Annotated study of the liner 'Justicia' under tow after being torpedoed by UB64 and UB124<br>
This sketch, inscribed with various descriptive notes by Wyllie, depicts the epic struggle to save the government-owned liner 'Justicia' (1917) in July 1918.  She was being built by Harland &amp; Wolff Ltd at Belfast for the Holland-America Line and was launched as 'Statendam' on 9 July 1914.  Work stopped on the outbreak of war and the incomplete ship was requisitioned by the British government and completed in April 1917 as the 'Justicia', managed by the White Star Line.  At 13.50 on 19 July 1918, while in convoy from  Liverpool to  New York in ballast (no passengers) she was hit by a torpedo from 'U-64' (1917) north of Fanad Head, Ireland, and two more ten minutes later.  She was taken in tow by the tug 'Sonia' (1916) and  headed for Lough Swilly with a destroyer escort.  At 19.18 she was hit by yet another torpedo from U-64 but the submarine was damaged and withdrew.  At 09.20 on 20 July 1918 U-124 (1918) hit the Justicia (1917) with another two torpedoes, as depicted here.  The liner slowly capsized and soon after noon she sank by the stern with the loss of 16 crew, having finally succumbed to six torpedo hits spread over an 18-hour period.  At the time over 30 craft of various sorts were in attendance.  U-124 was attacked with depth charges and gunfire from the destroyers 'Marne' (1915), 'Milbrook'(1915) and 'Pigeon' (1916) and was sunk at 18.05 with the loss of two crew.   The note at the bottom of the drawing referring to 'Melbroke' is a mis-spelling for the three-funnelled M-class destroyer Milbrook (1915, lower right).  The outline sketch at the top is of a 24- (Racehorse) class double-ended escort sloop of 1918.
<bdi><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/en:William_Lionel_Wyllie" class="extiw" title="w:en:William Lionel Wyllie"><span title="English painter of maritime themes (1851-1931)">William Lionel Wyllie</span></a>
</bdi>
circa 1918 <div style="display: none;">date QS:P571,+1918-00-00T00:00:00Z/9,P1480,Q5727902</div>
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