SS Merion — BrandWiki

SS Merion

Overview

SS Merion

owner	* 1902–1914: International Mercantile Marine‡R1R‡ * 1914–1915: British Admiralty
operator	* 1902–1903: Dominion Line‡R1R‡ * 1903–1914: American Line * 1907: Red Star Line (1 voyage) * 1914–1915: British Admiralty
registry	Liverpool‡R1R‡
route	* 1902–1903: Liverpool–Boston‡R1R‡ * 1903–1914: Liverpool–Philadelphia * 1907: Antwerp–New York (1 voyage)
builder	John Brown & Company, Clydebank‡R1R‡
yard number	345‡R2R‡
launched	26 November 1901‡R2R‡
completed	February 1902‡R2R‡
maiden voyage	Liverpool–Boston, 8 March 1902‡R1R‡
fate	Torpedoed and sunk, 31 May 1915‡R1R‡
notes	one of the largest ships hit by U-boats in World War I

SS Merion was an ocean liner built in 1902 for the American Line, a subsidiary line of the International Mercantile Marine (IMM). She also sailed for the Red Star Line and the Dominion Line—both subsidiary lines of IMM—during her passenger career. After the outbreak of World War I she was bought by the British Admiralty and converted to serve as a decoy resembling the Royal Navy battlecruiser HMS Tiger (1913). In May 1915, while posing as Tiger in the Aegean Sea, Merion was sunk by the German submarine SMU UB-8.

Career

Merion was built by John Brown & Company of Clydebank, Scotland for the American Line, a subsidiary of the International Navigation Company, and launched on 26 November 1901.[1] The ship was 161.7 m long (between perpendiculars) and 18.0 m abeam. She had a gross register tonnage (GRT) of 11,621. The ship had twin screw propellers powered by twin triple-expansion steam engines, and, at top speed, could move 14 kn.[2]

SS Merion

Career

Bibliography

References