Amerika

 
Hamburg American Line
  


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Length: 669 ft.
Breadth: 74.3 ft.
Draft (or depth): 47.8 ft.
Tonnage: 22,622 tons gross
Engines: Quadruple expansion, 8 cyl. (2) 34" (2) 49" (2) 71" (2) 100" x 63" stroke.
Speed:  
Builder: Harland and Wolff, Belfast, Ireland (Yard No. 357)
Launched: April 20, 1905
Maiden Voyage: October 11, 1905 - Hamburg - Dover - New York.
Disposition: 1957-58 (Scrapped)
Particulars:

Port of Registry: Hamburg
Flag of Registry: German
Funnel color: Buff
Company flag: Blue and white, diagonally quartered; yellow shield at center with black anchor and black HAPAG
Signal Letters: R N V D
Wireless call letters: D D R

Steel hull, 2 funnels, 4 masts, twin screws, electric light, wireless.

Relationship to Titanic disaster / inquiries:

1912 - April 14 - Eastbound, New York to Hamburg. At 11:20 a.m., transmitted an ice advisory to the U. S. Hydrographic Office (M X G), warning of ice at 41.27N., 50.08W. - 12.5 miles from where the Titanic later sank. This message was heard by Titanic and was transmitted by her to land stations at 1:45 p.m. On April 15th Amerika reported ice at 41.30N., 50.0W.

Data:

April 20, 1905 - Launched.

October 11, 1905 - Maiden voyage, Hamburg - Dover - New York.

October 6, 1914 - First voyage, Hamburg - Boulogne - Southampton - New York.

April 1917 - Seized by U. S. Government, renamed America.

1917-18 - Nine trooping voyages U. S. to France.

January 1, 1920 - New York - Vladivostok via Panama (arrived April 20); embarked 6,500 troops for Trieste.

1920-21 - Reconditioned.

June 22, 1921 - U. S. Mail Line acquisition. New York - Bremen. First Class 225; Second Class 425; Third Class 1,500.

August 27, 1921 - Taken over by U. S. Lines; first voyage New York - Bremen - Danzig.

March 11, 1926 - Newport News, VA., serious fire; extensively rebuilt; tonnage 21,329. Cabin Class 835; Tourist Third Cabin 516.

March 1928 - New York - Plymouth - Cherbourg - Bremen.

August 25, 1931 - Last voyage Hamburg - Southampton - Cherbourg - New York; handed back to U. S. Government; laid up in Chesapeake Bay.

1941 - Commissioned as U. S. transport Edmund B. Alexander, extensively refitted; converted to oil; two funnels reduced to one.

1946 - As transport, struck mine off Bremerhaven; towed to port.

1949 - Laid up, first at Baltimore, then near New York in Hudson River.

1957-58 - Sold to Bethlehem Steel Company, towed from Hudson River to Baltimore, scrapped.

Courtesy: John P. Eaton. Used with permission.