A four-masted barque.
Well known to Aucklanders during and just after WWII, she was built
of iron in 1905 by Blohm and Voss Hamburg. At 2799 tons and 316
feet, she had a great nitrate and/or grain storage area below decks,
and won many a grain race. This ship was a fine example of a windjammer,
which could carry even larger sail areas and more cargo than the
earlier clippers.
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The Pamir off Vancouver,
08/07/1945 |
She was originally a Finnish ship, which was seized by New Zealand at Wellington as a war prize in 1941, and used to carry cargo between New Zealand and North American ports. Many a young Kiwi crossed the Pacific on her even during WWII.
Returned to Finnish ownership in 1948, she was sold to a consortium of German owners 5 months later. In 1956, records show she sailed from Buenos Aires on August 10th bound for Hamburg with 3,780 tons of barley and a complement of 86.
On September 21st, about 600 miles west-southwest of the Azores, she sailed into a hurricane. Her inadequately stowed cargo shifted in the high seas and after transmitting two distress calls, she sank at about 1600hrs in the afternoon. There were only six survivors.
An excellent website with full information on the Pamir >>
If you have notes on the Pamir and would like to be considered for inclusion in this website, please e-mail.