SS Potsdam (1899)

SS ''Potsdam'' was a steam ocean liner that was launched in Germany in 1899 for Holland America Line. In 1915 Swedish American Line acquired her and renamed her ''Stockholm''.

In 1929 Norwegian owners acquired her, had her converted into a whaling factory ship, and renamed her ''Solglimt''. In 1941 a German auxiliary cruiser captured her and she was renamed ''Sonderburg''. She was scuttled in 1944, and raised and scrapped in 1947.

When new, ''Potsdam'' was the largest ship in the Holland America Line fleet. She was the only Holland America Line ship ever to be named after the German city of Potsdam. She was the first of four Swedish American liners to be named after the Swedish capital city Stockholm.

Building

Blohm+Voss built ''Potsdam'' in Hamburg as yard number 139. She was laid down on 4 May 1899, launched on 15 December 1899 and completed on 5 May 1900. Her length overall was and her registered length was . Her beam was and her depth was . Her tonnages were , and . Her passenger accommodation had berths for 282 first class, 208 second class and 1,800 third class passengers. Her holds had cubic capacity of for grain and for cargo in bales.

''Potsdam'' had twin screws, each driven by a three-cylinder triple-expansion steam engine. The combined power of her twin engines was rated at 1,355 NHP or 7,600 ihp, and gave her a speed of .

''Potsdam''

Holland America Line registered ''Potsdam'' at Rotterdam. Her Dutch code letters were PQLF.

Her regular route was between Rotterdam and New York via Boulogne. She began her maiden voyage on 17 May 1900.

At first, ''Potsdam''s speed was unsatisfactory, and she was found not to steam well enough. In her winter overhaul of 1900 to 1901 her funnel was increased in height by to improve the draught through her furnaces and boilers. The modification succeeded in improvingher steaming and her speed. Her taller funnel earnt her the nickname "Funneldam".

Holland America Line ordered two sister ships for ''Potsdam'', built by Harland & Wolff in Ireland. was launched in May 1901 and completed that October. ''Noordam'' was launched in September 1901 and completed in March 1902.

By 1910 ''Potsdam'' was equipped for submarine signalling, and the Marconi Company had equipped her for wireless telegraphy. By 1913 her wireless telegraph call sign was MHM, but by 1914 it had been changed to PEE.

On 15 April 1912 White Star Line's RMS ''Titanic'' sank with the loss of 1,517 lives. Under public scrutiny after the disaster, other companies admitted that their passenger ships carried too few lifeboats. Holland America Line was one of them, and the company duly had two more pairs of lifeboats installed aboard ''Potsdam'', positioned aft on a deckhouse.

Early the First World War, the ship's name and home port "Potsdam Rotterdam" were painted on her side in large capital letters to identify her as a neutral ship. But passenger numbers declined, and Holland America Line laid ''Potsdam'' up in Rotterdam and advertised her for sale.

''Stockholm''

In September 1915 Swedish America Line acquired ''Potsdam'', renamed her ''Stockholm'', and registered her in Gothenburg. Her passenger accommodation was improved, particularly in Third Class, to appeal to Swedish emigrants to the USA. Her Swedish code letters were JVMC, and by 1918 her call sign was SGL. She began her first voyage from Gothenburg to New York on 11 December 1915.

At first ''Stockholm'' prospered. However, on 1 February 1917 the Imperial German Navy resumed unrestricted submarine warfare. This increased the danger for neutral shipping, so ''Stockholm'' was laid up in Gothenburg from May 1917 until June 1918.

In 1919 the United States chartered ''Stockholm'' to repatriate troops from France. She brought 1,000 members of the Afro-American 369th Infantry Regiment home from Europe to New York.

In 1922 Götaverken converted ''Stockholm'' from coal to heavy fuel oil. This improved the performance of her furnaces and boilers, so the height of her funnel was reduced by .

''Stockholm'' began her final transatlantic voyage for Swedish American Line on 29 September 1928.

''Solglimt''

In November 1928 Hvalfangerstakjeselskabet 'Atlas' ("The Atlas Whaling Company") acquired ''Stockholm'' and had her refitted as a whaling factory ship. Her tonnages were revised to and . Atlas registered her in Larvik and appointed Christian Nielsen & Co to manage her. She entered service in her new role on 12 September 1929.

By 1930 her Norwegian code letters were LHNB, and she was equipped with wireless direction finding. In 1930 A/S Odd acquired ''Solglimt'', registered her in Sandefjord, and appointed A/S Thor Dahl to manage her. By 1934 her call sign was LDMD.

On 14 January 1941 the captured a Norwegian fleet of 11 whalers and three factory ships in the Southern Ocean. They included ''Solglimt'', which was laden with whale oil. On 25 January ''Pinguin'' sent ''Solglimt'' to German-occupied France under a German prize crew. She reached Bordeaux on 16 March.

''Sonderburg''

The Kriegsmarine kept the ship as a prize, renamed her ''Sonderburg'', after Sønderborg, and registered her in Hamburg.

In 1941 the Erste Deutsche Wahlfang Gesellschaft ("First German Whaling Company") managed ''Sonderburg''. By 1942 the Trossschiffverband ("Supply Ship Association") was her manager. Also in 1942, she was in Cherbourg Harbour during a RAF Bomber Command. At least two bombs hit and damaged her.

In June 1944, German forces scuttled ''Sonderburg'' in the English Channel at Cherbourg. In August 1946 the French used explosives to demolish part of the ship to clear the port. In January 1947 the remains of her wreck were raised and towed to Britain, where the British Iron & Steel Corporation scrapped her.

References

Bibliography

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External links

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* – official postcards of ''Stockholm''
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Potsdam
1899 ships
Factory ships
Maritime incidents in June 1944
Ocean liners
Passenger ships of the Netherlands
Passenger ships of Sweden
Scuttled vessels of Germany
Ships built in Hamburg
Ships of the Holland America Line
Ships of Swedish American Line
Steamships of Germany
Steamships of the Netherlands
Steamships of Norway
Steamships of Sweden
Whaling in Norway