View source for TSS The Queen

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2017}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin |display title=TSS ''The Queen''}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image               = The Steam Turbine, 1911 - Fig 40 - The Queen.png
|Ship caption             = Drawing of ''The Queen''
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header              =
|Ship country             = [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]]
|Ship name                = ''The Queen''
|Ship owner               = [[South Eastern and Chatham Railway]]
|Ship operator            = 
|Ship registry            = {{flagicon|United Kingdom|civil}} [[Port of London|London]]
|Ship route               =*[[Port of Dover|Dover]] – [[Port of Calais|Calais]] (1903–07)
*[[Folkestone Harbour|Folkestone]] – [[Boulogne-sur-Mer|Boulogne]] (1907–14)
|Ship ordered             =
|Ship builder             = [[William Denny and Brothers|Wm Denny & Bros]], [[Dumbarton]]
|Ship original cost       =
|Ship yard number         = 682
|Ship laid down           =
|Ship launched            = 4 April 1903
|Ship completed           = June 1903
|Ship maiden voyage       = 27 June 1903
|Ship in service          =
|Ship out of service      = 
|Ship identification      = *UK [[official number]] 118293
*[[code letters]] VCPH
*{{ICS|Victor}}{{ICS|Charlie}}{{ICS|Papa}}{{ICS|Hotel}}
*[[Maritime call sign|call sign]] SEQ (by 1913)
*call sign GUN (from 1914)
|Ship fate                = Sunk by torpedo, 26 October 1916
|Ship notes               =
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header              =
|Header caption           =
|Ship class               =
|Ship tonnage             = {{GRT|1676}}, {{NRT|695}}
|Ship displacement        =
|Ship length              = {{cvt|309.9|ft|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam                = {{cvt|40.0|ft|abbr=on}}
|Ship height              =
|Ship draught             =
|Ship depth               = {{cvt|15.7|ft|abbr=on}}
|Ship decks               =
|Ship deck clearance      =
|Ship power               = 800 [[Horsepower#Nominal horsepower|RHP]]
|Ship propulsion          = *3 × screws
*3 × [[steam turbine]]s
|Ship speed               = {{convert|21|kn|km/h}}
|Ship capacity            =
|Ship crew                =
|Ship notes               =
}}
|}

'''''The Queen''''' was an [[English Channel]] passenger ferry that was built in 1903 and sunk in 1916. She was the [[South Eastern and Chatham Railway]] (SECR)'s first [[Steam turbine#Marine propulsion|steam turbine]] ship.

In 1908 ''The Queen'' was damaged in a collision with another SECR ferry. Early in the [[World War I|First World War]] she was a [[Troopship|troop ship]]. In 1916 she was captured by one German destroyer and then sunk by another.

==Building==
[[William Denny and Brothers]] built ''The Queen'' at [[Dumbarton]] as yard number 682. She was launched on 4 April 1903 and completed that June.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://clydeships.co.uk/view.php?year_built=&builder=&ref=15234&vessel=THE+QUEEN |title=The Queen |work=Scottish Built Ships |publisher=Caledonian Maritime Research Trust |access-date=7 July 2021}}</ref><ref name=Miramar>{{csr|register=MSI|id=1118293|access-date=14 January 2010}}</ref> Her registered length was {{cvt|309.9|ft|abbr=on}}, her [[Beam (nautical)|beam]] was {{cvt|40.0|ft|abbr=on}} and her depth was {{cvt|15.7|ft|abbr=on}}. Her [[tonnage]]s were {{GRT|1676}} and {{NRT|695}}.<ref name=LR14>{{cite book |year=1914 |chapter=Steamers |title=Lloyd's Register of Shipping |volume=I |place=London |publisher=[[Lloyd's Register]] of Shipping}}</ref>

She had three propellers, each powered by a [[Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company|Parsons]] steam turbine. Between them they were rated at 800 [[Horsepower#Nominal horsepower|RHP]]<ref name=LR14/> and gave her a speed of {{convert|21|kn|km/h}}.<ref name=Wreck>{{cite web |url= http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?40 |last=Lettens |first=Jan |title=SS The Queen (+1916) |work=Wrecksite |access-date=14 January 2010}}</ref>

==Identification==
''The Queen''{{'}}s UK [[official number]] was 118293 and her [[code letters]] were VCPH. By 1913 she was equipped for [[wireless telegraphy]] and her [[Maritime call sign|call sign]] was SEQ.<ref>{{cite book |author=The Marconi Press Agency Ltd |author-link=Marconi Company |year=1913 |title=The Year Book of Wireless Telegraphy and Telephony |place=London |publisher=The St Katherine Press |page=259}}</ref> In 1914 this was changed to GUN.<ref>{{cite book |author=The Marconi Press Agency Ltd |author-link=Marconi Company |year=1914 |title=The Year Book of Wireless Telegraphy and Telephony |place=London |publisher=The Marconi Press Agency Ltd |page=404}}</ref>

==History==
''The Queen'' entered service on the [[Port of Dover|Dover]] – [[Port of Calais|Calais]] route,<ref name=Dover/> making her maiden voyage on 27 June 1903.<ref name=Wreck/> In 1907 she was transferred to the [[Folkestone Harbour|Folkestone]] – [[Boulogne-sur-Mer|Boulogne]] route. On 1 June 1908<ref name=Date>{{cite web |url= http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/archives/exhibitions/ernestarthurbinstead/photogallery/sketchbook21908/ssonward/ |title=SS Onward |publisher=University of Glasgow |access-date=14 January 2010}}{{dead link |date=July 2021}}</ref> ''The Queen'' and another SECR ferry, {{SS|Onward||2}}, collided in thick fog. Both ships were badly damaged.<ref name=Dover>{{cite web |url= http://www.dover-kent.co.uk/transport/queen.htm |title=The Queen |publisher=Dover |accessdate=14 January 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100731111803/http://www.dover-kent.co.uk/transport/queen.htm |archivedate=31 July 2010 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

In 1914 ''The Queen'' helped evacuate [[Belgian refugees]] from [[Ostend]]. She later became a troop ship. On 26 October 1914 she rescued more than 2,000 people from the [[Chargeurs|Chargeurs Réunis]] ship ''Amiral Ganteaume'', which had been damaged by torpedo. In September 1916 ''The Queen'' towed the damaged troop ship ''Queen Empress'' to safety.<ref name=Dover/>

On 26 October 1916 the [[Imperial German Navy|German]] [[V25-class torpedo boat]] ''V-80'' captured ''The Queen'' about {{convert|3|nmi|km|0}} from the [[Varne Lightvessel]]. ''V-80''{{'}}s [[sister ship]] ''S-60'' then sank ''The Queen'' by torpedo<ref name=Wreck/> at {{coord|50|54|N|1|19|E|display=inline,title}}.<ref name=Miramar/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{SECR Ships}}
{{October 1916 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:The Queen}}
[[Category:1903 ships]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1908]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1916]]
[[Category:Ships built on the River Clyde]]
[[Category:Ships of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway]]
[[Category:Steamships of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:World War I passenger ships of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:World War I shipwrecks in the English Channel]]