LUANGO

Portuguese steamer LUANGO, imo 1121056/ 107m/ 3.252gt/ 10kn; 08/1905 completed by Earle?s Shipbuilding & Co., Ltd., Hull, as VIGO for T. Wilson, Sons & Co., Ltd., Hull; 1917 VIGO, Ellerman?s Wilson Line, Ltd., Hull; 1927 ARCANGELO, A. Giuffrida A. Carmelo, Catania; 03/1929 while in transit Antwerp/Puerto Nuevo, Argentine, suffered into that last port an explosion and stay mid sunk, blocking the traffic. In four weeks she was refloated by Cia, Anonima de Navigaci?n Miahnovich Lda, Buenos Aires, which bought the ship in a auction and repaired her; 1930 ARCANGELO, Cia. Anonima de Navegaci?n Miahnovich Lda, Buenos Aires; 1933 INSPECTOR BENEDDETI, Cia. Anonima de Navegaci?n Miahnovich Lda, Buenos Aires; 1941 on one of her trips from Buenos Aires to Baltimore was surprised by a violent storm off Rio Grande do Sul, Brazilian coast. The INSPECTOR BENEDDETI rolling uncontrollably, the waves were tearing pieces of the superstructure, including radio aerials. The ship heeled dangerously was suffering the ravages of the sea and the rudder was broken. The captain Luis A. Brau gave orders to go to the lifeboats, but one with 9 men on board received such an impact of waves sank immediately with all its occupants. The rest of the crew was able to launch a raft and saved.
The crew was rescued by the Spanish passenger vessel CABO DE HORNOS, the British auxiliary cruiser HMS ASTURIAS and the British steamer LYNTON GRANGE. The INSPECTOR BENEDDETI drifted four days, tracing and traversing huge waves, alone, without people on board, without steering and badly heeled, she had the misfortune to hit the rocks, but stand without problems and could be meanwhile then taken to the port. With the intervention of the tugs was possible salvage and tow her to Buenos Aires; 1942 LUANGO, Companhia Colonial de Navega??o, Lisbon; 1949 LUANGO, J?lio Cust?dio, Lisbon; 1949 CAPETAN LEFTERIS, Cia. Naviera Elgeval SA., Panama; 02/11/1959 arrived Sakai, Japan, for breaking up.
Fontes: Miramar Ship Index, Histamar
Foto: Author Unknown ? collection F. Cabral, Oporto.