TJISADANE
Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2008 11:01 pm
Built as a cargo-passenger vessel under yard No 206 by N.V. Nederlandse Scheepsbouw Maatschappij, Amsterdam for the N.V. Java China Japan Lijn, Amsterdam.
28 March 1930 keel laid down.
20 December 1930 launched under the name TJISADANE, most probably named after the Tjisadane River on Java.
Tonnage 9.228 gross, 5.780 net, 8.360dwt., dim. 139.70 x 18.90 x 11.73m., draught 8.84m.
Powered by a Sulzer Werkspoor 8-cyl diesel, 5.350 bhp., speed 13.5 knots. One screw.
She was ahead of her time; she carried derricks but also eight electrical cranes for loading and discharging.
Passenger accommodation for 44 first, 28 second and 90 third class and 1818 tweendeck passengers.
Crew 173.
27 June 1931 delivered to owners.
04 July 1931 sailed for her maiden voyage from Amsterdam to Tandjonk Priok, Dutch East Indies where she arrived on 03 August 1931.
Thereafter used in the service between Java, China and Japan.
End of 1941 under command of Capt. W.F.H.Burger she sailed unarmed to China to evacuated European women and children from Shanghai, Amoy and Hong Kong, from the latter port she sailed on 04 December, arrived safely at Surabaya, Dutch East Indies.
From there she made a voyage from the Oosthaven (east coast Java) with rubber to Surabaya.
After she arrived at Surabaya she was fitted out with 1 – 10.5 inch gun.
When in May 1940 war broke out between The Netherlands and Germany all German citizen and pro German Dutch nationals were arrested in the Dutch East Indies.
When war broke out between The Netherlands and Japan in 1941, the Dutch East India Government decided to send the pro German nationals (NSB) to Surinam, South America.
The TJISADANE was designated for this task to transport 146 NSB to South America.
On the maindeck a jail was constructed near hatch No III, and on 21 January 1942 the 146 prisoners embarked, guarded by 30 mariners.
The same day the TJISADANE sailed loaded with cargo, passengers and prisoners to South Africa.
After many changes in her sailing plan, she arrived on 10 February at Cape Town and on 1 March at Paramaribo, where her prisoners were landed, before the TJISADANE headed for New York.
After arrival there she was chartered by the American War Shipping Administration and during 1942 in San Francisco refitted in a troop-transport ship for 1485 men.
At that time 21 Dutch passenger ships were chartered by the American War Shipping, 1/3 of the American troops in the Pacific during the war were transported by Dutch ships.
June 1943 the TJISADANE was one of the troopships used during the recapture of two Aleutian Islands.
Sailed 23 June 1943 from San Francisco with on board 1800 men and war material. After the occupation of the islands the TJISADANE was used a few months to transport supplies and troops between the Aleutian Islands.
Thereafter used for the transport of troops and war material from the USA West Coast to the Pacific.
29 March 1945 she sailed from Seattle with on board troops and supply bound for Le Shima a island NW of North Okinawa where she arrived on 10 May.
13 May, while at anchor and during discharging operations she was struck by a Japanese plane, which was hit by fire of the USS PANAMINT, the Japanese plane hit one of the raised derricks on theTJISADANE and parts of the plane fell on her fore winch deck before the plain crashed in the water, killing four crew on board the TJISADANE, and a fire broke out, but was quickly extinguished, the TJISADANE was slightly damaged.
19 May she sailed from Le Shima bound for San Francisco.
March 1946 she arrived in Amsterdam with on board a few evacuees, and in June arrived again in Amsterdam with evacuees from the East.
Handed back to owners and refitted again in a cargo passenger ship by the N.V. Nederlandse Scheepsbouw Maatschappij, Amsterdam.
Tonnage 9.284 gross, 5.694 net.
07 August 1946 sailed from Amsterdam for Tandjonk Priok, Dutch East Indies.
Thereafter again used in the services of the Koninklijke Java China Paketvaart Lijnen N.V., Amsterdam.
When on 06 August 1961 a volcanic eruption began on Tristan da Cunha, the two fishing vessels TRISTANIA and FRANCES REPETTO evacuated the islanders to the nearby Nightingale Island, the TJISADANE underway from South America to South Africa was ordered to pick up the islanders from the Nightingale Island.
07 August after arrival off the island the evacuees with some difficulties were all safely transferred from the island to the TJISADANE, then she set course for Cape Town were she four days later arrived, and the Tristan da Cunha islanders landed.
14 May 1962 arrived at Kure, Japan and was scrapped by Nomura Tradings Co. Ltd., work commenced on 22 May 1962.
On Tristan da Cunha 1965 1s.6d sg 80, 1971 5p on 1sh, sg 143.
Source: Some web-sites. Schakel tussen twee werelden. Geschiedenis van de Nederlandse Koopvaardij in de Tweede Wereldoorlog by KWL Bezemer.