Built as a passenger-cargo vessel under yard No 612 by Harland & Wolff for the Nederlandsche Amerikaansche Stoomvaart Maatschappij (Holland Amerika Lijn) (HAL), Rotterdam.
She was a replacement for an other ship ordered by that yard and also launched as STATENDAM (II) in 1914, but she never sailed for the HAL, but was taken up by the British Government when World War I broke out as the JUSTICA.
1921 Laid down. But there were many hold ups in building after laid down.
11 September 1924 launched as STATENDAM (III)
The work after launching halted altogether due to new USA immigration restrictions. A new interior design has to be made, to let her run with profit after the immigration restrictions.
The contract between the yard and the HAL was cancelled after the HAL paid in full for the hull and the mechanical parts already on board.
13 April 1927 the hull was delivered to the HAL.
20 April 1927 arrived by N.V. Wilton’s Scheepswerf & Machinefabriek at Schiedam, Netherlands towed by the tugs POOLZEE, OOSTZEE, SEINE and ROODE ZEE for completing.
She was completed under yard No 648.
Tonnage 29.511 gross.16.920 net, dim. 212.37 x 24.69 x 16.46m., draught 10.15m.
Accommodation for 540 1st, 344 2nd, 426rd, 374 tourist class passengers.
Powered by 6 geared Harland &Wolff steam turbines, 4.644 nhp., twin screws, speed 20 knots.
03 April 1929 delivered to owners.
11 April 1929 sailed for her maiden voyage from the Wilhelminakade, Rotterdam for New York.
After 1930 also used as a cruise vessel, first with American passengers to the Caribbean
1933 Refitted and modernised, tonnage then given as 28.291 grt.
1933 Made her first cruise to the Mediterranean and in 1935 to the Scandinavian countries.
24 November 1939 she sailed from Rotterdam for her last North Atlantic crossing with on board 926 passengers
09 December 1939 laid up at Rotterdam.
When war broke out between the Netherlands and Germany on 10 May 1940, the next day German troops fighting around the important bridge in Rotterdam placed some machine guns on the STATENDAM and fired on the Dutch troops on the opposite site of the harbour, by the return fire of the Dutch forces the STATENDAM got on fire and was total burnt out.
August 1940 she was sold for scrap to N.V. Frank Rijsdijk’s Industriele Onderneming, Hendrik Ido Ambacht.
Sierra Leone 2004 Le800 sg?, scott?
Source: Lloyds Register. http://www.halfansite.nl/vlootlijst_2.htm Scheepvaart van de Lage Landen by A. Lagedijk.