SS Anglo‑African was a British steam cargo ship built in 1900 by Short Brothers Ltd. at the Pallion yard in Sunderland (yard number 292). She was commissioned by the London‑based firm Lawther, Latta & Co. and operated under the Nitrate Producers Steam Ship Co. Her official United Kingdom registration number was 112770 and her code letters were SBHF.
Design and construction
The vessel was a spar‑deck cargo steamer of 4 186 gross register tons (2 693 net register tons) and a deadweight capacity of approximately 7 350 tons. She measured 370 ft 2 in (112.83 m) in length between perpendiculars, with a beam of 48 ft 7 in (14.81 m) and a depth of 19 ft (5.79 m). Anglo‑African featured a steel hull with a cellular double bottom, a single triple‑expansion steam engine (418 nhp) driving one screw propeller, and could achieve speeds up to 11 knots. The ship was equipped with modern cargo‑handling gear, including nine steam winches and multiple derricks, and had electrical deck lighting.
Operational history
Early service (1900‑1901) – After sea trials on 13 November 1900, Anglo‑African sailed from London to Cape Town on 25 November 1900, then proceeded to Iquique, Chile, where she loaded nitrates for delivery to Cuxhaven, Germany, completing her maiden voyage in April 1901.
British Admiralty charter (1901‑1902) – During the latter stages of the Second Boer War, the Admiralty chartered the ship to transport horses (remounts) to South Africa. Notable voyages included the carriage of 750 horses from Montreal to Durban (May 1901) and subsequent trips carrying additional remounts in early 1902.
Australian trade (1902) – Designed for Australian routes, Anglo‑African visited Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne and Port Pirie, loading metal concentrates, wool and general cargo before returning to European ports in early 1902.
Commercial service (1902‑1909) – Following the end of her wartime charter, the vessel entered regular commercial service, operating principally on a circuit linking South America (especially nitrate‑producing ports in Chile such as Iquique and Caleta Buena), the United States (Baltimore, New York, Savannah, Boston) and European ports (Liverpool, Bremen, Hamburg, Dunkirk). She also undertook occasional voyages to the Far East, including a 1904 trip to Calcutta. Cargoes commonly comprised nitrate of soda, cotton, coal, coke, lumber, and phosphate rock.
Wreck
SS Anglo‑African was wrecked on 5 January 1909 while on a regular voyage. The circumstances of the loss are recorded in contemporary shipping registers, but details of the incident (location, cause, casualties) are not included in the available sources.
Legacy
Anglo‑African exemplifies early‑20th‑century British cargo steamers that served both commercial trade routes and wartime logistical needs, particularly in the nitrate and livestock transport sectors. Her career spanned less than a decade before her loss in 1909.