27 Mar 2013 - The Sinking of the Flying Enterprise

Details: Written by Alan GM3PSP; Published: 29 March 2013; Hits: 4955

Angus Annan MM1CCR speaking at the LRS meeting.

The sinking of the former liberty ship Flying Enterprise in the Atlantic while sailing in January 1952 from Hamburg to New York caught the imagination of the public at that time, when the world was going through the austere post-war years when there was no television. Captain Kurt Carlsen W2ZXM, who remained on board after all but one of the passengers and crew were safely rescued, and Kenneth Dancy of the rescue tug Turmoil who joined Carlson on the ship, became heroes, not least to the young Angus Annan, now MM1CCR, who described the event at the LRS meeting on 27th March 2013. Angus kindly provided these photographs below from his presentation.

Chart of the last voyage of the Flying Enterprise, intended to be from Hamburg to New York before she was struck in a hurricane-force storm in the North Atlantic which caused even the RMS Queen Mary to hove to.

The Flying Enterprise after the hull cracked in a hurricane-force storm

and the cargo of pig-iron shifted, causing a 25 degree list to port.

Close-up of the stern of the Flying Enterprise.

The stern of the tug Turmoil which attempted to tow the Flying Enterprise towards Falmouth after Kenneth Dancy, the mate of the Turmoil jumped onto the Flying Enterprise to help Capt Carlsen pull the heavy tow-line aboard. The tow-line broke 42 miles west of Falmouth in 280 feet of water and the recue had to be abandoned.