Wednesday, April 10, 2013

the MV 'Rangitata'

 

A poster from about 1931 featuring the Rangitata in the Panama Canal.  This was a 16,737 ton diesel-motor ship, built for The New Zealand Shipping Company in 1929 along with its sister passenger/cargo ships, the Rangitane and the Rangitiki. These three vessels provided four-weekly service between England and New Zealand making the voyage in 32 days via the Panama Canal.

The Rangitane was lost in WW2, but the Rangitiki and the Rangitata served as troop transports from 1941 to 1945 and by 1949 both had returned to civilian service. During the war Rangitata transported the 3104th Signal Service Battalion from Hoboken, New Jersey, to Liverpool, England.
Both ships were sold for scrap in 1962.

No comments: