Swan Hunter

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Swan Hunter, formerly known as "Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson", is one of the best known shipbuilding companies in the United Kingdom. Based in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, the company is responsible for some of the greatest ships of the early 20th century — most famously, the RMS Mauretania which held the Blue Riband for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic, and the RMS Carpathia which rescued the survivors from the RMS Titanic.

As the name suggests, the company represented the combined forces of three powerful shipbuilding families: Swan, Hunter and Wigham Richardson.

1 History
2 Present & future
3 Ships built by Swan Hunter
4 References
5 External links
6 See also

[edit] History

Swan & Hunter was formed in 1880. In 1903, it merged with Wigham Richardson (founded by John Wigham Richardson as Neptune Works in 1860), specifically to bid for the prestigious contract to build the Mauretania on behalf of Cunard. Their bid was successful, and the new company, Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson Ltd, went on to build what was to become, in its day, the most famous ocean going liner in the world. RMS Mauretania was launched from Wallsend on Tyne on 20th September 1906 to the cheers of huge crowds. She left service in 1935.

The shipyard had to be bought out from recievership by Jaap Kroese, then trading as "Swan Hunter", it was forced to call in the receivers after the UK government awarded the contract for HMS Ocean to Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd in Barrow in Furness for a cut down price, which later turned out to be artificial. The final cost of the ship was more than £50 million in excess of Swan Hunter's quoted tender. The ship has been dogged with problems ever since as the UK government failed to recognise the depth of expertise within Swan Hunter as shown below.

In 2000 Swan Hunter was awarded the contract to design and build 2 ALSD ships for the Royal Navy with 2 other ships being built by BAE Govan. The cost of the 2 Swan Hunter ships was to be £210 million including £62 million for lead yard services, by July 2006 (inservice date was 2004) the costs had risen too £309 million and only one ship had been delivered. As result of this the second ship Lyme Bay was transferred to BAE Govan for completion.

Swan Hunter once owned the Wallsend Slipway & Engineering Company, which built the engines for some of its greatest ships. The company was an early manufacturer of Charles Algernon Parsons turbine engines, which enabled the Mauretania to achieve its great speed.

The current flagship of the Royal Navy, HMS Ark Royal was built at Swan Hunter, entering service in 1985.

The evolution of British Shipbuilders, 1960 - present

[edit] Present & future

Swan Hunter was rescued from receivership by Jaap Kroese, a Dutch millionaire. Today, the yard is building ships once again, the first on the Tyne for 10 years. However the Bay class landing ship dock (auxiliary) vessels it has produced have run massively over their original budget. Swan Hunter has not been awarded a contract to construct the new Royal Navy CVF Aircraft Carriers in partnership with BAE Systems Marine.