Description
The turbine steam ship Princess Irene and her identical sister theĀ Princess Margaret were built in 1914 for a service neither would ever see. They were ordered by the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, but following the outbreak of war in Europe, the Royal Navy hastily converted them for a totally unseen role. They emerged in the early months of 1915 as the minelayers HMS Princess Irene and HMS Princess Margaret. After just two months in service, whilst swinging on No.28 buoy off Port Victoria Pier on the River Medway in Kent, the Princess Irene was destroyed by a catastrophic internal explosion. This is her story.
This book was originally published by Ferry Publications in 2001. This is the 2nd edition, marking the centenary of the Princess Irene’s loss.