SS Königin Luise (1896)

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Career (Germany) Kaiserliche Marine Jack
Name: SS Königin Luise
Namesake: Queen Louise of Prussia
Owner: Norddeutscher Lloyd
Builder: Vulcan Shipbuilding Corp.
Stettin, Germany
Yard number: 232
Launched: 17 October 1896
Fate: Handed to Great Britain as war reparations April 10, 1919
Career British Merchant Marine
Name: SS Königin Luise
Owner: British Shipping Controller
Operator: Orient Steam Navigation Company London
Acquired: 1919
Fate: sold to Orient Steam Navigation Company London
Career British Merchant Marine
Name: SS Omar
Owner: Orient Steam Navigation Company London
Operator: Orient Steam Navigation Company London
Acquired: Jan 1921
Fate: Sold to Byron SS Co, London July 1924
Career British Merchant Marine
Name: SS Edison
Owner: Byron SS Co London
Operator: Byron SS Co London
Acquired: July, 1924
Fate: Broken Up in Italy 1935
General characteristics
Class and type: Barbarossa-class ocean liner
Tonnage: 10,566 GRT.
Length: 552 ft (168 m)
Beam: 60.2 ft (18.3 m)
Draft: 34 ft (10 m)
Propulsion: two quadruple-expansion steam engines, (8,000 hp/6,000 kW)
twin screw propellers
Speed: 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement: 231

SS Königin Luise was a Barbarossa-class ocean liner built in 1896 by Vulcan Shipbuilding Corp. of Stettin, Germany, for the North German Lloyd line of Bremen.

During World War 1, Königin Luise was one of only two ships of the class to avoid being interned in neutral ports, spending the war in German ports.

Following World War 1, Königin Luise was allocated as war reparations to Great Britain, and sold to the Orient Steam Navigation Company in 1921 and renamed SS Omar. She was sold again in 1924 to the Byron SS Co of London and operated on the Piraeus-New York service until scrapped in 1935.[1]

SS Königin Luise

The Königin Luise was built by AG Vulcan for the North German Lloyd (NDL) line and complted 17 March 1896.

Along with her sister ships Friedrich der Grosse, Barbarossa and Bremen, the Königin Luise was used on Australian, Far East, and North Atlantic routes for NDL. On Australian and Far East voyages, she transited the Suez Canal, and was one of the largest ships regularly using the canal.

At the outbreak of World War 1, Königin Luise was in port in Germany, thus avoiding internment, and due to the British blockade, she was laid up. Following the Armistice, she was allocated as war reparations to Great Britain, and was handed over to the British Shipping Controller on 10 April 1919.

She was allocated to the Orient Steam Navigation Company. On September 8, 1920, during her first London-Australia voyage, she collided at Lisbon with the British steamship SS Loughborough, which sank.

SS Omar

In January, 1921, the ship was sold to the Orient SN Company, and renamed SS Omar.

SS Edison

The ship was again sold in July 1924 to Byron SS Co. of London, and renamed Edison. The ship was used on the Piraeus-New York service until being scrapped in 1935 in Italy.

References

  1. Arnold Kludas. Great Passenger Ships of the World Vol 1 1858-1912. Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 18. ISBN 0-85059-174-0. 

de: Königin Luise (1897)