The SS Lesbian was a 2,352 gross register ton cargo vessel constructed by Swan, Hunter and Wigham Richardson Ltd in Newcastle upon Tyne, with yard number 1211. Launched on July 31, 1923, and completed later that year, she was named after the inhabitants of Lesbos, Greece, and was the third vessel to bear the name within Ellerman Lines Ltd. The ship featured a triple expansion steam engine built by Wallsend Slipway Co Ltd, which developed 274 horsepower and enabled her to reach a speed of approximately 10 knots. The Lesbian’s service history included various commercial voyages and participation in wartime convoy operations. Early in her career, she operated under Ellerman Lines Ltd until 1937, after which her management transitioned to Ellerman & Papayanni Lines Ltd. The vessel was involved in several notable incidents, including running aground at Kephez, Turkey, in May 1925, from which she was refloated after a few days. During the Second World War, Lesbian was an active convoy participant, traveling from ports such as Gibraltar, Alexandria, and Piraeus, carrying general cargo and fruit. She was part of the first convoy formation (OG 1) in October 1939, heading for Gibraltar, and subsequently joined several other convoys, including HG 7, HG 17, and HGF 28, which facilitated Allied maritime movements in the Mediterranean and Atlantic. In 1940, Lesbian was seized by Vichy French forces at Beirut, Lebanon. During the Allied invasion of Syria and Lebanon in 1941, Beirut was heavily bombed, and fearing that she would block the port if sunk, the Vichy French scuttled the Lesbian offshore on July 14, 1941. The ship’s wreck was discovered in 2000 by local diving centers, lying in remarkably good condition at a depth of 67 meters facing Beirut port. Powered by her triple expansion engine, the Lesbian represented the typical cargo vessel of her era, with a notable service record, including wartime convoy participation and her ultimate scuttling during a critical period of World War II.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.