The ship as Captain Cook
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History | |
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United Kingdom | |
Name |
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Owner |
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Operator |
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Port of registry |
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Builder | Fairfield SB and Eng Co, Govan |
Yard number | 601 |
Launched | 14 October 1924 |
Completed | April 1925 |
Identification |
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Fate | Scrapped in 1960 |
General characteristics | |
Tonnage |
|
Length | |
Beam | 66.4 ft (20.2 m) |
Depth | 29.5 ft (9.0 m) |
Installed power | 9,000 SHP |
Propulsion |
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Speed |
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Capacity |
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Armament |
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SS Letitia was an ocean liner built in Scotland for service with the Anchor-Donaldson Line. She continued to serve with its successor company Donaldson Atlantic Line. At the start of the Second World War in September 1939, the British Admiralty requisitioned the ship for service and had it converted to serve as an armed merchant cruiser. She was withdrawn from this service in 1941 to become a troop ship.
Badly damaged in 1943, after being repaired the Letitia was used as a hospital ship in Canada. She was returned to civilian service in 1946 after the end of the war. She was bought by the Ministry of Transport, which renamed her as Empire Brent and assigned Donaldson Brothers and Black to manage her. She sailed on a number of voyages, at times carrying troops to the Far East, as well as being an emigration ship to Australia. She was briefly laid up in 1950. She was returned to service under charter to the Government of New Zealand as Captain Cook. She was withdrawn from service in 1960 and sold for scrap.