Belgium is the name of two Belgian research ships. Both ships are named after the Roman province of Belgica , formed in 16 BC. e. in the area of resettlement of the Celtic belg tribe.
| Belgium | |
|---|---|
| Belgica | |
 | |
| Title | Patria (1884-96), Belgium (1896-1916), Isfjord (1916-17) |
| original name | Patria, Belgica, Isfjord |
| Port of registry | Svelvik (1884-1896) Antwerp (1896-1916) Svalbard (1916-1917) Harstad (1917-1940) |
| Owner | Johan Christian Jacobsen (1884–96) Adrien de Gerlach (1896–97) Belgian Antarctic Expedition (1897–99) Adrien de Gerlach (1899–1902) N.K. Halvoren (1902) Philip of Orleans (1902–16) Det Norske Kulsindikat (1916–17) Christian Canvas (1917–40) Franco-British Expeditionary Force (1940) |
| Commissioned | 1884 |
| Withdrawn from the fleet | 1940 |
| Status | Sank |
| Main characteristics | |
| Length | 35.97 |
| Width | 7.62 |
| Height | 4.11 |
 Wikimedia Commons Media Files | |
| Belgium | |
|---|---|
| Belgica | |
 | |
| Title | Belgium |
| original name | Belgica |
| Port of registry | Zeebrugge |
| Commissioned | 1984 |
| Main characteristics | |
| Length | 50 |
| Width | ten |
| Height | 5.7 |
| Deadweight | 765 |
| Wikimedia Commons Media Files | |
Historic Belgique
The first ship known as “Belgica” was built by Christian Brinch Jacobsen in 1884 in Svelvik ( Norway ) and was originally called Patria [1] . The ship was 35.97 meters long, 7.62 meters wide and 4.11 meters high [1] , and weighed 336 tons. About the construction of the ship used pine and oak. In addition to the sails, the ship was equipped with a steam engine [2] . Initially, the ship was intended for fishing whales [3] and was specially fortified to make it possible to sail in the ice [4] .
The ship was acquired by Adrien de Gerlache for the Belgian Antarctic expedition [3] and on July 4, 1896 was named "Belgica". A salute was given on the occasion of the baptism of the ship. Loaded with 40 tons of Belgian food, it sailed from Antwerp to Antarctica on August 16, 1897 : 23 crew members were on board the ship, including Gerlash, navigator Roald Amundsen , biologist, zoologist, botanist and speleologist Emil Rakovica and a ship's doctor and photographer Frederick Cook [5] . On February 28, 1898, the ship turned out to be jammed in ice, and only on March 14, 1899 was able to begin the return trip to Antwerpen, where it arrived on November 5, 1899 .
Later, the ship was purchased by Philip Orleans , and was used by him together with Gerlash for further expeditions. After the First World War, “Belgika” was first acquired by Det Norské Kulsindikat, renamed Isfjord and used to transport coal [6] , and then used to catch and process fish from the Lofoten Islands. In May 1940, the Armed Forces of Great Britain turned the “Belgica” into a floating arsenal.
On May 19, 1940, the Belgica was damaged during the bombing of the Luftwaffe and sank in a fjord near the city of Harstad .
Belgian A962
Today's Belgica is a ship registered under the number A962 owned by the Belgian government . The crew of the ship are employees of the naval component of the Belgian armed forces . The name of the ship was given by Queen Fabiola in 1984 , exactly 100 years after the historical “Belgica”. The ship is 50 m long, 10 m wide and 5.7 m high, and weighs 232 tons (net) / 765 tons (fully loaded).
The main task of today's “Belgium” is to collect information about the flora and fauna of the North Sea . For these purposes, the ship is equipped with research equipment and collaborates with Belgian universities and research centers.
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 Belgica (ex-Patria) (+1940) . Wrecksite. Date of treatment August 11, 2017.
- ↑ Belgica (Nor.) . Date of treatment October 5, 2010. Archived July 24, 2011.
- ↑ 1 2 ANTARCTIC SHIPS . Antarctic Circle. Date of treatment August 11, 2017.
- ↑ Technische fiche (nid.) . Belgica Genootschap VZW. Date of treatment August 11, 2017.
- ↑ Lewis, Val. Ship's Cats in War and Peace. - Shepperton: Nauticalia Ltd, 2002. - P. 59-60. - ISBN 0-9530458-1-1 .
- ↑ Kjaer, K.-G. Belgica in the Arctic // Polar Rec .. - 2005.- Vol. 41, No. 218. - S. 205-214.