SS Akaroa was a UK steam ocean liner and refrigerated cargo ship. She was launched in 1914 in Ireland as Euripides for Aberdeen Line. When new, she was the largest ship in the Aberdeen Line fleet.
In the First World War she was an Allied troop ship. From 1929 White Star Line managed her. In 1932 Euripides passed to Shaw, Savill & Albion Line who had her refitted and renamed her Akaroa. She survived the Second World War and was scrapped in Belgium in 1954.
Aberdeen Line named some of its ships after classical Greek people and events. Euripides was a tragedian in Classical Athens in the fifth century BC.
Shaw, Savill & Albion names some of its ships after places in New Zealand. Akaroa is a small town on South Island.
Building
Harland and Wolff built Euripides on its slipway number nine in Belfast, launching her on 29 January 1914 and completing her on 6 June.
Euripides looked similar to her Aberdeen Line running mates and . However, with a length of between perpendiculars and beam of Euripides was longer and broader. As built, her tonnages were , and about 25,000 tons displacement, and she was the largest ship in Aberdeen Line's fleet.
Euripides had a double bottom for the full length of her hull. Her hull was divided into watertight compartments, so that she could remain afloat if any two were flooded.
In 1914 newspapers reported that Euripides was built with two classes of passenger accommodation: first and third. First class was on the bridge deck, boat deck, main deck and awning deck. Third class was on the poop and tween deck. However, other sources claim she was built with berths for three classes: 140 first class, 334 third class and 750 steerage. Her holds were refrigerated and had capacity for of cargo. They had a total of seven hatches, served by 19 winches.
Like Demosthenes, Euripides had three screws. A pair of four-cylinder triple-expansion steam engines drove her port and starboard screws. Exhaust steam from their low-pressure cylinders powered a low-pressure steam turbine that drove her middle screw. The combined power output of her three engines was rated at 1,401 NHP and gave her a service speed of .
George Thompson & Co registered Euripides at Aberdeen. Her UK official number was 133648 and her code letters were JFRC.
Maiden voyage
Aberdeen Line ran scheduled services between London and Australia via South Africa. Euripides left London on her maiden voyage on 1 July 1914, called at Plymouth on 2 July and Cape Town on 20 July.
On 28 July the First World War began as Euripides was crossing the Indian Ocean. She called at Albany, Western Australia on 4 August, Melbourne on 13 August and Sydney on 15 August, and reached Brisbane on 24 August.
When Euripides reached Sydney, the Daily Commercial News and Shipping List hailed her as "a palatial vessel" but noted that she was already listed to be requisitioned as a troop ship.
First World War
On 26 August Euripides was requisitioned as the troop ship HMAT Euripides, with the pennant number A14.
Euripides embarked elements of the First Australian Imperial Force at Brisbane on 24 September 1914 and at Sydney on 18–29 October. On 1 November she joined a convoy in King George Sound, Western Australia.
From 1914 until 1917 Euripides made seven voyages carrying troops from Australia to Great Britain. Commonwealth Government control of Euripides ended on 2 June 1917. However, she continued trooping and her seventh voyage left Sydney on 31 October 1917. From February 1919 she repatriated troops to Australia. In her war service Euripides covered and carried 38,349 troops.
By 1918 Euripides was equipped for wireless telegraphy, operated by the Marconi Company. Her call sign was MSE.
Interbellum
After her troop service Euripides was overhauled at Belfast. In November 1920 she resumed Aberdeen Line's service between London and Australia. In 1922 the company took delivery of a pair of new liners, and . In March 1923 Euripides route was changed to serve Southampton instead of London.
In 1927 Euripides was laid up for five months in the Firth of Clyde. She then went into a service between Liverpool and Australia run jointly by Aberdeen Line and Blue Funnel Line. In 1929 her management was transferred to White Star Line, but George Thompson & Co Ltd (Aberdeen Line) remained her owner.
By 1930 Euripides was equipped with wireless direction finding apparatus and her call sign had been changed to GMLP.
On 20 July 1931 the Royal Mail Case opened at the Old Bailey, which led to the collapse of White Star Line's parent company. In July 1932 ownership of Euripides passed to Shaw, Savill & Albion.