USS Rijndam

USS ''Rijndam'' (ID–2505) was the Holland America Line (HAL) ocean liner ''Rijndam'', also spelt ''Ryndam'', which was launched in Ireland in 1901 and scrapped in the Netherlands in 1929. The US requisitioned her as the United States Navy troopship USS ''Rijndam'' from 1918 until 1919. She was the first of four Holland America Line ships to be called ''Ryndam''.

Building

At the turn of the 20th century, Holland America Line's flagship was , launched by Blohm+Voss in Hamburg in May 1899 and completed in May 1900. While she was being built, HAL ordered the first of two sister ships for her from Harland & Wolff in Belfast. ''Rijndam'' was laid down on 23 November 1899 as yard number 336, launched on 18 May 1901 and completed on 3 October that year. Harland & Wolff also built a third sister ship, ''Noordam'', which was launched in September 1901 and completed in March 1902.

''Rijndam''s 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 286 first class, 196 second class and 1,800 third class passengers. Her holds had capacity of for grain or for cargo in bales.

''Rijndam'' had twin screws, each driven by a three-cylinder triple-expansion steam engine. The combined power of her twin engines was rated at 1,265 NHP. and gave her a speed of .

Holland America Line registered ''Rijndam'' at Rotterdam. Her Dutch code letters were PRNB.

''Rijndam'' and ''Ryndam''

"Rijn" is Dutch for "Rhine". HAL called the ship ''Rijndam'', and registered her as such with Lloyd's Register. But H&W's internal records anglicised her name to ''Ryndam''. When the Marconi Company equipped her for wireless telegraphy, it also listed her in its English-language publications as ''Ryndam''. HAL adopted the anglicised spelling for later ships.

Early career

''Rijndam'' joined ''Potsdam'' on HAL's regular route between Rotterdam and New York via Boulogne. ''Rijndam'' left Rotterdam on her maiden voyage on the route on 10 October 1901. ''Noordam'' completed the trio when she began her maiden voyage in May 1902.

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

On 25 May 1915 the Norwegian fruit ship ''Joseph J. Cuneo'' collided with ''Rijndam'' in fog about south of Nantucket Shoals. The battleships , , and answered her distress signal and rescued 78 passengers and 152 crew from ''Rijndam''.

On 18 January 1916 a mine laid by damaged ''Rijndam'' in the Thames Estuary. The US singer Alice Sjoselius was aboard. She reported that the lifeboats were lowered, and passengers donned lifejackets, but the ship was not abandoned. ''Rijndam'' was repaired, and on 15 April resumed transatlantic sailings.

Troopship

On 6 April 1917 the US declared war against the Central Powers. The Netherlands were neutral in the First World War, but on 20 June 1917 the US detained ''Rijndam''. She became one of 89 Dutch ships that the United States Customs Service seized under angary in March 1918. 31 of these were commissioned into the US Navy.

''Rijndam'' was converted into a troopship, with capacity for up to 3,000 troops. Dozens of Carley floats were added to her lifesaving equipment. She was armed with four guns, two 1-pounder guns, and two machine guns. She was commissioned on 1 May, with the ID number ID-2505, and commanded by Commander John J Hannigan.

As a troopship, ''Rijndam'' made 13 transatlantic round trips between the US and France: six before the Armistice of 11 November 1918 and seven afterward. Her first trip taking troops and supplies to France began from New York on 10 May 1918. She sailed in convoy with the US troopships and , British troopship , and Italian troopships and . Shortly after sailing, the convoy merged with a contingent from Newport News comprising the US troopships , , , , and , Italian troopship , and British troopship ''Kursk''. Together the two contingents formed the 35th US convoy of the war. It was escorted by the cruiser USS ''Frederick''. On 21 May, 11 destroyers relieved ''Frederick'' as escorts. On 24 May the convoy reached Brest.

On 29 May ''Rijndam'' left Brest on her return voyage, in convoy with ''Antigone'', ''President Lincoln'', ''Susquehanna'', and an escort of destroyers. At sunset the next day the destroyers detached, and the troopships continued unescorted. On the morning of 31 May, attacked the convoy. Three torpedoes sank ''President Lincoln''. ''U-90'' fired torpedoes at ''Rijndam'', but the troopship took successful evasive action, and shortly afterward, nearly rammed a submarine cruising at periscope depth.

On 15 June 1918 ''Rijndam'' began her second trooping voyage to France. She left New York with the US troopships ''Covington'', , , and , Italian troopship ''Dante Alighieri'' and British troopship . They merged with a contingent from Newport News that included the US troopships ''Lenape'', ''Pastores'', ''Princess Matoika'' and ''Wilhelmina'' and British troopship , to form a convoy to France. The cruisers ''Frederick'' and and destroyers and escorted them. The battleship ''Texas'' and several other destroyers joined the escort for a time. The convoy reached Brest on 27 June.

''Rijndam'' landed troops and supplies at Brest on three more occasions until November 1918, and once at Quiberon in July. After the Armistice she repatriated US troops from Quiberon, Brest and Saint-Nazaire to Newport News, Norfolk, Virginia, Hoboken and New York.

In March 1919 ''Princess Matoika'' and ''Rijndam'' raced each other from Saint-Nazaire to Newport News. ''Princess Matoika'' was the swifter ship, but ''Rijndam'' recruited volunteers from the 133rd Field Artillery Regiment aboard as extra stokers for her furnaces, and with their help she narrowly won the race. quoting Kent Watson in ''History of the 133d Regiment''.

''Rijndam''s final troop repatriation voyage was from Brest, and reached New York on 4 August 1919. On 11 August 1919 ''Rijndam'' was transferred from the Cruiser and Transport Force to the 3rd Naval District in New York. She was decommissioned, and on 22 October 1919 she was returned to her owners.

Later career

On 31 July 1920 ''Rijndam'' returned to commercial service between Rotterdam and New York. In May 1925 she was refitted as a two-class ship, with cabin class replacing her first and second class accommodation. In May 1926 she reverted to being a three-class ship, but the classes were called cabin, tourist and third.

On 16 April 1929 ''Rijndam'' left Rotterdam on her final voyage to New York. In May she was sold to Frank Rijsdijk's Industriëele Ondernemingen NV, which scrapped her at Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht.

References

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Rijndam
1901 ships
Maritime incidents in 1915
Maritime incidents in 1916
Ocean liners
Passenger ships of the Netherlands
Ships built in Belfast
Ships built by Harland and Wolff
Ships of the Holland America Line
Steamships of the Netherlands
Steamships of the United States Navy
Unique transports of the United States Navy
World War I merchant ships of the Netherlands
World War I transports of the United States