Postcard of De Grasse as built, with two funnels (1924–1947)
Originally speculated ordered under the name Suffren, the ship was renamed after the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique (CGT) acquired the Brazilian ship Leopoldina. De Grasse was put into service in August 1924 between Le Havre and New York.[1] It was modernized in 1931.
At the start of World War II, it continued its crossings, but in a slightly militarized version (blocked portholes, light armament). In the spring of 1940, it was transformed into a troop transport. The ship was decommissioned in May 1940 at Bordeaux.[1] It was then used as a floating barracks ship for German soldiers and then as a base ship for Italian submariners (Italy had based more than twenty submarines a Bordeaux to support the Germans during the Battle of the Atlantic). Appearing as too dangerous a target after the first British bombardment on Bordeaux, the ship surrendered to the Vichy government in May 1942, which used it as a training ship.
The Germans partly sank it during their retreat in August 1944. It was refloated in August 1945 and sent to the Penhoët shipyards to be repaired and modernized (it lost a funnel during these transformations).[1] The ship was reassigned to the Le Havre to New York route while the CGT reconstituted a fleet.
Canadian Pacificedit
As RMS Empress of Australia
In 1953, De Grasse was sold to Canadian Pacific Steamships after the ship, RMS Empress of Canada caught fire and capsized. De Grasse was renamed in that same year to Empress of Australia. However, she did not serve Canadian Pacific for long as in 1956 the ship was sold to the Italian company Sicula Oceanica.[4]
Sicula Oceanicaedit
In 1956, Empress of Australia was sold to Sicula Oceanica, and after a refit, the ship was renamed Venezuela and served the Naples to the Caribbean route. She had an uneventful career with her new owner.[4] In 1962, Venezuela was wrecked off Cannes. She was refloated but was broken up at La Spezia, Italy in August of the same year.[3]
^ ab"SS. De Grasse". Relevant Search Scotland.[dead link]
^ ab"Brief Maritime History - De Grasse 1924". YouTube.
^ abHaworth, R.B. Miramar Ship Index: ID #1185887[dead link]
^Mah, Anne (23 June 2019). "A Year in Paris That Transformed Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
Further readingedit
Haworth, R.B. Miramar Ship Index: ID #1185887.
Tate, E. Mowbray. (1986). 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. ISBN978-0-8453-4792-8 (cloth)
November 01, 2023
grasse, empress, australia, 1924, redirects, here, other, ships, empress, australia, other, ships, named, grasse, grasse, disambiguation, transatlantic, liner, built, 1921, cammell, laird, birkenhead, united, kingdom, compagnie, générale, transatlantique, laun. RMS Empress of Australia 1924 redirects here For other ships see Empress of Australia For other ships named De Grasse see de Grasse disambiguation SS De Grasse was a transatlantic liner built in 1921 by Cammell Laird Birkenhead United Kingdom for Compagnie Generale Transatlantique and launched in February 1924 In August 1924 De Grasse set sail on her maiden voyage from Le Havre to New York After the fall of France to Nazi Germany the ship was used as a barracks ship Sunk at Bordeaux France during the German retreat she was refloated repaired and put back into service Over the years she became Empress of Australia and then Venezuela She ran aground off Cannes France in 1962 and was scrapped at La Spezia Italy 3 De Grasse in the 1950s rebuilt with one funnelHistoryName1924 1953 De Grasse 1953 1956 RMS Empress of Australia 1956 1962 VenezuelaOwner1924 CGT 1953 Canadian Pacific Railway 1956 Sicula OceanicaOperator1953 CP SteamshipsPort of registry1924 Le Havre 1953 London 1956 PalermoRoute1924 Le Havre New YorkBuilderCammell Laird Birkenhead 1 Yard number886Laid down23 March 1920Launched23 February 1924CompletedAugust 1924Maiden voyage21 August 1924In service1924Out of service1962Identificationuntil 1933 code letters OUVX by 1934 call sign FNRR 1953 UK official number 185887 1953 call sign GQMQ 1956 call sign IBVWFateSank after ran aground before scrap in 1962General characteristics 2 TypeOcean linerTonnage1924 17 759 GRT 1932 18 359 GRT 1947 18 435 GRTLength552 1 ft 168 3 m 2 Beam71 4 ft 21 8 m Depth42 3 ft 12 9 m Decks4Propulsion4 steam turbines single reduction gearing 2 screwsSpeed17 knots 31 km h 20 mph Contents 1 History 1 1 CGT 1 2 Canadian Pacific 1 3 Sicula Oceanica 2 Notable passengers 3 See also 4 References 5 Further readingHistory editCGT edit nbsp Postcard of De Grasse as built with two funnels 1924 1947 Originally speculated ordered under the name Suffren the ship was renamed after the Compagnie Generale Transatlantique CGT acquired the Brazilian ship Leopoldina De Grasse was put into service in August 1924 between Le Havre and New York 1 It was modernized in 1931 At the start of World War II it continued its crossings but in a slightly militarized version blocked portholes light armament In the spring of 1940 it was transformed into a troop transport The ship was decommissioned in May 1940 at Bordeaux 1 It was then used as a floating barracks ship for German soldiers and then as a base ship for Italian submariners Italy had based more than twenty submarines a Bordeaux to support the Germans during the Battle of the Atlantic Appearing as too dangerous a target after the first British bombardment on Bordeaux the ship surrendered to the Vichy government in May 1942 which used it as a training ship The Germans partly sank it during their retreat in August 1944 It was refloated in August 1945 and sent to the Penhoet shipyards to be repaired and modernized it lost a funnel during these transformations 1 The ship was reassigned to the Le Havre to New York route while the CGT reconstituted a fleet Canadian Pacific edit nbsp As RMS Empress of AustraliaIn 1953 De Grasse was sold to Canadian Pacific Steamships after the ship RMS Empress of Canada caught fire and capsized De Grasse was renamed in that same year to Empress of Australia However she did not serve Canadian Pacific for long as in 1956 the ship was sold to the Italian company Sicula Oceanica 4 Sicula Oceanica edit In 1956 Empress of Australia was sold to Sicula Oceanica and after a refit the ship was renamed Venezuela and served the Naples to the Caribbean route She had an uneventful career with her new owner 4 In 1962 Venezuela was wrecked off Cannes She was refloated but was broken up at La Spezia Italy in August of the same year 3 Notable passengers editIn April 1930 De Grasse transported Arturo Toscanini and the 114 members of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra from New York City to Le Havre on the outbound leg of the orchestra s first European tour In 1949 Jacqueline Bouvier travelled aboard De Grasse on a study abroad trip to Paris 5 See also editList of ocean linersReferences edit a b c d De Grasse I The Great Ocean Liners a b SS De Grasse Relevant Search Scotland dead link a b Brief Maritime History De Grasse 1924 YouTube a b Haworth R B Miramar Ship Index ID 1185887 dead link Mah Anne 23 June 2019 A Year in Paris That Transformed Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis The New York Times Retrieved 30 December 2021 Further reading editHaworth R B Miramar Ship Index ID 1185887 Tate E Mowbray 1986 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 ISBN 978 0 8453 4792 8 cloth Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title SS De Grasse amp oldid 1178396763, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
