View source for ST Oriana

{{other ships|Oriana (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image= 
| Ship caption= 
}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Hide header              =
|Ship country              =
|Ship flag                 =
| Ship name                = *''Empire Frieda'' (1945–47)
*''Oriana'' (1947–48)
| Ship namesake            = 
| Ship owner               = *Ministry of War Transport (1945–46)
*Ministry of Transport (1946–47)
*Admiralty (1947–48)
| Ship operator            = Overseas Towage and Salvage Co. Ltd.
| Ship registry            = {{flagicon|United Kingdom|civil}}  [[Glasgow]], United Kingdom
| Ship route               =
| Ship ordered             =
| Ship builder             = [[Ferguson Brothers (Port Glasgow) Ltd.]], Port Glasgow
| Ship original cost       = 
| Ship yard number         = 377
| Ship way number          = 
| Ship laid down           = 
| Ship launched            = 22 October 1945
| Ship completed           = 31 January 1946
| Ship christened          = 
| Ship acquired            =
| Ship maiden voyage       = 
| Ship in service          = 
| Ship out of service      = 19 January 1948
| Ship identification      = *United Kingdom [[Official Number]] 169463
*Code Letters GFDP
*{{ICS|Golf}}{{ICS|Foxtrot}}{{ICS|Delta}}{{ICS|Papa}}
| Ship fate                = Struck mine and sank
| Ship notes               = 
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header              =
| Header caption           =
| Ship class               = [[Tugboat|Tug]]
| Ship tonnage             = {{GRT|295}}, {{NRT|262}}<!--, {{DWT|8,930}}--> 
| Ship displacement        =
| Ship length              = {{convert|116|ft|9|in|m|2|abbr=on}}
| Ship beam                = {{convert|27|ft|6|in|m|2|abbr=on}}
| Ship height              = <!--{{convert|xx|ft|x|in|m|2|abbr=on}}{{convert|xxx.xx|m|ftin|abbr=on}}-->
| Ship draught             = {{convert|13|ft|6|in|m|2|abbr=on}}
| Ship depth               = {{convert|12|ft|7|in|m|2|abbr=on}}
| Ship decks               =
| Ship deck clearance      =
| Ship ramps               =
| Ship ice class           = 
| Ship power               = Triple expansion steam engine, 900 ihp
| Ship propulsion          = Single screw propeller
| Ship speed               = <!--{{convert|10|kn|km/h}}-->
| Ship capacity            = 
| Ship crew                = 15
| Ship endurance           = 
| Ship armament            = 
| Ship notes               =
}}
|}
<!--{{location map|Essex|width=304
|lat=
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|caption=Location where ''Oriana'' struck a mine and sank}}
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'''''Oriana''''' was a {{GRT|295}} [[tugboat|tug]] which was built in 1945 as '''''Empire Frieda''''' by [[Ferguson Brothers (Port Glasgow) Ltd.]], [[Port Glasgow]], [[Renfrewshire]], United Kingdom for the [[Ministry of War Transport]] (MoWT). Ownership was transferred to the [[Ministry of Transport (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Transport]] in 1946 and the [[British Admiralty|Admiralty]] in 1947, when she was renamed ''Oriana''. She struck a [[naval mine|mine]] and sank in the [[River Colne, Essex]] on 19 January 1948 with the loss of all on deck.

==Description==
The ship was {{convert|116|ft|0|in|m|2|abbr=on}} long, with a beam of {{convert|27|ft|6|in|m|2}}. She had a depth of {{convert|12|ft|7|in|m|2}} and a draught of {{convert|13|ft|6|in|m|2}}. She was assessed at {{GRT|295}}, {{NRT|262}}<!--, {{DWT|xxx}}-->.<ref name=Frieda45>{{cite journal |url=https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/45/45b0615.pdf |journal=Lloyd's Register |year=1944 |title=Lloyd's Register, Steamers & Motorships under 300 tons, Trawlers &c. |author=Lloyd's of London |publisher=Plimsoll Ship Data  |accessdate=5 September 2018}}</ref><ref name=Clydesite>{{cite web |url=http://clydeships.co.uk/view.php?year_built=&builder=&ref=24010&vessel=EMPIRE+FRIEDA |title=Empire Frieda |publisher=Clydeships |accessdate=5 September 2018}}</ref>

The ship was propelled by a 900 [[indicated horsepower|ihp]] [[triple expansion steam engine]], which had cylinders of {{convert|14|,|25+1/2|and|41|in|cm}} diameter by {{convert|27|in|cm}} stroke. The engine was built by Ferguson Brother (Port Glasgow) Ltd. It drove a single screw [[propeller (ship)|propeller]].<ref name=Clydesite/><!-- The engine could propel the ship at a speed of {{convert|xx|kn|km/h}}. She was assessed as Ice Class .-->

==History==
''Empire Freetown'' was built in 1945 as yard number 377 by [[Ferguson Brothers|Ferguson Brothers (Port Glasgow) Co. Ltd.]], [[Port Glasgow]], [[Renfrewshire]] for the [[Ministry of War Transport]] (MoWT).<ref name=Ships>{{cite book | first = and Sawyer, L A| last = Mitchell, W H | year = 1995| title = The Empire Ships| page =not cited  | publisher = Lloyd's of London Press Ltd| location = London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong|isbn=1-85044-275-4 }}</ref> She was launched on 22 October 1945 and completed on 31 January 1946.<ref name=Clydesite/> Her port of registry was Glasgow. The United Kingdom [[Official Number]] 169463 and [[Code Letters]] GFDP were allocated.<ref name=Frieda45/> She was operated under the management of the Overseas Towageand Salvage Co. Ltd, [[London]].<ref name=Clydesite/>

The MoWT became the [[Ministry of Transport (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Transport]] in April 1946. She was passed to the [[British Admiralty|Admiralty]] on 31 May 1947 and renamed ''Oriana''. On 19 January 1948, with the French tug ''Vagrant'', she was towing HMMS ''366'' from [[Chatham Dockyard]] to [[Brightlingsea]], [[Essex]] when she struck a [[naval mine|mine]] and sank in the [[River Colne, Essex|Colne Estuary]] with the loss of all fifteen of her crew, who all hailed from the [[Medway Towns]], Kent.<ref name=Clydesite/><ref name=Ships/><ref name=Times200148>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Tug Lost After Explosion |date=20 January 1948 |page=5 |issue=50973 |column=E }}</ref><ref name=Times210148>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Tug Wreck Seen |date=21 January 1849 |page=2 |issue=59074 |column=C }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Empire ships}}
{{1948 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oriana}}
[[Category:1945 ships]]
[[Category:Ships built on the River Clyde]]
[[Category:Empire ships]]
[[Category:Ministry of War Transport ships]]
[[Category:Steamships of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Tugboats of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1948]]
[[Category:Ships sunk by mines]]