21 September - The Pamir was shipwrecked and sank off the Azores during Hurricane Carrie

 

The Pamir was a steel-hulled four-masted barque, originally launched in 1905 at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg, Germany. As one of the famous "Flying P-Liners" of the shipping company F. Laeisz, Pamir spent much of her early career transporting nitrate and other goods between Europe and South America.

History and Significance:

• Construction: Pamir was built with advanced technology for its time, combining traditional sail power with a modern steel hull, which made it sturdier than wooden ships.
• Commercial Use: She was primarily used in the South American nitrate trade, a valuable commodity for fertilizer and explosives, and also carried grain and other goods during her career.
• World War II: During the war, Pamir was seized by New Zealand and used as a cargo ship under the British flag, carrying war supplies.
• Return to Germany: After World War II, Pamir was returned to Germany and refitted to continue in commercial service, although she had also started to be used for training merchant marine cadets.

The Final Voyage:

On her final journey, Pamir departed from Buenos Aires on 10 August 1957, with a cargo of 3,780 tons of barley, bound for Hamburg. The ship was part of a dying breed of windjammers, large sailing ships that had been overtaken by motorized vessels in commercial shipping. By the 1950s, Pamir and a few others like her were being used as training vessels for cadets and trainees in seamanship.

The Disaster:

• On 21 September 1957, Pamir encountered Hurricane Carrie in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 600 nautical miles west of the Azores.
• The cargo of barley, which had been improperly secured, shifted during the storm, causing the ship to list heavily.
• Efforts to balance the ship failed, and the heavy tilt made it impossible to manage the sails or pumps effectively. The ship eventually capsized and sank within 30 minutes.

Distress Calls and Rescue Attempts:

• A distress signal was sent, and several rescue ships, including the American vessels USS Gearing and SS Saxon, responded.
• The storm made rescue operations difficult, and it took three days for help to arrive at the scene.
• Of the 86 crew members, including 52 cadets, only six survivors were found clinging to a lifeboat after three days at sea. The rest perished in the disaster.

Aftermath and Legacy:

The sinking of Pamir had a profound impact on maritime training and safety regulations. Investigations into the disaster revealed that the cargo had been poorly stowed and that there were not enough experienced sailors aboard to properly handle the ship during the storm. As a result, the event led to changes in the rules governing the operation of sail training ships, including better stowage practices and stricter regulations regarding crew competency.

The Pamir remains a symbol of the end of the era of large commercial sailing ships and is remembered in Germany with memorials and commemorative events. Her sinking was a national tragedy, and it still resonates within the maritime community today.