Highland Chieftain
1930
(Albatros AL-36A)
- Type: Passenger / general cargo
- Displacement: 14,135 tons
- Dimensions: 544-8 x 69-5 x 28-9 ft.
- Machinery: Burmeister & Wain diesel, twin screw, 10,000 BHP = 15.5 knots
- Passengers: 720 (150 first class, 70 second class, 500 third class)
- Builder: Harland & Wolff, Belfast, Northern Ireland, 1929
- Service: One of five original sisters built for the Nelson Line 1928-30; when one was wrecked in 1930 a sixth was ordered. Maiden voyage 21 Feb 1929 London-Buenos Aires. With the collapse of the Kylsant group in 1932, all the Nelson line vessels were transferred to the newly constituted Royal Mail Lines. Highland Chieftain was converted to a troopship, along with three sisters, 1939-40. Damaged in air raid 11 Oct 1940 at Liverpool. Postwar returned to commercial service to River Plate, voyaging from 1948 to 1959 before being sold to Calpe Shipping Co., Gibraltar. Renamed Calpean Star for use in whaling industry as stores and accommodation ship. Suffered damage by grounding off South Georgia in 1960. Repaired at Montevideo, she suffered a boiler room fire on the way home and was deliberately grounded again and abandoned just two miles off the coast. Wreck cut up for scrap 1965.
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