Laker conversions (Great Lake Ships)

[tigercat]

During WW2 some of the ships specifically designed for their sheltered environment of the Great Lakes were  plucked from this relative safety and forced to cross the atlantic.

Lakers are built to a distinctive design with engines aft and the bridge right forward


Would a Laker be suitable for conversion to some kind of Land Craft either a LST or some kind of LSI carrying Landing craft.

[ALVAMA]

Good question! I always wondered me the same! A Laker LCT design It sould be possible in some way.

[tigercat]

The original LST's were Tankers from Lake Maracaibo so not too much difference I would imagine in the concept.

Shallow draft bulk carriers both

[rickshaw]

Except the position of the superstructure.  These "lakers" would have been at a disadvantage with their superstructures forward - cutting holes in their bows would have been more difficult 'cause it would have undermined the strength required to support it.

Do you have any pictures of these "lakers"?  I've never heard of them being used in WWII and would like to find out more about them and their voyages.

[tigercat]

I  believe 3 were on convoy SC7 althouggh only one survived the voyage.

My initial thought was more as a LCI carrying Landing craft on the deck space and the cargo space converted into troop decks

[tigercat]

http://en.wikipedia.7val.com/;e=utf-8/wiki/SS_Eaglescliffe_Hall

[CanisD]

Only the smaller ships would have been able to leave the lakes due to the size of the St. Lawrence Seaway at the time and I think those that did were mainly due to the desperate need for hulls. Great Lakes ships generally don't do too well on the open sea and vice versa because of the different wave characteristics on the lakes.

[PR19_Kit]

Plus the lakes are fresh water and the sea isn't. The lakers would have floated higher in the water out at sea, which can't have done much for their stability.

[tigercat]

I get the impression that it was an act of desperation In  Ludlam and Lunds book on SC7 it describes other sailors watching interestingly wondering if a laker will come out the other side of a wave.

[NARSES2]

I get the impression that it was an act of desperation In  Ludlam and Lunds book on SC7 it describes other sailors watching interestingly wondering if a laker will come out the other side of a wave.

My dad reckoned he often felt the same way about the Corvette he was on when it was in the middle of an Atlantic storm 

[Rheged]

I get the impression that it was an act of desperation In  Ludlam and Lunds book on SC7 it describes other sailors watching interestingly wondering if a laker will come out the other side of a wave.

My dad reckoned he often felt the same way about the Corvette he was on when it was in the middle of an Atlantic storm 

My late godfather, a chief yeoman of signals, told  me once that a Flower Class Corvette would  roll badly on damp grass.

[NARSES2]

I get the impression that it was an act of desperation In  Ludlam and Lunds book on SC7 it describes other sailors watching interestingly wondering if a laker will come out the other side of a wave.

My dad reckoned he often felt the same way about the Corvette he was on when it was in the middle of an Atlantic storm 

My late godfather, a chief yeoman of signals, told  me once that a Flower Class Corvette would  roll badly on damp grass.

Dad said something similar as well.

[rickshaw]

Interesting.  I rewatched "The Cruel Sea" a few weeks ago and the Flower Corvette they used in that (the last BTW still sailing at the time - she was ex-Turkish and on the way to the Breakers when they made the film) didn't seem to roll all that badly in the fairly heavy seas they showed her in.

[Weaver]

Okay 'fess up, or am I the only person who skipped this thread at first thinking it was something to do with Sir Freddie's airliners?  

There's a Canadian made-for-TV movie about the experiences of a Flower Class corvette crew called Lifeline to Victory and it's excellent: well worth watching for a true sense of what those guys had to put up with....

[Rheged]

Interesting.  I rewatched "The Cruel Sea" a few weeks ago and the Flower Corvette they used in that (the last BTW still sailing at the time - she was ex-Turkish and on the way to the Breakers when they made the film) didn't seem to roll all that badly in the fairly heavy seas they showed her in.

Compass Rose was portrayed by the Flower-class corvette HMS Coreopsis (K32), which had been loaned to the Hellenic Navy and re-named Kriezis. True, she was  located in Malta, on her way to be converted into razor blades