Darro
Ship Number
427
Vessel Type
Passenger Ship
Built
Belfast
Yard
South Yard
Slip Number
6
Launch Date
May 16, 1912
Delivered
October 31, 1912
Owner
Royal Mail Steam Packet Co
Weight
11484 grt
BP Length
500 feet
Breadth
62 feet
No. of Screws
Twin
Speed (approx)
13 knots
Propulsion
quadruple expansion engine with 8 cylinders of 23, 34, 48 & 69 inches diameter each pair; stroke 51 inches; 680 nominal horsepower; engine built by Harland and Wolff
Official No.
132026
Registered
Belfast
Fate
Scrapped
Darro

[The Allen Collection]
The Darro was built at Belfast by Harland & Wolff Ltd in 1912 for Imperial Direct West India Line. This had been a subsidiary of Elder Dempster but the whole Elder Dempster Group was sold to Sir Owen Philipps Royal Mail Steam Packet Company in 1910 and the Darro was ordered by R.M.S.P.
 
She was a twin screw steamer of 11,484 gross tons on dimensions 500.7 x 62.3 feet with accommodation for 90 first, 40 second and 860 steerage passengers. She was powered by two quadruple expansion steam engines driving twin screws to give a speed of 13 knots.
 
Designed for either West Indies or South America service. 1916 transferred to Royal Mail Steam Packet Company. 21 February 1917 collided with Elder Dempster's Mendi which sank with the loss of 656 lives.
 
December 1933 sold for breaking up in Osaka.
 
[Elder Dempster Fleet History, Cowden & Duffy]