Simviation Forum - Zamzam is coming!

Nov 12^th, 2010 at 4:38pm

Tango_Romeo Offline
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The S.S. Zamzam is coming from master shipwright Collin Glendinning by special request. Smiley

Zamzam was sunk off the coast of Africa by the German commerce raider Atlantis in 1941.

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Reply #1 - Nov 12^th, 2010 at 4:45pm

Tango_Romeo Offline
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The German raiders thought they were sinking a freighter, and got a major shock when some 345 passengers and crew began abandoning ship via the Zam's lifeboats. Huh

One of those passengers was a Life magazine photographer, and another was my cousin. She, a young nurse, was enroute to the Congo to do missonary work. That means there are photos and first hand accounts. Roll Eyes

« Last Edit: Nov 13^th, 2010 at 1:05am by Tango_Romeo »

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Reply #2 - Nov 12^th, 2010 at 5:42pm

ozzy72 Offline
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I had a boat like that in the bath the other night... didn't last very long against my special plastic penetrating ammo (.22 steel pellets from the air-pistol) Grin

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Reply #3 - Nov 13^th, 2010 at 1:19am

Tango_Romeo Offline
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Lena awakened around 5:30AM to the sound of explosions. Looking out her porthole she saw a ship firing on the Zamzam, which was sailing under an Egyptian flag.
Over 200 passengers and crew of around 120 took to the boats, and were picked up by the German raider Atlantis. They were on Atlantis for about three days, and then transferred to the Dresden (Atlantis' supply ship). After a month aboard Dresden they were landed in France, and the Americans taken across the border to Spain, where they were repatriated to the US.

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Reply #4 - Nov 13^th, 2010 at 1:36am

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Zamzam was originally SS Leicestershire, a member of the very large Oxford class of liners produced in England. By the 40s they were serving many countries around the world, including the Japanese....so she can be used in many roles. Wink

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Reply #5 - Nov 13^th, 2010 at 5:11am

Hagar Offline
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Very interesting TR. I found this photo gallery of SS Zam Zam on the Life Magazine website. http://www.life.com/search/?type=images&q0=ss+zam+zam

They were taken by David E. Scherman, the photographer you mentioned earlier.

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Reply #6 - Nov 13^th, 2010 at 11:19am

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That is a great set of photos on the LIFE site. Thanks, Doug.

At the time Atlantis opened fire on Zamzam she (Zamzam) was flying no flag and had no markings on her other than the word 'Mizr' painted on her stack. In the photos of her sinking she is shown flying the Egyptian flag which was raised in response to the attack. Egypt was a neutral nation at the time, but the ship was carrying ambulances and drivers (and perhaps other 'cargo') destined for England. The ambulance drivers were American (20 of them) and they were shipped off to Germany when the Dresden landed in France. We don't know what happened to them. Some 140 of the passengers were American missionaries of various faiths and professions bound for Mombasa.

As a boy I was fascinated by Lena's stories of the sinking and of Africa on her trips home. I asked her what she did in the lifeboat after abandoning the Zamzam. She said she had her knitting with her. Cheesy

I asked if she had a rifle in Africa for hunting. No, she said, just a Daisy BB gun with which she shot leopards in the butt when they attempted to get into the chicken coop at night. Grin

I would ask how she got around in the Congo....like on safari? No, she'd show me photos of her old Dodge nudging it's way through a troop of elephants blocking the dirt road. She said the horn was quite effective in getting them to move. Huh

Lena Reynolds was a piece of work. Shocked

Survivors of the Zamzam sinking still hold reunions...of course those remaining alive now were small children at the time.

« Last Edit: Nov 13^th, 2010 at 7:56pm by Tango_Romeo »

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Reply #7 - Nov 14^th, 2010 at 6:37pm

Collin Offline
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ozzy72 wrote on Nov 12^th, 2010 at 5:42pm:

I had a boat like that in the bath the other night... Grin

"Polishing the ole torpedo eh",

quote from "Down Periscope"

OK you lot.
She had 11 sisters so far identified, with a possible 8 more.
Those that remained within the Empire shipping circles became troopships or Hospital ships in the Med or out East.
Some , like the Leicestershire had been sold off to other nationalities.

Thanks to links to better photo's provided by hagar'd, the models superstructure is all wrong and a load of crap so I will have to start again Sad

Collin

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Reply #8 - Nov 15^th, 2010 at 3:39am

Hagar Offline
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Collin wrote on Nov 14^th, 2010 at 6:37pm:

OK you lot.
She had 11 sisters so far identified, with a possible 8 more.
Those that remained within the Empire shipping circles became troopships or Hospital ships in the Med or out East.
Some , like the Leicestershire had been sold off to other nationalities.

Thanks to links to better photo's provided by hagar'd, the models superstructure is all wrong and a load of crap so I will have to start again Sad

Collin

Hi Collin. Sorry if I've caused you problems. I found another site for you. The "Shire" sister ships are listed on this & the following page. http://www.red-duster.co.uk/BIBBY12.htm

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Reply #9 - Nov 15^th, 2010 at 10:11am

Collin Offline
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[/quote]Hi Collin. Sorry if I've caused you problems. I found another site for you. The "Shire" sister ships are listed on this & the following page. [/quote]

Thanks you ole reprobate Wink

Thats just for the Bibby line, I have photos for 11 of them, though I don't suppose they were very different from each other until late in life, just in painting at various periods.

regards Collin Cool

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Reply #10 - Nov 15^th, 2010 at 11:35am

Tango_Romeo Offline
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It warms my heart to see you two working together again.

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Reply #11 - Nov 18^th, 2010 at 11:14pm

Collin Offline
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Due to the mistaken photo's and consequent rebuild, this model has now been allocated as a target vessel for the BPF campaign.

Meet......."old maru" Roll Eyes

There were quite a few old liners sold off to Far East countries, Japan and Siam were among them.

Some detail parts to add and more detail to be worked into the texture and she will be ready to receive those loving attentions that naval aviators like to bestow on old glorious gals. Shocked

Collin

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Reply #12 - Nov 19^th, 2010 at 12:52am