Бірінші дүниежүзілік соғыстағы британдық «Бен ми Чри» кемесінің тарихы

British ship

HMS Ben my Chree (Manx: "Woman of My Heart") was a packet steamer and a Royal Navy (RN) seaplane carrier of the First World War. She was originally built in 1907 by Vickers for the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company and was intended for use on the England–Isle of Man route. She was the third vessel to bear her name. To this day Ben my Chree holds the crossing speed record from Liverpool to Douglas for a steamship at under three hours. She was chartered by the RN at the beginning of 1915 and participated in several abortive attacks on Germany in May. The ship was transferred to the Dardanelles in June to support the Gallipoli Campaign. One of her aircraft made the first ship launched aerial torpedo attack on a ship in August. After Gallipoli was evacuated at the end of the year, Ben my Chree became flagship of the East Indies and Egypt Seaplane Squadron that operated in the Eastern Mediterranean, performing reconnaissance missions and attacking Turkish facilities and troops. She was sunk by Turkish artillery while anchored at the recently occupied island of Kastellorizo in early 1917, five members of her crew being injured. The ship was salvaged in 1920 and broken up in 1923. Ben my Chree was the only aviation vessel of either side sunk by enemy action during the war.

SS Ben my Chree had a tonnage of The ship was 390 feet (119 m) long overall and 375 feet (114 m) long between perpendiculars. She had a beam of 46 feet (14 m) and a depth of 18 feet (5 m) from her main deck to the top of her keel. Ben my Chree had five decks and a capacity of 2,549 passengers with a crew of 119. and two Vickers three pounder AA guns. During this raid, Ben my Chree attempted to launch her Sopwith Schneider from a trolley off the fore deck, but the engine backfired, wrecking its starter, and breaking the pilot's wrist as the starter handle was in the cockpit.

French troops occupied the Greek island of Kastellorizo, off the southwest coast of Turkey, on 20 December 1916 to use it as an advance base against the Turks. Not pleased at the presence of the French, the Turks secretly deployed an artillery battery of four and twelve guns within range of the island. The French commander requested a seaplane carrier to conduct reconnaissance in the area and Ben my Chree was sent in response. She arrived on 11 January 1917 and anchored in the harbour which faced the mainland. The Turkish guns opened fire about two hours later, hitting the carrier with their third shot. Subsequent shells disabled her steering and started a fire in her hangar that spread across her upper deck. Ben my Chrees wreck remained in place until 15 August 1920 when it was refloated by the salvage ship Vallette. The wreck was immediately beached before the tow to the port of Piraeus began on 4 September. The ship proved to be a constructive total loss and was towed to Venice, Italy, in 1923 to be demolished. During her short career she operated Sopwith Type 860, Schneider, and Baby aircraft, the Wight Pusher Seaplane, as well as Short Type 830 and Type 184 floatplanes.