Chungking II

Sister of the ship Chengtu I

History
'''May 25th. 1935.''' The ship went aground just after midnight, on rocks about 35 miles from Chefoo in the Gulf of Po Hoi, while outbound from Chefoo on a voyage to North China and Manchuria. The vessel went aground on a falling tide, and at daylight an inspection revealed the ship was well aground and that No 1 hold was badly holed and full of water, there being no double bottom tanks below the holds on this class of vessel, and it was impossible to patch the hole or pump the water out of No 1 hold in the current situation. The danger was that the flimsy bulkhead between No1 and No2 holds might buckle and collapse under the pressure of water in No 1 hold. The crew then restacked the cargo of 56lb sacks of flour in No 2 hold against the bulkhead to provide extra support. When the tide rose the Chunking was gently eased astern and came off the rocks, however the ship, with the loss of bouancy for'd, was well down by the head and the stern so high out of the water that the propeller was barely in the water. The vessel then proceeded astern slowly, the 35 miles across the Gulf towards Chefoo. Fortunately the weather was fine and the sea flat. Eventually the ship came to a sandy beach, and on the next high tide the ship was beached. As the tide dropped the water drained out of the hold. As much cargo as possible was then moved away from the torn and buckled buckled plates which were ruptured in the collision, and a concrete patch poured over the hole. On completion of the temporary repairs, and a few high tides later the ship was refloated. The Chunking was then "seaworthy" enough to proceed to the Shanghai Dockyards for permanent repairs.

1941. Escaped to Australia, and in 1942 placed on charter to the West Australian State Shipping Service.

1946. Returned to CNCo. at the expiry of the charter.

1947. Sold to the Tai Ping S.S.Co., Hong Kong, renamed "Tai Chung Shan"

'''Feb 28th. 1950.''' Seized by the Chinese Nationalist forces near Amoy, released in May.

May 1st 1964. Laid up in Hong Kong. Sept 9th. blown ashore during typhoon "Ruby".

'''October 23rd. 1964'''. Eventually refloated and delivered to shipbreakers by December 1964.

Service
Built for the China coast trade. Refer to Shengking I