SS Italia of Home Lines in port in about 1964

Click here for a larger version of the image

A view of the deck of the SS Italia

Click here for a larger version of the image

Statendam in 1966 in original HAL Livery

Click here for a larger version of the image

Thanks WJCdiver

Joe at TravelPage.com

If you like I can post a bunch of pics of her
interiors etc.

quote:

---

Originally posted by thad:
The Italia is actually an ex-SAL liner.

---

The ITALIA of Home Lines was the former 1928 KUNGSHOLM II of the Swedish America Line.
A larger near-sister of the 1925 GRIPSHOLM (bought in 1955 by NDL and renamed BERLIN), she was the largest and most luxurious ship owned by SAL until that time.

Seized in 1941 by the US maritime authorities, she was sold in 1942 to US War Shipping Administration for use as a troopship with the name JOHN ERICSSON.
That meant that her formidable interiors were taken from her and replaced by bunks and troop accomodations.

With the end of the war she was used as a repatriation vessel, and in 1947 released from US service.

Unfortunately in March that year she was ravaged by a fire in New York. Even though SAL bought her back in July only to re-sale her to the Home Lines.

Sent to Genoa for a refit, she re-entered active service as a passenger liner in 1948.
Used in a Mediterranean to South America route until 1953 when she started to sail from Hamburg to New York.

In 1959, after a refit, she was again re-routed, this time to the Hamburg-Canada run.
This was only temporary because in 1961 she started connecting New York with Nassau and cruising in the Caribbean.

Her career with Home Lines finally ended in 1964 and she was sold for use as a floating hotel called IMPERIAL BAHAMAS.
But in 1965 she raised anchor and headed to Bilbao for scrapping.

******************************************

The owners of SAL were instrumental in the founding of the Home Lines, and two of their early ships were from SAL.

Home Lines was started by former SAL businessmen. The major hint for connecting SAL with Home Lines: SAL funnels sported a blue shield with three crowns, while Home Lines weared a equal shield with only one crown.

Among Home Lines first ships was the SAL's former DROTTINGHOLM, ex VIRGINIAN of the Allan Line, and next came the ITALIA.

******************************************

The Matson ships were the Atlantic, ex Malolo and Matsonia, and the Homeric, which was in the Lurline class, but I can't remember which one, her sisters both ended up at Chandris as the Ellinis and Brittanis

The first ex Matson ship to be purchased by Home Lines was the 1927 MALOLO. Bought in 1948 and renamed ATLANTIC until 1954 when she was transfered to a subsidiary (National Hellenic American Line) with a new name, QUEEN FREDERICA. Bought in 1965 by Chandris, her days ended in 1978

The next ship was the 1931 MARIPOSA. Bought and renamed HOMERIC in 1953, she served Home Lines until 1973 when a fire badly damaged her. She was sold for scrap the following year.

At all Chandris owned three Matson liners: ELLINIS (ex LURLINE), BRITANIS (ex MATSONIA) and QUEEN FREDERICA (ex MALOLO).

Regards

Thanks for clearing up which member of the Lurline class the Homeric was, I don't know how I forgot Mariposa. The only think I think that you might have wrong is that the Brittanis was formerly the Monterey, not the Matsonia. That was the second name for the Malolo, as the original name was for some reason considered back luck by the native Hawaiians. Interestingly, the Monterey was renamed the Lurline for her last years with Matson after the original Lurine was sold to Chandris. Matson did this because Lurline was their most popular name.

You are right, BRITANIS first name was indeed MONTEREY.
I was confused because during her career she sported almost all Matson names used in passenger ships.
First MONTEREY, then MATSONIA and finally LURLINE. What a mess!
That makes it difficult to distinguishing them apart.

Regards

quote:

---

Originally posted by WJCdiver:
If you like I can post a bunch of pics of her interiors etc. Bill

---

I'd like to see interiors of any liners!