Name Faraday Type Cable layer Draft 8.31 m | Namesake Michael Faraday Launched 16 February 1923 | |
Operator Atlantic Telegraph Company Fate Sunk by aircraft, 25 March 1941 Tonnage 5,533 long tons (5,622 t) gross Builder Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company | ||
The second CS Faraday was a cable ship built by Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company, Hebburn-on-Tyne, in 1922–23, as a replacement for the ageing CS Faraday built in 1874.
Launched on 16 February 1923, the Faraday carried out her maiden voyage in that year with the purpose of laying cable between New York and Canso, Nova Scotia. She also carried out a number of cable laying and surveying exercises both in home waters and the Pacific until 1939 when she was chartered by the Admiralty to recover German cable off Ushant with intention of refurbishing the cable and relaying it to Narvik.
This plan was cancelled after the evacuation from Narvik and the ship was then laid up until requisitioned by the Admiralty, first for training of Naval cadets but then for cable work around the African coast. (Some of the civilian crew had remained on board).
On 25 March 1941 the Faraday and four other ships set sail from Falmouth bound for Milford Haven. The ships became separated in poor visibility and about 7:45 p.m. the Faraday was attacked by a Heinkel He 111 which strafed and bombed the ship, killing eight and wounding 25 of the crew, and caused a major fire in the oil bunkers forcing the crew to abandon ship. The aircraft was itself shot down by the ship's crew.
She later ran aground off St. Anne's Head. The cable was recovered, however the wreck of the Faraday still lies in shallow waters and is a popular attraction for divers.