Nicholas Peppas
02-10-2010, 19:11
I had difficulty figuring out where to place Nassau. Here is a ship that distinguished herself as an ocean liner but ended up being a very popular cruiseship.
The ship has special place in the Greek immigration history as shown below. The ad is from September 18, 1952
108661
The SS Mongolia was started being built for P&O by W G Armstrong, Whitworth & Co. Ltd. at Newcastle upon Tyne on November 22, 1918, but construction was delayed by post-war refits of the existing ships and she is not been launched until August 24, 1922. Used for Australia service , her characteristics were 16.576 GRT; 573 x 71 m; 840 tourist class passengers.
Two nice postcards of Mongolia from E-bay
108665
108666
She left London on her maiden voyage to Sydney on May 11, 1923 and was converted to fuel oil in 1928. In 1938, P&O transfer the ship under long-term charter to their subsidiary, the New Zealand Shipping Company, who renamed her SS Rimutaka. She was reconfigured to carry 840 tourist class passengers. In September, 1939, she was requisitioned for conversion to an armed trade cruiser, but released from that service before the conversion; she remained in the UK-New Zealand service for most of the war.
After the hostilities ceased, she continued in the NZSC service on the same route; her last voyage with the company was in 1950, departing Wellington for London in January, 1950. She returned to the parent P&O for sale to Compania de Navegacion Incres SA (Incres Shipping Company) of Panama.
She was renamed SS Europa, and she was converted to take 614 tourist class passengers and placed into service transporting state-less immigrants from Europe to the United States and Canada.
The ship was then renovated in Genoa to become Incres Nassau SS Nassau, a cruise ship sailing between New York and Nassau, the Bahamas. Swimming pools and other amenities were added, suiting her to her new role. It was the first time a ship was employed year-round as cruise ship.
The ship was purchased in 1961 by Natumex (Mexicana SA de Compania Navegacion Turística), a Mexican state-owned company, to provide a fortnightly service between Acapulco and Los Angeles as Acapulco.
In 1964 she was towed in Japan for scrap.
Miramar shows
IDNo: 5500158 Year: 1923
Name: MONGOLIA Keel:
Type: Passenger/cargo (rf) Launch Date: 24.8.22
Flag: GBR Date of completion: 26.4.23
Tons: 16504 Link: 1490
DWT: Yard No: 964
Length overall: Ship Design:
LPP: 168.1 Country of build: GBR
Beam: 21.9 Builder: Armstrong Whitworth
Material of build: Location of yard: High Walker
Number of screws/Mchy/ Speed(kn): 2ST-16
Subsequent History: 38 RIMUTAKA - 50 EUROPA - 51 NASSAU - 61 ACAPULCO
Disposal Data: BU Sakai 15.12.64
MONGOLIA 16504 1923 Peninsular & Oriental SN Co
RIMUTAKA 16504 1938 Peninsular & Oriental SN Co
EUROPA 16504 1950 Incres
NASSAU 16504 1951 Incres
ACAPULCO 16504 1961 Turistica Mexicana
The shipslist writes
Incres Compãnía de Navegación, Panama 1950-1954 / Incres Steamship Company Ltd., Liberia 1954-1964
Incres Compãnía de Navegación started operations in July 1950 with the EUROPA (ex- Mongolia built in 1923 for P&O). She made 5 round voyages from New York to Plymouth and Antwerp. After that she made cruises from New York mostly to Nassau.
In 1951 the EUROPA resumed the transatlantic route now from New York to Plymouth and Le Havre. After 7 round voyages she went to Genoa were she was refitted and renamed NASSAU. The NASSAU was placed in a service between New York and Nassau.
In 1954 the Incres Compãnía de Navegación was reflagged to Liberia and restyled as the Incres Steamship Company Ltd. In January 1959 the Union Castle Liner Dunnattor Castle was purchased, towed to Holland and refurbished, re-engined with diesel engines and entered service in December 1959 as VICTORIA.
The NASSAU was sold in 1961 for further cruising. The Victoria was mainly used for cruising but made some transatlantic voyages between 1960-1964.
The VICTORIA was sold to a Swedish Rederi Aktiebolaget Clipper in 1964 still managed by Incres and continued cruising from New York to the West Indies. Incres started also acting as the New York passenger agent restyled as the Incres Line Agency.
The Victoria
108667
The ship has special place in the Greek immigration history as shown below. The ad is from September 18, 1952
108661
The SS Mongolia was started being built for P&O by W G Armstrong, Whitworth & Co. Ltd. at Newcastle upon Tyne on November 22, 1918, but construction was delayed by post-war refits of the existing ships and she is not been launched until August 24, 1922. Used for Australia service , her characteristics were 16.576 GRT; 573 x 71 m; 840 tourist class passengers.
Two nice postcards of Mongolia from E-bay
108665
108666
She left London on her maiden voyage to Sydney on May 11, 1923 and was converted to fuel oil in 1928. In 1938, P&O transfer the ship under long-term charter to their subsidiary, the New Zealand Shipping Company, who renamed her SS Rimutaka. She was reconfigured to carry 840 tourist class passengers. In September, 1939, she was requisitioned for conversion to an armed trade cruiser, but released from that service before the conversion; she remained in the UK-New Zealand service for most of the war.
After the hostilities ceased, she continued in the NZSC service on the same route; her last voyage with the company was in 1950, departing Wellington for London in January, 1950. She returned to the parent P&O for sale to Compania de Navegacion Incres SA (Incres Shipping Company) of Panama.
She was renamed SS Europa, and she was converted to take 614 tourist class passengers and placed into service transporting state-less immigrants from Europe to the United States and Canada.
The ship was then renovated in Genoa to become Incres Nassau SS Nassau, a cruise ship sailing between New York and Nassau, the Bahamas. Swimming pools and other amenities were added, suiting her to her new role. It was the first time a ship was employed year-round as cruise ship.
The ship was purchased in 1961 by Natumex (Mexicana SA de Compania Navegacion Turística), a Mexican state-owned company, to provide a fortnightly service between Acapulco and Los Angeles as Acapulco.
In 1964 she was towed in Japan for scrap.
Miramar shows
IDNo: 5500158 Year: 1923
Name: MONGOLIA Keel:
Type: Passenger/cargo (rf) Launch Date: 24.8.22
Flag: GBR Date of completion: 26.4.23
Tons: 16504 Link: 1490
DWT: Yard No: 964
Length overall: Ship Design:
LPP: 168.1 Country of build: GBR
Beam: 21.9 Builder: Armstrong Whitworth
Material of build: Location of yard: High Walker
Number of screws/Mchy/ Speed(kn): 2ST-16
Subsequent History: 38 RIMUTAKA - 50 EUROPA - 51 NASSAU - 61 ACAPULCO
Disposal Data: BU Sakai 15.12.64
MONGOLIA 16504 1923 Peninsular & Oriental SN Co
RIMUTAKA 16504 1938 Peninsular & Oriental SN Co
EUROPA 16504 1950 Incres
NASSAU 16504 1951 Incres
ACAPULCO 16504 1961 Turistica Mexicana
The shipslist writes
Incres Compãnía de Navegación, Panama 1950-1954 / Incres Steamship Company Ltd., Liberia 1954-1964
Incres Compãnía de Navegación started operations in July 1950 with the EUROPA (ex- Mongolia built in 1923 for P&O). She made 5 round voyages from New York to Plymouth and Antwerp. After that she made cruises from New York mostly to Nassau.
In 1951 the EUROPA resumed the transatlantic route now from New York to Plymouth and Le Havre. After 7 round voyages she went to Genoa were she was refitted and renamed NASSAU. The NASSAU was placed in a service between New York and Nassau.
In 1954 the Incres Compãnía de Navegación was reflagged to Liberia and restyled as the Incres Steamship Company Ltd. In January 1959 the Union Castle Liner Dunnattor Castle was purchased, towed to Holland and refurbished, re-engined with diesel engines and entered service in December 1959 as VICTORIA.
The NASSAU was sold in 1961 for further cruising. The Victoria was mainly used for cruising but made some transatlantic voyages between 1960-1964.
The VICTORIA was sold to a Swedish Rederi Aktiebolaget Clipper in 1964 still managed by Incres and continued cruising from New York to the West Indies. Incres started also acting as the New York passenger agent restyled as the Incres Line Agency.
The Victoria
108667