Nieuw Amsterdam

[shipstamps]

The Nieuw Amsterdam, was the largest vessel in the Netherlands merchant marine and flagship of the Holland-America Line, and was built at the Rotterdam Drydock Company's yards. H.M. Queen Wilhelmina launched the ship, the largest ever built in Holland, on April 10, 1937, the event being witnessed by over 30,000 spectators on bath sides of the River Maas. The liner is named after the early Dutch settlement on Manhattan Island, New York, and is the second vessel of the company to bear the name. Her dimensions are: length overall 758.6 ft., beam 88 ft. and depth 55 ft. She has a gross tonnage of 36,287 and accommodation for 1,232 passengers. Her speed is 20 knots.
Within a few weeks of the outbreak of war the Nieuw Amsterdam was laid up at her Hoboken Pier, New York. She made four trips in October and November, 1939 on the New York-Bermuda run, and then lay idle until early 1940, when she was scheduled for four short cruises to the West Indies. When Holland was attacked the Nieuw Amsterdam was between La Guaira and Porto Cabello, Venezuela, on a cruise. Commodore J. J. Bijl turned the ship and steamed immediately for New York, where she arrived four days later with 600 bewildered and excited tourists. As she docked at Hoboken the news was received that the Germans had bombed Rotterdam. She lay at New York until taken over by the British Ministry of Shipping in September, 1940. Before leaving she was dry-docked at the Todd Shipyards in Brooklyn. Although the largest graving dock in the New York area at the time. it was scarcely large enough, and part of the basin had to be broken away to allow the gates to close behind her. With Commodore Bijl and her regular crew on board, the Nieuw Amsterdam sailed from Halifax on September 12, 1940. There her transformation to war service was commenced. The luxury passenger fittings were taken out, she was painted war grey and a de-Gaussing device was installed. She left for Singapore, where she was armed with 36 guns. From the completion of her fitting out, in January, 1941, she carried thousands of Australian, New Zealand and South African troops to the Middle East. In July, 1941, the late King George II of Greece, King Paul I (then Crown Prince) and the Greek Royal family, with the members of their entourage, travelled on the Nieuw Amsterdam from Suez to Durban. After the United States declared war, the vessel made numerous voyages with troops from the Pacific Coast to Australia and New Zealand.
On April 10, 1946, the Nieuw Amsterdam returned to her home port of Rotterdam and received a tumultuous welcome from dense crowds lining the waterfront. During the six years and seven months since Holland had seen her largest liner, she had travelled a distance of 500,000 miles, and transported 400,000 persons on the errands of war. Returned to Rotterdam in 1946 where she was overhauled by her builders, het Gt being increased to36982. Entered the Florida cruie trade 1971 and broken up in 1974 at Taiwan.
Netherlands SG596, 847. Mozambique SG?
Sea Breezes 7/47.

[aukepalmhof]

Built as a passenger- cargo vessel under yard No 200 by the Rotterdamse Droogdok Mij., at Rotterdam for the Nederlansche Amerikaansche Stoomvaart Mij., Rotterdam (HAL).
04 December 1934 ordered.
03 January 1936 keel laid down, intended name PRINSENDAM but before launching changed.
10 April 1937 launched as the NIEUW AMSTERDAM christened by Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands.
Tonnage 36,640 gross, 21,452 net, 8,221 dwt. dim 231.2 x 26.9m, length bpp. 204.2m.
Powered by eight Parson turbines, 35,100 shp, twin shafts, speed 20.5 knots.
Accommodation for 556 first class, 455 tourist class and 209 third class, crew 694.
21 till 24 March trials.
24 March delivered to the Holland Amerika Lijn (HAL), building cost 13,500,000 Dutch Guilders.
Homeport Rotterdam.

10 May 1938 sailed for her maiden voyage from Rotterdam via Boulogne en Southampton to New York, after a passage of 5 days 23 hour en 54 minutes across the North Atlantic she arrived at New York.