Built as a cargo- passenger vessel under yard No 681 by Vickers-Armstrong Ltd., Barrow-in Furness for the Furness Withy & Co. Ltd. U.K.
01 September 1932 launched under the name QUEEN OF BERMUDA. One near sister the MONARCH OF BERMUDA.
Tonnage 22.575 gross, dim. 177 x 23m.
Powered by two Fraser & Chalmer steam turbines connected to General Electric Co. Ltd. electro motors, 20.000 hp., quadruple screw, speed 19 knots.
Passenger accommodation for 700 first, 31-second class, crew 410.
Three funnels, the after funnel was a dummy.
14 February 1933 completed.
She was built as a replacement for the burned BERMUDA in June 1931 in Hamilton, for the service between New York and Bermuda between New York and Bermuda.
21 February 1933 she made her maiden voyage from Liverpool to New York.
07 March was her first sailing from New York in the service to Bermuda.
The next six years the QUEEN OF BERMUDA also know as the “millionaire ship”, departed every Wednesday from New York.
30 August 1939 requisitioned by the British Government and refitted in an armed merchant cruiser by Harland & Wolf, Belfast.
Armament of 7 – 6 inch, and 2 – 3inch AA guns. Fitted out with a catapult and Seafox aircrafts for reconnaissance. Her dummy funnel and masts were removed in 1940.
After commissioned used for general convoy escort duties as well patrolling in the South Atlantic, staying for a long period on patrol, with every thirty days a 24 hour fueling period in Buenos Aires, Falklands or Montevideo.
When the German raiders hit the whaling fleet in the South Atlantic the HMS QUEEN OF BERMUDA was on duty and she had to protect the installations and the surviving whalers, she escorted the surviving whale fleet to Freetown en route to the U.K.
May 1943 refitted in a troopship for 4.500 men.
Used worldwide as troopship but mostly occupied in the Middle East and off India and Burma.
When returned to her owners she had steamed 370.000 miles as a merchant cruiser and troopship, and had carried 97.000 troops.
April 1947 returned to owners, and she sailed to the yard of Harland & Wolff for a £3 million reconversion to a luxury liner.
After a 20-month refit, with a passenger accommodation of 682 first and 49-second class, her dummy funnel was replaced.
12 February 1949 she resumed her shuttle service between New York and Bermuda.
1955 Tonnage given as 22.501 gross, 12.256 net, 6.175 dwt.
October 1961 she arrived by Harland & Wolf for a five-month refit.
She got a new raked stem, adding 3m to her length (180m), her first and third funnel were removed, and the second funnel was streamlined.
Tonnage then given as 22.552 ton gross.
07 April 1962 she resumed her six day Bermuda sailings.
Increasing operating cost due to the old ship made the line unprofitable and the QUEEN OF BERMUDA was withdraw from service 1966.
19 November 1966 she made her last Bermuda sailing from New York.
The same year sold to Shipbreaking Industries for £225.000, and she arrived by the breakers yard in Faslane, U.K on 06 December 1966.
Guine Bissau 2011 2900 FCFA sg?, scott?
Bermuda 1993 25c sg679, scott647 and $2 sg682, scott647
Source:
http://www.fortunecity.com/littleitaly/ ... hipsqs.htm Conversion for War, World Ship Society. Flagships of the Line by Milton H Watson.