21 October 1937 building contract was signed by the United States Maritime Commission...
22 August 1938 keel laid down as yard No. 369 by Newport News & Shipbuilding & Drydock. Co, Newport USA. for the United States Line.
31 August 1939 launched under the name AMERICA, launching was performed by Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, the wife of President Roosevelt.
Tonnage 26.454 gross, 14.320 dwt., dim. 220.8 x 28.7 x 13.83m., length bpp. 201.38m. draught 9.93m.
Powered by two sets of Laval triple expansion geared turbines, 34.000 hp, twin screws, speed, service 20 knots, trial speed 26.48 knots.
Passenger accommodation for 543 cabin class, 418 tourist class, 241 third class, crew 643.
04 June 1940 technical trial.
02 July 1940 delivered to owners, building cost US$17.5 million.
She was designed by William Francis Gibbs.
She was built for the service between America across the North Atlantic to Europe, but when she was delivered war had already broken out in Europe.
The AMERICA was then altered to a cruise vessel with a one class configuration for maximum of 760 passengers.
29 July 1940 she arrived for the first time in New York, whit a black painted hull and white superstructure. (On the Grenada Carriacou & Petite Martinique is she depict with a white painted hull, and blue funnels, more the Chandris colours)
10 August 1940 she sailed for her maiden voyage as a cruise vessel to the Caribbean with on board 755 passengers for a 12 day cruises.
Till January 1941 used as a cruise-vessel, after her running mate MANHATTAN ran aground she made two voyages from New York via the Panama Canal to San Francisco.
After this two voyages again in the West Indies cruises.
02 June 1941 after berthing in New York she was requisitioned by the American Government, and she headed for her builders yard in Newport News to be refitted in a troopship for 8.175 troops.
15 July 1941 commissioned in the United States Navy as USS WEST POINT. (AP23). She was later bought by the American Government.
Her first voyage as so was as a diplomatic transport she embarked on 16 June, 327 German and 137 Italian diplomatic personnel, and transported this across the North Atlantic to Lisbon where she arrived on 23 July.
On her return voyage she transported 321 USA and 67 Chinese diplomatic personnel and their families from diplomatic offices in Italy and Germany and carried them to New York.
She then sailed to Norfolk Navy Yard for an overhaul and outfitting with an armament, 4 – 5 inch, 4 – 3 inch guns and 8 – 50cal. Machine guns.
03 November 1941 after her overhaul, sailed to Halifax, Nova Scotia to embark Canadian troops for India, she embarked 5.433 troops, and together with other troopships she departed from Halifax 0n 10 November in convoy WS 12 under escort of US warships under which the aircraft carrier USS RANGER.
27 December she arrived at Bombay, for unloading equipment and stores and troops, after completing unloading she received orders to proceed to Singapore.
19 January 1942 in convoy and under a heavy British escort she left from Bombay, arrived 29 January at Singapore, where two-thirds of her troops were disembarked.
The next day she came under Japanese air attack, and taken on board that day 1.946 evacuees, she left in the evening and via Batavia she reached Colombo, but due to heavy shipping congestion in the harbour she proceeded to Bombay,
After disembarking her evacuees, she headed for Suez, where 5.333 troops from the Australian 7th Division embarked, who went home.
31 March 1942 she arrived at Adelaide where her troops disembarked.
After a call at Melbourne and across the Tasman Sea in Wellington she headed to San Francisco where she arrived on 24 April.
Embarking 5.526 American troops she sailed back to Wellington, where she arrived on 31 May before she headed to Melbourne where her troops disembarked.
09 June sailed from Melbourne across the Pacific and via the Panama Canal to New York where she arrived on 02 July.
She made then two voyages with troops from Halifax to Liverpool. After these two voyages her capacity was increased to over 8.000 troops.
01 November 1942 she left New York with on board 8.091 troops bound for Bombay, thereafter she returned to Australia and New Zealand to embark 7.478 New Zealand troops for Noumea, where she arrived on 01 January 1943.
Thereafter she transported 8.532 US marines suffering from malaria from Brisbane to Melbourne, before she headed to San Francisco were 7.961 US troops boarded her, and carried them to Wellington and Melbourne, then she sailed to Bombay, Massawa, Aden and Suez and via Cape Town she crossed the South Atlantic to Rio de Janeiro before she arrived on 04 May in New York.
Then she made two Atlantic crossings from America to Casablanca with troops.
July she sailed from New York via Rio de Janeiro and Cape Town to Bombay before she continued via Melbourne to San Francisco.
25 September 1943 she sailed from San Francisco with on board 7.979 troops for Sydney, from this port she departed 14 October with on board a continent of RAAF trainee pilots and other military personnel for San Francisco where she arrived on 27 October.
Then she was used the rest of 1943 transporting troops to various Pacific islands.
27 April 1944 she sailed from San Francisco for Sydney, then she headed north to Milne Bay before she crossed the Pacific and via the Panama Canal to Boston where she arrived on 12 June 1944.
Then she was assigned to the North Atlantic shuttle service carrying troops from the USA to Europe, she made 27 voyages in this service, carried 140.000 troops between 27 June and 24 June 1945.
After the war ended in Europe she was ordered back to the Pacific in December 1945.
She embarked 7.737 American troops in Manila, from where she sailed on 15 January 1946, and sailed via the Panama Canal to New York where she arrived on 07 February 1946.
28 February 1946 decommissioned, at Norfolk, during her war time she transported 505.020 persons and steamed 436.144 miles.
12 March 1945 transferred to the Maritime Commission’s War Shipping Administration.
She was refitted again in a passenger liner by the Newport News Shipyard.
Passenger accommodation 519 first class, 414 cabin class and 116 tourist class. Crew 618.
She was again renamed AMERICA
18 September 1946 she was chartered by the United States Line for two years.
09 November she sailed from Newport News, and after sea trials she arrived at New York on 11 November.
14 November 1946 she sailed as a passenger liner with on board 927 passengers from New York across the North Atlantic to Cobh, Southampton and Le Havre.
She returned in New York on 30 November.
23 July 1948 she was bought from the Maritime Commission by the United States Line, and she was taken over by the United States Line on 03 August.
She continued to operate on the North Atlantic but was also used as a cruise vessel for 14 days trips to the West Indies from New York, she made two cruises, but then the American Government decided not to give any subsidy to vessels used for cruising, and the AMERICA returned to her North Atlantic crossings.
19 February 1951 she suffered a mechanical breakdown after just have left Southampton, towed back to Southampton were was discovered that the shafts connecting the low-pressure turbine and reduction gear on both engines had fractured.
After temporary repairs she sailed to New York were she arrived on 07 March, she was going straight in Drydock till 27 March.
July 1952 she sailed only between New York and Bremerhaven.
End 1960 her passenger accommodation was regraded in 516 first and 532 tourist class, but then passenger numbers were dwindling due to air transport.
Not more economical on the North Atlantic the United States Lines was allowed to use the AMERICA on cruise voyages.
22 November 1961 she left New York for a five day voyage to Bermuda, then she made two longer voyages to the Caribbean.
She was making then some transatlantic voyages before again used in the cruise trade between New York and Bermuda and the West Indies.
After the United States Lines received a contract to transport American military personnel, between the USA and West Germany the load factors increased, but still she was also used for winter cruises to the West Indies.
14 September 1963 with on board 945 passengers, and ready to sail, her crew walked of the ship due to an inter-union dispute. Not possible to reach a compromise agreement between the two unions, the AMERICA was towed to the Todd Shipyard and laid up.
07 February 1964 again in service, when she sailed from New York with on board 772 passengers, up to the end of July 1964 she made 12 round trips, and then she made two cruise voyages.
09 October 1964 she made her last sailing from New York for Bremerhaven with only 409 passengers on board, returning New York 27 October.
The same day she sailed again for Newport News and was laid up.
05 November 1964 the AMERICA was sold to the Greek buyer Anthony Chandris for US$ 4.250.000.
16 November the deal was finalised and she was handed over to the Okeania SA, Greece (Chandris Line manager), renamed AUSTRALIS.
During her career as passenger liner for the United States Lines she had carried 476.462 passengers on 288 Atlantic voyages and 20.000 on cruises.
18 November 1964 she sailed under her new name from Newport News for Ambelaki in Greece for a refit at the shipyard there.
She was fitted out for the emigrant trade from Europe to Australia for US$ 2 million; accommodation was increased for 2.246 passengers in one class.
After fitting out she was moved to Valetta, Malta for dry-docking and painting her hull white.
21 August 1965 she sailed for her first emigrant voyage from Piraeus with on board 1930 emigrants, and via Beirut where she took 200 Lebanese emigrants on board and via the Suez Canal and Aden she headed for Fremantle, where she arrived on 06 September, made calls at Melbourne, and Sydney before she crossed the Tasman Sea to Auckland, then via Suva, Fiji and Tahiti through the Panama Canal to Port Everglades before she crossed the North Atlantic to Southampton where she arrived on 14 October 1965.
She came then in the emigrant service from Southampton and other ports in Northern Europe via the Mediterranean to Australia and New Zealand, sometimes continuing via the Panama Canal or she made a reverse voyage to Southampton. She was scheduled to make 5 roundtrips a year, her first sailing from Southampton was on 16 October 1965.
She carried mostly emigrants from Europe but there were also bookings for round the world cruise passengers.
14 January 1966 after her third passage to Australia she made a cruise voyage from Sydney to Auckland then to Nuku’alofa, Pago Pago, Suva and Noumea before she returned back to Sydney where she arrived on 31 January.
After the Suez Canal was closed in 1967, she sailed southbound via Cape of Good Hope. In her later years she made regular cruise voyages from Australia and New Zealand to the Pacific Islands.
18 November 1977 she left for the last time Southampton, arriving in Sydney on 17 December after embarking her passengers, altogether she had carry for the Chandris Line 261.865 passengers on the 61 round the world voyages, and 31. 039 passengers on her cruise voyages in the Pacific, and 18.252 passengers on cruises from Southampton.
17 December she sailed from Sydney bound for Auckland, then she went to Timaru, a harbour in the South Island of New Zealand where she arrived on 23 December, after arrival laid up and offered for sale.
23 April 1978 she sailed from Timaru, and via the Panama Canal to New York where she arrived on 19 May.
She was bought by the Venture Cruise Lines in New York, for US$5 million, after a refit of US$2 million she would be used as a cruise liner from New York during the summer and in the winter based in Miami or Jamaica.
She was renamed again in AMERICA.
30 June 1978 with on board 950 passengers she sailed from New York for a three day cruise to nowhere, but her refit was not completed, and workmen still busy. No sooner was she underway of the passengers started to complain. Angry passengers demanded the return of the ship to New York, and six hours out of New York the AMERICA returned to New York, where she arrived the next morning, where 253 disgruntled passengers left the vessel.
With the other passengers she continued the cruise.
The next voyage which sailed from New York on 3 July was hampered by bad weather, the third cruise was cancelled.
After arrival some repair took place on the plumbing problems. They got also a large fine from the Customs by not informing customs that on 1 July 253 passengers had disembarked at New York
Then a crew strike under the Jamaican crew delayed again the next cruise.
But when a Miami firm that had been contracted for operating the food service on board put a US$ 1.8 million lien on the ship, the ship was arrested on 18 July by de Federal Marshals was the end of the Venture Cruise Line. They ceased two days later the operation of the ship.
She was moved to Pier 92 at Manhattan and laid up.
28 August 1978 she was put up for sale by auction, and she was bought back by the Chandris Line forUS$1 million.
06 September 1978 sailed from New York bound for Piraeus, where she arrived on 12 September, and she was laid up in Eleusis Bay.
During the winter she was refitted in a cruise liner, the after funnel was removed and replace by a mast.
Renamed ITALIS.
28 July 1979 she left for her first cruise under the name ITALIS from Genoa, she made two other cruise voyages from this port, before she was moved to Eleusis Bay on 12 September and laid up.
The planned cruises for the next year were cancelled due to the high fuel cost
May 1980 she was bought by Inter Commerce Corp. to convert her in a floating hotel based at Lagos in Nigeria, she was renamed NOGA.
Not anything happened, and she stayed in Eleusis Bay, laid up.
1984 Sold to Silver Moon Ferries, Ltd., Panama, renamed in ALFERDOS, she remained, laid up.
29 October 1988 she began taken on water, and got a list, she was beached near Piraeus to prevent sinking.
After repair she returned to her lay-up birth.
October 1992 the ALFERDOS was bought for US$2 million by Chaophraya Development Transport Company, Bangkok, Thailand to be used as a 5-star floating hotel at Phuket.
17 February 1993 she was moved to the Hellenic Shipyard at Skaramanga, to make her ready for the tow to Thailand.
Her two propellers were removed, her hull sandblasted and repainted, the rudder secured in a midship position.
She was renamed in AMERICAN STAR.
A tow was contracted with Marman a subsidiary of Wijsmuller for US$ 920.000.
The tug was the NEFTEGAZ 67 a modern tug built in Poland and registered in the Ukraine.
On Christmas Eve 1993 the tug with her tow left Piraeus Road.
The next day during bad weather the tug captain reported that AMERICAN STAR was yawing badly even overtaken the tug, he was ordered back to Piraeus, where she arrived on 26 December.
To overcome the yawing problem a floating anchor connected to the stern was installed.
After the weather had improved the tow left again on 31 December, passing through the Strait of Gibraltar on 12 January 1994.
When in the vicinity of the Canary Islands the tow was hit by very bad weather with a strong 12 force wind, and the towline broke. She drifted helpless at the mercy of wind and seas.
The next day a new towline was connected between the tug and the AMERICAN STAR, but the towline could not withstand the strain and broke a few hours later.
17 January four crewmembers of the NEFTEGAZ 67 were put on board the AMERICAN STAR, and they connected two polypropylene ropes to the tug, but soon after she was connected they broke.
When the situation worsened, the men on board the AMERICAN STAR were rescued by a helicopter from Las Palmas. Two tugs from Las Palmas arrived also on the scene to assist but the weather conditions were so bad that noting could be done.
Early in the morning of 19 January the American Star drifted on the beach and grounded on the west coast of the island of Fuerteventura on Playa de Jurado Garcei.
Constantly battered by the high seas and swell after two days the hull was broken in two parts.
06 July 1994 she was declared a total loss.
2007 The wreck remained there till today but most has gone only the bow section is still there.
On Greece 1967 6d sg 1056 scott 900
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_American_Star The Chandris Liners and Celebrity Cruises by Peter Plowman. Many other web-sites.