SHIPS LOST IN THE WWII BOMBAY EXPLOSION

The eleven Allied merchant ships on this page were lost as a result of the two horrendous explosions aboard Fort Stikine at Bombay, India, on April 14th, 1944.

Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT) is the volume of space within the hull and enclosed spaces above the deck of a merchant ship which are available for cargo, stores, fuel, passengers and crew. In the case of Fort Crevier and Fort Stikine the term Bareboat Charter means that when the ship was transferred over to Britain's Ministry of War Transport (MOWT), the country of ownership -- either Canada or the USA -- would provide only the "bare" ship. Britain would then take over the responsibility of supplying the ship's captain, crew and expendable items such as food.

The information about these ships has been taken from A Great Fleet of Ships: The Canadian Forts and Parks by S.C. Heal (Vanwell Publishing of St. Catharines, Ontario, c1999).

BARODA
Gross Registered Tonnage: 3,205 Year Built: 1911 Owner: British India Steam Navigation Company Ltd. Country of Registration: United Kingdom

FORT CREVIER

Gross Registerd Tonnage: 7,130 Builder: United Shipyards Limited, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Date Built: October 1943 Owner: Dominion of Canada (DOC) which which transferred her over to Britain under bareboat charter. Nominated Manager: Joseph Robinson & Sons, North Shields, UK which operated her on behalf of Britain's Ministry of War Transport (MOWT) Remarks: Fort Crevier was beyond repair but, her useful life was not quite over. Her hulk remained afloat and was used for grain storage for a few more years. She was finally broken up at Bombay in 1948.

FORT STIKINE

Gross Registerd Tonnage: 7,130 Builder: Prince Rupert Drydock & Shipyard, Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada Date Built: July 1942 Owner:United States War Shipping Administration/Maritime Commission (WSA)which transferred her over to Britain under bareboat charter. Nominated Manager: Port Line Ltd. which managed her on behalf of Britain's Ministry of War Transport (MOWT) Remarks: The little that was left of the Fort Stikine was sold for scrap.

GENERAL VAN DER HEIJDEN
Gross Registered Tonnage: 1,213 Year Built: 1928 Owner: Koninklijke Paketvaart Maatschappij (Royal Dutch Packet Lines) Country of Registration: Holland Remarks: Before the war, KPM's large fleet of ships serviced the many islands of the Dutch East Indies. Those ships which were able escaped to Allied ports when the Japanese forces invaded the region in early 1942.

GENERAL VAN SWIETEN
Gross Registered Tonnage: 1,300 Year Built: 1928 Owner: Koninklijke Paketvaart Maatschappij (Royal Dutch Packet Lines) Country of Registration: Holland Remarks: She was the second KPM vessel to be lost at Bombay.

GRACIOSA
Gross Registered Tonnage: 1,773 Year Built: 1917 Owner: Skibs A/S Fjeld Country of Registration: Norway

IRAN
Gross Registered Tonnage: 5,704 Year Built: 1919 Owner: Iran Steamship Company (Wallem & Co.) Country of Registration: Panama

JALAPADMA
Gross Registered Tonnage: 3,935 Year Built: 1929 Owner: Scindia Steam Navigation Co. Country of Registration: India Remarks: She was broken in two when the tidal wave caused by the first explosion lifted her up into the air and flung her down on top of one of the dock sheds.

KINGYUAN
Gross Registered Tonnage: 2,653 Year Built: 1921 Owner: China Navigation Company Country of Registration: United Kingdom

ROD EL FARAG
Gross Registered Tonnage: 6,842 Year Built: 1910 Owner: Soc. Misr. Navigation Country of Registration: Egypt

TINOMBO
Gross Registered Tonnage: 872 Year Built: 1930 Owner: Koninklijke Paketvaart Maatschappij (Royal Dutch Packet Lines) Country of Registration: Holland Remarks: She was the third KPM vessel to be lost at Bombay.