SS Hertford

History
Name
  • 1917: Rheinland
  • 1920: Friesland
  • 1922: Hertford
Namesake
Owner
Operator
Port of registry London
RouteBritain – Australia / New Zealand
BuilderBremer Vulkan, Vegesack
Yard number577
LaunchedOctober 1917
Identification
FateSunk by torpedo, 29 March 1942
General characteristics
Typerefrigerated cargo ship
Tonnage10,923 GRT, 6,889 NRT
Length520.7 ft (158.7 m) registered length
Beam64.2 ft (19.6 m)
Draught31 ft 10 in (9.70 m)
Depth38.1 ft (11.6 m)
Decks3
Installed powerby 1930: 1,290 NHP
Propulsion
Speedby 1930: 14 knots (26 km/h)
Capacity409,099 cubic feet (11,584 m3) refrigerated hold space
Crew1942: 60 plus 2 DEMS gunners
Sensors &
processing systems
by 1930: wireless direction finding
ArmamentDEMS
Notes

SS Hertford was a refrigerated cargo steamship that was launched in Germany in 1917, seized by the United Kingdom in 1920 as World War I reparations, and sunk by a U-boat in 1942 with the loss of four members of her crew.

She was launched as Rheinland for Hamburg America Line, but was completed in 1920 as Friesland. The UK Shipping Controller seized her that same year, and in 1922 sold her to the Federal Steam Navigation Co Ltd, who renamed her Hertford.

This was the first of two ships in the Federal Steam fleet to be called Hertford. The second was a motor ship that was built in England in 1948, transferred to P&O in 1973, sold and renamed in 1976 and scrapped in 1985.