While Gurkha was being completed near Hawthorn Leslie's South Shields yard, two merchant steamers struck her in separate accidents. The coal-laden Hartley sheered out of control and hit her port side, while City of Naples later struck the starboard side while turning in the River Tyne. The paired incidents show that an unfinished warship still faced serious river-traffic and handling risks before commissioning. Surviving images also show how hull flare and bow shaping varied among the competing Tribal builders.
Notable Point · 26:31-28:03
HMS Gurkha is struck twice during construction on the Tyne
Two merchant-steamer collisions show the river-traffic risks around an active destroyer yard and reveal visible differences among Tribal builders.