 Postcard by R Schmidt ofMinnekahda whenAmerican Line chartered her in 1921. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | Minnekahda |
| Owner | |
| Port of registry | |
| Route | |
| Ordered | April 1913 |
| Builder | Harland & Wolff,Belfast |
| Yard number | 446 |
| Laid down | 1914 |
| Launched | 8 March 1917 |
| Completed | 21 March 1918 |
| Refit | 1921, 1926 |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | Scrapped 1936 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Ocean liner |
| Tonnage | |
| Length | 620.5 ft (189.1 m) |
| Beam | 66.4 ft (20.2 m) |
| Depth | 47.3 ft (14.4 m) |
| Decks | 4 |
| Installed power | 1,831NHP, 13,600ihp |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 15+1⁄2 knots (28.7 km/h) |
| Capacity |
|
| Troops | 3,010 |
| Sensors & processing systems |
|
SSMinnekahda was atransatlanticocean liner that was launched in Ireland in 1917 and scrapped in Scotland in 1936. She waslaid down in 1914 but theFirst World War delayed her completion. Because of the war she was completed in 1918 as atroop ship, and then worked as acargo ship.
Minnekahda was not fitted out as a civilian passenger liner until 1921. She was refitted in 1926 to carry fewer passengers in more comfort. From 1931 she was laid up inNew Jersey.
Minnekahda was in the fleet of theAtlantic Transport Line, which was part of theInternational Mercantile Marine Company. She was registered in theUnited Kingdom until 1920, and then in theUnited States.
Harland & Wolff builtMinnekahda inBelfast on slipway number 6 as yard number 446. She was laid down in 1914, but work on her was suspended after the First World War broke out that August. As theCentral Powers' U-boat campaign depleted Allied shipping, the need for replacement ships increased, and Harland & Wolff resumed work onMinnekahda. She was launched on 8 March 1917 and completed as a troop ship on 21 March 1918.[1]
Minnekahda's registered length was 620.5 ft (189.1 m), her beam was 66.4 ft (20.2 m) and her depth was 47.3 ft (14.4 m).[2] Her holds could carry 16,000 tons of cargo,[3] including 49,580 cubic feet (1,404 m3) of refrigerated space.[4] As built, hertonnages were 17,221 GRT and 10,844 NRT.[2]
Minnekahda was one of a series of Harland & Wolff steamships that were propelled by a combination of reciprocating steam engines and asteam turbine. She had threescrews. A pair of four-cylindertriple expansion engines drove herport and starboard screws. Exhaust steam from those engines powered one low-pressure turbine that drove her middle screw.[2]
Harland & Wolff had used this arrangement first onLaurentic (1908) forWhite Star Line, and most notably on the threeOlympic-classocean liners. Between them,Minnekahda's three engines were rated at a total of 1,831NHP[5] or 13,600ihp[6] and gave her a speed of15+1⁄2 or 16 knots (28.7 or 29.6 km/h).[1][7]
Atlantic Transport LineregisteredMinnekahda atBelfast. Her UKofficial number was 136369 and hercode letters were JSLH.[2]
Minnekahda served as an armedtroop transport duringWorld War I, engaged in carrying troops from theUnited States to Europe. In July 1918, she was involved in afriendly fire incident. She departedNew York City on 21 July 1918 with 3,800 U. S. troops aboard as one of a convoy of five troop transports. In the predawn hours of 23 July, theUnited States NavysubmarineUSS N-3 was on the surface in theAtlantic Ocean, charging herbatteries in calm, hazy weather with bright moonlight, when she suddenly sighted one of the ships of the convoy at 02:55 at a range of only 1,800 yards (1,650 m).Minnekahda soon also appeared, headed straight atN-3 and only about 200 yards (183 m) away.N-3 immediately made a preliminary recognition signal by firing a greenflare, then sent a recognition signal by blinker light.Minnekahda did not respond except to blow hersteam whistle.N-3′s crew heard someone aboardMinnekahda order "Fire!" AsN-3 continued to flash the recognition signal by blinker light,N-3′scommanding officer hailedMinnekahda, calling out "Don't fire, this is an American submarine!" At that instant, one ofMinnekahda′s guns fired a 6-or-7.5-inch (152 or 191 mm) round (according to different sources),[8][9] and theshell hitN-3 forward at thewaterline, failing to explode but inflicting considerable damage and causing leaks.Minnekahda closed to a range of 50 yards (46 m), close enough forN-3′s crew to see men aboardMinnekahda and hear them receive an order to load. AsN-3 continued to flash the recognition signal, several men onN3′s deck yelled "Don't fire!" and "Don't shoot, this is theN-3!" Finally, someone onMinnekahda asked whereN-3′s flag was.N-3′s crew immediately brought aUnited States flag on deck and shined a light on it.Minnekahda promptly ceased fire. The U.S. NavydestroyerUSS Preble, serving as one of the convoy′s escorts, approached atflank speed as if to ramN-3, andN-3 made recognition signals and backed at full speed, avoiding a collision withPreble by only a few feet.N-3 hailedPreble, which stopped and sent a boat toN-3 to assess her damage.N-3 had suffered no crew casualties, butMinnekahda′s unexploded shell was found inN-3′s forwardsuperstructure, andN-3′s torpedo compartment was partially flooded. After pumping 2,800 US gallons (2,331 imp gal; 10,599 L) ofdiesel fuel overboard to lighten herself forward,N-3 proceeded to port on the surface under her own power.[9]
Minnekahda repatriatedAllied troops after thearmistice with Germany that ended World War I on 11 November 1918. On 23 November 1918 she leftLiverpool taking home 3,010 members of theAmerican Expeditionary Forces. She sailed in convoy with two other British troop ships,Lapland andOrca, and an escort ofdestroyers. On the voyage one U.S. soldier aboardMinnekahda died ofpneumonia, which he caught as a secondary infection after contracting theSpanish flu. Atlantic storms slowed the convoy by 36 hours, andLapland andMinnekahda reached New York on 5 December 1918.[10]
In February 1919Minnekahda repatriated 12companies of theUnited States Army′s329th Infantry Regiment.[11] On 16 January 1920 she leftLondon on her final trooping voyage, crossing the Atlantic viaHalifax,Nova Scotia,Canada, toNew York City.[1]
On 27 March 1920Minnekahda started service between London and New York as a cargo ship.[1] Her cargo included 17 tons ofgold bullion, worth $9,800,000, in her specie room. The bullion was fromHM Treasury, as an instalment repayment of war loans. When she docked in New York on 7 April, motor trucks under armed guard met her to take the bullion to theFederal Reserve Bank of New York.[12]
American LinecharteredMinnekadha for a single round trip from New York to London andHamburg and back to New York that began on 17 July 1920. She began her last voyage as a cargo ship on 8 October 1920, leaving London for New York.[1]
On 3 November 1920 Atlantic Transport Line changedMinnekahda's port of registration to New York.[3] Her US official number was 220814 and her code letters were MBVP.[13]
Bethlehem Steel atFore River Shipyard inQuincy, Massachusetts refitted the ship[1] at a cost of $700,000 to carry civilian passengers. She was a one-class ship, with cabins of two, four or six berths. Public rooms included a lounge and a smoking room.The New York Times reported her total capacity as 2,500 passengers,[14] but other sources give the total as 2,150.[1] Her tonnages were revised to 17,281 GRT and 10,208 NRT.[13]
Minnekahda's first voyage as a passenger liner was another charter to American Line for a single round trip. She left New York on 31 March 1921, called atNaples and Hamburg, and returned to New York. On 21 May that year she entered regular Atlantic Transport Line service between New York and Hamburg.[1]
WhenMinnekahda docked in New York on 26 July 1922, a squad of 30US Customs personnel searched her and inspected her disembarking passengers and crew. HerQuartermaster was found in possession of undeclared diamonds and other jewelry worth a total of $10,000, and was arrested on suspicion of smuggling.[15]
Many ofMinnekahda's westbound passengers were migrants from Europe to the United States. In one sailing from Hamburg viaSouthampton to New York in October 1923 she carried 827 passengers, most of whom were German migrants.[16]
On 30 November 1924Minnekahda ran aground off the German coast near Hamburg. After 2,500 tons of her cargo was unloaded onto lighters, and she was refloated by 3 December 1924.Tugs assisted her to reach Hamburg.[17] Her final voyage from Hamburg began on 10 January 1925.[1]
In 1921 theUS Congress had adopted theEmergency Quota Act, which set quotas to limit immigration to the US from each country. In April 1924 it passed theImmigration Act of 1924, which significantly reduced those quotas. In March 1925 Atlantic Transport Line announced that it would reduceMinnekahda's passenger accommodation to 750 berths, all tourist class. The company changed her European port of departure from Hamburg to London, and announced that she would now bring British tourists to the US.[18] Her new route included a call atBoulogne.[19] The return fare was £38 per passenger.[18] Her first voyage on her new route started on 24 March 1925.[1] In the 1925 tourist season she made ten round trips and carried 6,228 tourists.[20]
On 4 and 5 December 1925 on a westbound voyage from London to New York,Minnekahda encountered a "hurricane-force" storm that tore away 15 feet (5 m) of railing from the after part of her deck. On 8 December she docked in New York, and US Customs officers immediately came aboard and searched her. Her officers complained at the roughness of the search, turning passengers' luggage "topsy-turvy". TheShip's Clerk said that Customs officers entered his cabin in his absence, threw his two suitcases on the floor and broke the locks.[21]
Although announced in March 1925,Minnekahda's refit to 750 tourist berths was undertaken in the winter of 1925–1926, in Boulogne. A new boat deck was added to increase her promenade space, and her cabins and bathrooms were improved.[20]
On 25 September 1927Minnekahda struck a submerged shipwreck a few miles outside Boulogne. The collision tore off part of herbilge keel, damaged six hull plates on herstarboard side and broke one of the blades of her starboard propeller.Admiralty charts showed no known wreck at that position.Trinity House sent atender to mark the wreck with abuoy until it could be made safe.[22]
Minnekahda had been scheduled to embark passengers in London, and to leave on 1 October for New York. The sailing was canceled for her to be repaired, and her 500 passengers were transferred toRMS Majestic.Minnekahda resumed passenger service with a departure from London on 29 October.[22]
In 1929Minnekahda began the tourist season by leaving New York on 6 April, bound for London via Boulogne. She carried only 240 passengers, but that was 75 more than she carried on a similar sailing in April 1928. From this the IMM predicted a successful season in the North Atlantic trade.[23]
In August 1929 the IMM reported that its business was thriving, thanks to the increasing popularity of tourist class travel. It announced that several ships had carried record numbers of passengers, includingMinnekahda which carried 809 on a single sailing that departed on 29 June. IMM also stated that she carried a total of 1,932 passengers spread over three sailings, and this was a record for the IMM fleet.[24]
In a storm on a westbound voyage on 31 January 1930 a huge wave hitMinnekahda. It tore off part of the deck railing from her starboard side, damaged some of herdavits and carried away several of her ventilators. Several inches of water flooded her smoking room. Much of the rest of her voyage was also stormy. The ship reduced speed and reached New York on 5 February, two days late.[25]
By mid-1930Minnekahda was equipped with wirelessdirection finding.[26] On a westbound voyage on 19 July 1930 a young woman passenger jumped overboard. The ship stopped her starboard engine, turned around, and launched two lifeboats. One of the boats, commanded by herThird Officer, rescued the young woman and took her back aboard, where she was admitted to theship's hospital.[27]
On 12 August 1931Minnekahda took part in the successful test of aradio facsimile system.General Electric transmitted a copy of theUnion-Star newspaper ofSchenectady by wireless toMinnekahda and theUnited States Lines shipAmerica. Charles J. Young, son of theRCA founderOwen D. Young, and DrErnst Alexanderson, invented the system. It took 15 minutes to copy a single page measuring8+1⁄2 by 9 inches (220 by 230 mm).[28]
On 12 October 1931Minnekahda docked in New York, ending her final voyage from London. She was laid up first at Pier 52, and then moved toStaten Island for the winter. Throughout her ten-year passenger career she had the sameMaster,Captain Johan Jensen, who was born inDenmark and became a US citizen.[29]
By 1934 a new four-letter call sign KDKK replacedMinnekahda's code letters and earlier three-letter call sign.[30]
By 1936Minnekahda was laid up atHoboken, New Jersey. That February she was sold for scrap. At first it was reported that Turner & Hickman ofGlasgow had bought her for $125,000,[31] but in mid-March it was reported that her buyers were WH Arnott, Young and Co. On 14 March she moved to theMorse Dry Dock inBrooklyn to be prepared for her voyage after four and a half years laid up.[32]
Minnekahda was re-registered under the UK flag[33] and embarked a UK crew.[32] On 14 April she left New York for Scotland[6] carrying a cargo of scrap iron.[32] On 29 April she reached Arnott, Young's yardDalmuir on theRiver Clyde to be scrapped.[6]
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Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1924 | |
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Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1927 | |
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Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1930 | |
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