Θράκη [Ευστράτιος -Thraki, Eustratios, Pilion, Kypros, Elliniko Ypaithro, Tiger Hill]

[Nicholas Peppas]

Thraki was a well known Greek passenger ship that became internationally known because of its end as Tiger Hill!

Thraki (Thrace when she was built) was the second of the triumvirate of Albania/Thraki/Ionia that were built by McMillan of Dumbarton in 1887 for the Panhellenic (Panhellenios) of Piraeus. They all lasted more than 45 years and were used for long distance passenger service due to their tonnage. For Albania/Alkmini see http://www.nautilia.gr/forum/showthread.php?t=63862
For Ionia/Katherina/Lemnos see http://www.nautilia.gr/forum/showthr...100#post221100

Thrace/Thraki had a tonnage of 1481 tons, a length of 80.5 m, a width of 10.4 m and a service speed of 13 knots. She was built for a Greek company along with Ionia and Albania! In case you did not get it, these were days of renewed national enthusiasm. The Ionian islands had been returned to Greece twenty years earlier Thessaly and Arta had joined Greece just a while earlier... So, the national imagination was galloping with Albania, Thraki and Ionia, and the Greeks living in those Ottoman provinces...

Here is an announcement from the Marine Engineer of May 11, 1887. It must be note that the ship was named Thrace, but took the name Thraki as soon as she arrived in Greece the same year (Miramar is wrong, see below)! From now on I will call her Thraki

Thrace Marine Engineer.jpg

The vessel was 80.5 m long and 10.4 m wide and had, as I said, a speed of 13 knots. She had triple expansion engines producing 1,700 HP. She was fitted with handsome first and second class facilities. Albania, Thraki and Ionia are described collectively in another issue of the Marine Engineer later in 1887. Their technical characteristics vary a bit, but one interesting detail (similar to that of other British and French passenger ships) is that they were built with the idea to be easily converted to naval vessels during any necessary, upcoming wars...

Her Clydebuilt entry is here http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=12465

Miramar lists her as follows

IDNo: 5614236 Year: 1887
Name: THRACE Launch Date: 9.4.87
Type: Passenger/cargo Date of completion:
Flag: GRC Keel:
Tons: 1481 Link: 1258
DWT: Yard No: 278
Length overall: Ship Design:
LPP: 80.5 Country of build: GBR
Beam: 10.4 Builder: McMillan
Material of build: Location of yard: Dumbarton
Number of screws/Mchy/ Speed(kn): 1T-
Owner as Completed: Navigation Ξ“* Vapeur Panhellenique, Piraeus
End: 1940
Subsequent History: 10 THRAKI - 16 EUSTRATIOS - 30 PILION - 33 CYPRUS - 35 KYPROS - 38 ELLINICO YPAITHRO - 39 TIGER HILL
Disposal Data: beached Haifa 1.9.39 & bu in situ 1940

THRACE 1481 1887 Panhellenique
THRAKI 1481 1910 Panhellenique
EUSTRATIOS 1481 1916 Pandeli Bros
PILION 1481 1930 Hellenic Coast
CYPRUS 1481 1933 Hellenic Coast
KYPROS 1481 1935 Hellenic Coast
ELLINICO YPETHRO 1481 1938 T.Papadimitriou
TIGER HILL 1481 1939 General SS Co

Thraki was with the Panhellenic (Panhellenios) of Piraeus from 1887 to 1916. Here is an oil painting of her, a rather poor reproduction. It shows her very small although she was a big and glorious ship

THRAKI.jpg

During that time she took over some of the longest routes of the company as she was considered a trans-Mediterranean ship. She was particularly used in the Cretan route (f) and th Trieste route (k) of the 1892 schedule below.

Baedeker3 1892.jpg