Re: QUEEN FREDERICA liner 1927

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aukepalmhof
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Re: QUEEN FREDERICA liner 1927

Post by aukepalmhof » Wed Sep 23, 2009 9:18 pm

Built as a passenger liner by W. Cramps & Sons at Philadelphia for the Matson Line, in the U.S.A.
26 June 1926 launched under the name MALOLO, the Hawaiian word for flying fish. Wilhelmina Tenney, the daughter of E.B. Tenney, christened her. He was the manager of the Matson Line.
Tonnage 17.232 gross, 8943 net, 7650 dwt. dim. 582 x 83.2 x 29ft. (draught)
Powered by 8 Cramps steam turbines, 12 boilers, 25.000 shp., twin screws, maximum speed 22 knots.
Passenger accommodation for 693 first class.
William Francis Gibbs designed her.
24 May 1927 trials. The next day during her trials she was in collision with the Norwegian steamer JACOB CHRISTENSEN in thick fog near Nantucket Lightship. She sustained much damage and took about 7000 tons of water on board, was lucky not to sink, towed to New York and dry-docked there, after repair handed over to the owners on October 1927.

She sailed then to San Francisco via the Panama Canal and begins her maiden voyage on 16 November 1927 via San Francisco for Honolulu.
The next 10 years she was kept in this service. Made annually some cruises to the Orient, Australasian and the Pacific.
1937 She was taken in hand for a modernization, and hereafter her name was changed to MATSONIA.
Gross tonnage 17.266 ton.
Same service until February 1942 when she was taken up as a U.S. navy transport. During her wartime she made 33 voyages, sailed 328.301 miles and carried 176.000 troops in the Pacific theatre of war.

April 1946 handed back to owners and after a brief refit returned to the San Francisco – Honolulu service on 22 May 1946. She was laid up in April 1948 at Alameda, Calif.

15 Dec.1948 Sold to the Home Lines at Panama, renamed in ATLANTIC and refitted by Ansaldo at Genoa, Italia.
Passenger accommodation for 283 first, 224 cabin and 735 tourist passengers.
Tonnage 15.602 gross.
The intention was to use her in the liner service from Italia to South America, but this never took part. After her refit she was placed in the service to New York.
14 may 1949, sailed for the first time from Genoa via Naples and Barcelona to New York.
At the end of the 1950 season she was overhauled and air-conditioning was installed in all public rooms.
Her last voyage commenced on 21 Nov. 1951 when she sailed from Alexandria via Haifa, Beirut, Naples, Genoa, Cannes, Barcelona to Halifax and New York.
1952 Converted to carry 174 first and 1.005 tourist class passengers, gross tonnage increased to 20.553 tons, and put in the service between Southampton via Le Havre to Halifax, first voyage from Southampton on 29 Feb. 1952. Later in the season she made also calls at Quebec. During the winter season she made cruises from New York to the Caribbean. She continued in the service until December 1954.

January 1955 transferred to National Hellenic American Line, was renamed in VASILISSA FREIDERIKI, registered at Piraeus and she came under Greek flag. She never carried that name on her bow, the name she carried was the Anglicized name of QUEEN FREDERICA, with a passenger accommodation for 190 first, 250 cabin and 800 tourist.
29 Jan. 1955 made her first voyage from Pireaus, Napels, Palermo to Halifax and New York.
1956 Only first and 1.005 tourist class, tonnage 21.329 gross, 12.271 net.
1958 She made a voyage from Piraeus to Australia with emigrants.
01 Nov. 1965 She made her last voyage from New York to Piraeus for that company.
The same year sold to the Chandris lines, not renamed, same service till 1967, when she was placed in the Southampton to Australia service. Tonnage 16.435 gross, 8.943 net.
16 Nov 1967, sailed for her first voyage from Rotterdam via Southampton, Cape Town to Australia and New Zealand. She made only one round voyage in this service. Subsequently used for cruising mostly in the Mediterranean, managed by Sovereign Cruises.
Sept. 1971 laid-up in the River Dart, England.
June 1972 sailed for Piraeus where she was again laid-up.
1973 During the summer season used for cruises in the Mediterranean, then again laid-up in Piraeus.


May 1977 sold to the scrap yard at Elefsis, Greece. 01 Feb. 1978 she was gutted by fire in the shipbreakers yard and destroyed.

Greece 1958 1d sg779, scott619.

Source North Atlantic Seaways by N.R.P. Bonsor. Sea Breeze July 1977 page 412.. Some web sites.
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