SS Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm

SS "Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm" was an ocean liner for North German Lloyd (NDL) from her launch in 1907 until the end of World War I. After the war, she briefly served as USS "Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm" (ID-4063) for the United States Navy returning American troops from France. [US Naval Historical Center: [http://history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-p/id4063-o.htm Description of USS "Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm"] ] The vessel was first chartered—and later purchased outright—by Canadian Pacific Steamships (CP) and operated under the names "Empress of China", "Empress of India", "Montlaurier", "Monteith", and "Montnairn".Ship List: [http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/descriptions/ShipsP-Q.html#prinzfw Description of SS "Prinz Frederick Wilhelm"] ] She was scrapped in 1929.Norwegian Heritage: [http://www.norwayheritage.com/p_ship.asp?sh=empin SS "Empress of India"] ]

History

The ship's keel was laid down to be the SS "Washington," but she was renamed SS "Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm" before her launch. She was built in 1907-1908 for Norddeutscher Lloyd Line by J. C. Tecklenborg in Gestemunde, Germany. The 16,992-ton vessel had a length of 590.1 feet, and her beam was 68.3 feet. [see above] ] She had two funnels, two masts, twin screws and an average speed of 17-knots. The ocean liner provided accommodation for 46 first-class passengers and for 338 second class passengers. There was also room for up to 1,726 third-class passengers. [see above] ]

"Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm"

The SS "Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm" was launched on October 21, 1907. The ship left Bremen on June 6, 1908 on her maiden voyage, stopping at Southampton, Cherbourg and New York. Her last voyage as "Prinz Frederick Wilhelm" was began on June 13, 1914. At the outbreak of war in August 1914, she cut short a pleasure cruise and sought refuge at Odda, Norway. After the war, the ship was surrendered on March 31, 1919 to the British.

For a short period, she was commissioned in the US Navy as a troop transport. From April into August Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm made five trips from France and the U.S., carrying over 15,000 passengers, mainly U.S. Army personnel. She was decommissioned in November 1919 and transferred to the U.S. Shipping Board. [US Naval Historical Center: [http://history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-p/id4063.htm US Navy troop transport ship] ]

In 1920, she was chartered to Canadian Pacific; and she sailed between Liverpool and Quebec beginning on July 14, 1920. [see above] ]

On May 13, 1921, the vessel was bought outright by Canadian Pacific. [see above] ] She was then reconditioned at Glasgow, [see above] ] and rebuilt to 17, 282-tons. [see above] ] On August 2, 1921 she was renamed the SS "Empress of China", but she never sailed with that name. [see above] ] This ship became the second of three CP vessels to be named "Empress of China". [The first SS "Empress of China" (1891) was built for CP to sail the trans-Pacific route; and the third SS "Empress of China" (1919) was built for HAPAG, purchased by CP in 1921, then re-named.]

Within weeks, the vessel would be re-named yet again as the SS "Empress of India," becoming the second of two CP vessels to be named "Empress of India." [see above] ] [The first SS "Empress of India" (1891) was built for CP to sail the trans-Pacific route.] As a ship in the Canadian Pacific fleet, this "Empress" and her sister ships would have been distinguished by the Royal Mail Ship (RMS) prefix in front of her name while in commercial service -- the RMS "Empress of India." When not carrying mail, she would have been identified as SS "Empress of India."

CP "Empresses of China" and "Empresses of India"
In 1921, Canadian Pacific added two German-built vessels to the "Empress" fleet; and initially, both were confusingly re-named "Empress of China." A quick explanation will help distinguish these the quite different ships which each sailed with the same name.

* The first SS "Empress of China" was a 5,905-ton vessel launched in 1891 from Barrow, England. She was wrecked on a reef at Tokyo Bay in 1911, and subsequently scrapped in 1912.White Empress fleet: [http://www.angelfire.com/pe2/pjs1/eos22.html 20 ships, descriptions] ]
** A CP sister-ship, the first SS "Empress of India" was also a Barrow-built, 5,905-ton vessel; but she was launched a few months earlier, in 1890. She would be sold to the Maharajah of Gwalior and re-named SS "Loyalty" in 1915. The vessel would be scrapped in Bombay in 1919. [see above] ]

* The second SS "Empress of China" was a 16,992-ton vessel launched in 1907 from Gestemunde, Germany as the SS "Prinz Freidrich Wilhelm." The ship was purchased in 1921 by Canadian Pacific and then immediately, the ship was re-named "Empress of China" for only a short time.
**The second SS "Empress of India" is this same vessel, re-named in 1921. Subsequent names for this vessel were: the SS "Montlaurier" (1922); and the SS "Montnairn" (1925). The ship was scrapped 1929. [see above] ]

* The third SS SS "Empress of China" was a 21,860-ton vessel launched in 1913 from Stettin, Germany, as the SS "Tirpitz." The ship was purchased in 1921 by Canadian Pacific and curiously, this ship was immediately renamed the "Empress of China". [ [http://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=FA0615FA385F177B93C3A9178ED85F468585F9 40-year-old Ship Makes Last Trip; "Empress of Australia", Luxury Liner and Troop Carrier, on Way to Scrap Heap,"] "New York Times." May 1, 1952.] Then next year, in 1922, the ship was re-named "Empress of Australia" after re-fitting at Clydebank. The ship was ultimately scrapped in 1952. [see above] ]

In other words, this vessel from Gestemunde was the second of three ships named "Empress of China" and she was also the second of two ships named "Empress of India".

"Empress of India"

On August 25, 1921, the SS "Empress of India" was chartered to Cunard. She completed two round-trip voyages between Southampton and New York voyages. Then Cunard returned her to Canadian Pacific. On June 23, 1922, she set out on what would be the first of only two Liverpool-Quebec voyages. On August 21, 1922, the "Empress" set out for what would become her sole opportunity to sail the Southampton-Cherbourg-Quebec route. [see above] ]

"Montlaurier"

The ship was re-named once more -- this time as the SS "Montlaurier." [see above] ] She was rebuilt to carry cabin-class and 3rd-class passengers. On May 4, 1923, she sailed from Liverpool for Quebec; but she was forced to return to England because of boiler trouble. After repairs were completed, she left port again on June 29, 1923. Her last voyage from Liverpool to Saint John, New Brunswick began on January 24, 1925. What was expected to have been a return voyage was cut short in February when she encountered stearing gear trouble near Fastnet Rock off the southern coast of Ireland. The mechanical malfunction forced the ship to return to Queenstown (now known as Cobh). She was then towed to Liverpool. On April 14, 1925, she was damaged by fire as she lay in port under repair by Cammell, Laird & Co., but the fire-damage was not so extensive that she couldn't be restored. [see above] ]

"Monteith"

On June 5, 1925, the ship was re-named the SS "Monteith", but she never sailed under this name. [see above] ]

"Montnairn"

On July 2, 1925, the ship was again re-named -- this time as the SS "Montnairn". She sailed for the next few months between Liverpool and Quebec. In July 1926, she was converted to cabin-class, tourist-class and 3rd-class accommodations. On May 4, 1927, she began sailing the Antwerp - Southampton - Quebec route. Her final sailing On 16/9/1928 she commenced her final sailing from Hamburg to Southampton, Cherbourg and Quebec began in September 1928. [see above] ]

This ship was laid up at Southampton, having successfully completed 62 round-trip, North Atlantic voyages as a CP-flagged ocean liner. On December 23, 1929, the hapless SS "Montnairn" was sold for the last time, and the vessel was scrapped at Genoa. [see above] ]

Timeline

* 1907 -- October 21, launched as the SS "Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm" for NDL [see above] ]
* 1908 -- June 6, maiden voyage Bremen - Southampton - Cherbourg - New York [see above] ]
* 1914 -- August, cruising Norwegian coast when WWI broke out; took refuge at prot of Odda [see above] ]
* 1919 -- March, surrendered to Britain, chartered to US Navy Depot [see above] ]
* 1920 -- July, chartered by CP [see above] ]
* 1921 -- May 13, purchased by CP; re-built to 17,282 gross tons [see above] ]
* 1921 -- August 2, re-named "Empress of China" [see above] ]
* 1921 -- August, re-named "Empress of India" [see above] ]
* 1921 -- August, chartered by Cunard Line. [see above] ]
* 1922 -- June 23, resumed sailing CP's Liverpool-Quebec route. [see above] ]
* 1922 -- December, re-named SS "Montlaurier". [see above] ]
* 1925 -- April, damaged by fire at Cammell, Laird & Co. [see above] ]
* 1925 -- July, re-named SS "Montnairn". [see above] ]
* 1929 -- December, scrapped at Genoa. [see above] ]

Notes

References

* Tate, E. Mowbray. (1986). [http://books.google.com/books?id=OuUvlfcIGRQC&dq=samuel+robinson+steamship&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0 "Transpacific Steam: The Story of Steam Navigation from the Pacific Coast of North America to the Far East and the Antipodes, 1867-1941."] New York: Cornwall Books. 10-ISBN 0-845-34792-6; 13-ISBN 978-0-845-34792-8 (cloth)

ee also

* Canadian Pacific Railway
* CP Ships

External Links

* Naval Historical Center: [http://history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-p/id4063.htm USS Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm (ID # 4063), 1919-1919.]