Southampton Castle The last Cape mailship

摘要

On 27 May 1965 Union-Castle Line's 10,538gt Southampton Castle sailed from Southampton on her maiden voyage to South Africa. The first of two twin-screw ships constructed at Wallsend on the Tyne by Swan, Hunter and Wigham Richardson Ltd, she was then the most powerful and fastest diesel-powered cargo liner in the world. She and her sister, Good Hope Castle, were designed for Union-Castle's new accelerated cargo and mail service between Britain and South Africa. The mail service had been inaugurated by Union line's Dane in 1857 and the times to the Cape had been reduced, falling 42 to HVi days by 1965. With declining passenger numbers, the new schedule introduced by Windsor Castle in July 1965 reduced the company's passenger liner fleet from eight to five ships and resulted in the three handsome pre-war Belfast-built motor ships being retired.