on 15 August, and reached Brisbane on 24 August. When Euripides reached Sydney, the Daily Commercial News and Shipping List hailed her as "a palatial vessel" but noted that she was already listed to be requisitioned as a troop ship. First