SS Ardena (1915)

History
Name:	1915–1920:HMS Peony 1920–1943:SS Ardena
Operator:	1915–1920:Royal Navy 1920–1923:London and South Western Railway 1923–1934:Southern Railway 1934–1942:Navigation Constantine Toyias, Piraeus 1942–1943:German Navy
Port of registry:
Builder:	A McMillan & Son, Dumbarton
Yard number:	462
Launched:	25 August 1915
Out of service:	27 September 1943
Fate:	Mined and sunk
General characteristics
Tonnage:	1,092 gross register tons (GRT)
Length:	250.1 feet (76.2 m)
Beam:	33.1 feet (10.1 m)

SS Ardena was a minesweeper and escort vessel built as HMS Peony in 1915.^[1]

History

She was built by A McMillan and Son in Dumbarton and launched on 25 August 1915. She entered services as HMS Peony as an Azalea-class sloop, minesweeper.

She was acquired by the London and South Western Railway in 1920, reconstructed and placed on the routes to Cherbourg and Caen which re-opened in July 1921.^[2] She was taken over by the Southern Railway in 1923 and remained until sold in July 1934.

She went to Navigation Constantine Toyias, Piraeus. On 18 April 1941, during a convoy escort, she collided with Greek destroyer Leon followed by the explosion of two depth charges. As a result, the stern section of Leon was cut off and two officers were killed.

On 27 September 1943 the passenger ferry, was sunk by a mine off Argostoli, Greece. Seven hundred and twenty Italian prisoners of war and 59 crewmen were killed.^[3]

References

1. Duckworth, Christian Leslie Dyce; Langmuir, Graham Easton (1968). Railway and other Steamers. Prescot, Lancashire: T. Stephenson and Sons.
2. "Southampton-Cherbourg route re-opened". Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer. England. 8 July 1921. Retrieved 1 December 2015 – via British Newspaper Archive. (subscription required (help)).
3. "Ardena cargo ship 1915-1943". Wrecksite. Retrieved 20 October 2014.