This photograph shows Liverpool Bridge built at Swan Hunter in Haverton Hill approaching the Transporter Bridge. The ship was renamed Derbyshire and was lost at sea in a typhoon. Taken c1975/76
Photograph and details courtesy of Bruce Coleman.
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
I was a mechanical apprentice when the Liverpool Bridge was built. I also was involved in the ships sea trials, 19 at the time, I remember starting up the engine room with another guy Dave (21) on the day we set out from Haverton for sea trials. Ended up going over to Rotterdam with the ship and we were in dry dock there for a month. Very surprised to see that the ship sunk south of Japan in a typhoon. I think it took another almost 20 years to locate the ship at a depth of 4000m 500 miles south of Okinawa. They solved the mystery of how it sunk, looks like missing ventilation covers and the 36hr typhoon type weather, allowed water into the bow. This culminated in subsequent damage to up to 3 hatch covers and the sinking of the ship.
Earlier documentaries, before the ship was found, suggested it broke its keel in the typhoon, this was not the case. Also, it was not any error on the part of the crew.
I apprenticed at the shipyard from 1974 to 1978, before leaving to work at ICI Wilton.
I now live in Canada, since 1992.
Sad to hear that 44 lives were lost in the sinking, as it was known of the MV Derbyshire (renamed after a fire in the engine room)
Strange to look at the photo of the vessel above, as I was on board at the time. This photo is taken on the Tees as the vessel heads out for sea trials
work in the fab bays crane driver
My father was a shipwright at Smiths dock South Bank, he stated he and other shipwrights watched it go on sea trials, and all started to count the frames and said were it would snap, and it did, it was due to the design not being standard, the mix of longitudinal and vertical framing.
My uncle George was a foreman when they brought the drawings down for this ship, he looked at them and said it would break it’s back in heavy sea’s, and what happened?
There is still some mystery over what caused the vessel to founder. Earlier investigations had suggested a combination of crew error and structural failure. This was further endorsed when a sister ship, the Kowloon Bridge ran aground and broke up. The vessel’s hull had fractured at forward end of the pump room at frame 65. When the Derbyshire was finally found, the after accommodation section was separated from the hull section. This appeared to be at the same position as on the Kowloon Bridge. Later findings suggested the vessels forward hold, no1 received large intakes of water as a result of the ventilation covers not being in place, and as a result the vessel was” down by the head”.
Very heavy seas then damaged the metal hatch covers letting more water in, and reducing freeboard even more. Holds 2 to 5 were then probably flooded when there hatch covers were damaged, and because she was fully laden with iron ore pellets, was unable to stay afloat. The mystery is why no mayday was sent. If the vessel was down by the head in heavy sea’s, with damaged hatch covers, the Master would have sent a mayday. They are sent instantly at the press of a button, Also, time was found to launch a lifeboat. It was found a week later, empty.
David.
Your comment is very interesting and informative.
I believe it’s sister ships were also “lost”
Lost with all hands. RIP.