Ιωνία (1) [Κατερίνα, Λήμνος - Ionia, Katherina, Lemnos]

[Nicholas Peppas]

Ionia was the third of the triumvirate of Albania/Thraki/Ionia that were built by McMillan of Dumbarton in 1887 for the Panhellenic (Panhellenios) of Piraeus. They all lasted more than 45 years and were used for long distance passenger service due to their tonnage. For Albania/Alkmini see http://www.nautilia.gr/forum/showthread.php?t=63862

Ionia had a tonnage of 1481 tons, a length of 80.5 m, a width of 10.4 m and a service speed of 13 knots. She was built for a Greek company along with Thraki and Albania! In case you did not get it, these were days of renewed national enthusiasm. The Ionian islands had been returned to Greece twenty years earlier Thessaly and Arta had joined Greece just a while earlier... So, the national imagination was galloping with Albania, Thraki and Ionia, and the Greeks living in those Ottoman provinces...

Here is an announcement from the Marine Engineer of May 11, 1887
Ionia.jpg

The vessel was 80.5 m long and 10.4 m wide and had, as I said, a speed of 13 knots. She had triple expansion engines producing 1,700 HP. As the document below says, she was fitted with handsome first and second class facilities.
Ionia Marine Engineer 0511887.jpg

Albania, Thraki and Ionia are described collectively in another issue of the Marine Engineer later in 1887. Their technical characteristics vary a bit, but one interesting detail (similar to that of other British and French passenger ships) is that they were built with the idea to be easily converted to naval vessels during any necessary, upcoming wars...

Her Clydebuilt entry is here http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuil...p.asp?id=12464

Miramar lists her as follows

IDNo: 5614206 Year: 1887
Name: IONIA Launch Date: 3.87
Type: Passenger/cargo Date of completion:
Flag: GRC Keel:
Tons: 1481 Link: 1258
DWT: Yard No: 277
Length overall: Ship Design:
LPP: 80.5 Country of build: GBR
Beam: 10.4 Builder: McMillan
Material of build: Location of yard: Dumbarton
Number of screws/Mchy/ Speed(kn): 1T-
Owner as Completed: Navigation à vapeur Panhellenique, Piraeus
End: 1934
Subsequent History: 16 KATHERINA - 29 LEMNOS
Disposal Data: BU W Italy 3q.34

Name Tons Change Main Owner
IONIA 1481 1887 Panhellenique
KATHERINA 1481 1916 Pandeli Bros
LEMNOS 1481 1929 A.K. Riggas

[Nicholas Peppas]

Ionia was with the Panhellenic (Panhellenios) of Piraeus for almost 30 years. During that time she took over the longest routes of the company as she was considered a trans-Mediterranean ship. She was particularly used in the routes g and i of the 1892 schedule below.
Baedeker3 1892.jpg

In 1916, Ionia was purchased by the Pandelis Brothers and renamed Katherina. I have siad a few things about the company here http://www.nautilia.gr/forum/showpos...7&postcount=52 and I reproduce them here.

In her book A history of Greek-owned shipping, Gelina Harlaftis mentions Pandelis as one of the important shipowners who started in Propontis and Asia Minor and were active from 1908 to the 1960s.

P.jpg

And in their book Emporio kai Trapezes ston Peiraia, Melios, Bafouni and Steinhauer (IMTIIE, Piraeus, 2002) provide valuable information about the Pandelis Shipping Company.

Pandelis bros.jpg

Pandelis Hamouris.jpg

The Astrapi mentioned above is not the Astrapi/Kronos that we have featured in these pages. The first ship of the company was the Dafni that was doing the routes Piraeus, Chania, Rethymnon, herakleion and also Piraeus, Chalkis, Volos, Thessaloniki
19190716 Dafni.jpg

[Nicholas Peppas]

Katherina lasted for 13 years with the Pandelis Brothers She was dedicated to the Piraeus-Marseilles and (later) Thessaloniki-Piraeus-Marseilles routes.
Here is a schedule on April 28, 1921
19210428 Katerina.jpg

And then the schedules of August 8 and 12, 1923 (the first from the Athenian Embros, the second from the Thessalonikian Makedonia)
19230808 Pandelis.jpg19230812 Pandelis.jpg

Two more ads for Katherina on July 18 and November 17, 1928
19280718 Katerina.jpg19281117 Katerina.jpg

[Nicholas Peppas]

Surprisingly enough, Katherina was often introduced by her old name! Here we have ads from August 13 and September 18, 1924
19240813 Katerina.jpg19240918 Katerina.jpg

And here is a general ad from October 23, 1924
19241023 Kater Efstr Alkm Propont.jpg

And two ads from May 13 and July 16, 1925
19250513 Sal all.jpg19250716 Pantelis.jpg

[Nicholas Peppas]

Two more ads for Katherina on July 18 and November 17, 1928
19280718 Katerina.jpg19281117 Katerina.jpg

[Nicholas Peppas]

In 1929, Katherina was sold to the Riggas Line and was named Lemnos. One year later, the Riggas Line became part of the amalgamated Aktoploia tis Ellados. On April 4, 1930 she was doing the route Piraeus, Chania, Rethymnon, Herakleion, Port Said, Alexandria.
19300417 Lemnos.jpg

Here is a photograph as Lemnos
Lemnos.jpg

She was included in the mandatory retirement of 1934 and was broken up in La Spezia at the age of 47.

[Ellinis]

Τα τρία αδελφάκια -ΙΩΝΙΑ, ΘΡΑΚΗ και ΑΛΒΑΝΙΑ- ήταν από τα ελάχιστα νεότευκτα που εντάχθηκαν στην ακτοπλοϊα της εποχής. Ανάμεσα σε μετασκευασμένες θαλαμηγούς, φορτηγοποστάλια και υπερήλικα σκαριά, για αρκετά χρόνια θα αποτελούσαν τη ραχοκοκκαλιά της ακτοπλοϊας.

Και από εμένα μια φωτογραφία του ως επιταγμένου νοσοκομειακού, είτε στους Βαλκανικούς ή στον πόλεμο της Μικράς Ασίας.

ionia.jpg
Πηγή: Ναυτική Ελλάς

[Nicholas Peppas]

Τα τρία αδελφάκια -ΙΩΝΙΑ, ΘΡΑΚΗ και ΑΛΒΑΝΙΑ- ήταν από τα ελάχιστα νεότευκτα που εντάχθηκαν στην ακτοπλοϊα της εποχής. Ανάμεσα σε μετασκευασμένες θαλαμηγούς, φορτηγοποστάλια και υπερήλικα σκαριά, για αρκετά χρόνια θα αποτελούσαν τη ραχοκοκκαλιά της ακτοπλοϊας.

Και από εμένα μια φωτογραφία του ως επιταγμένου νοσοκομειακού, είτε στους Βαλκανικούς ή στον πόλεμο της Μικράς Ασίας. ionia.jpg
Πηγή: Ναυτική Ελλάς

Very nice photograph. Compares well with my photo of hers as Lemnos

[Ellinis]

Πράγματι και οι δυο έχουν την όμορφη clipper πλώρη σε πρώτο πλάνο!

[Nicholas Peppas]

Katherina lasted for 13 years with the Pandelis Brothers She was dedicated to the Piraeus-Marseilles and (later) Thessaloniki-Piraeus-Marseilles routes.
Here is a schedule on April 28, 1921
19210428 Katerina.jpg

And then the schedules of August 8 and 12, 1923 (the first from the Athenian Embros, the second from the Thessalonikian Makedonia)
19230808 Pandelis.jpg19230812 Pandelis.jpg

Φαινεται οτι το Κατερινα του Παντελη χρησιμοποιηθηκε κατα τις τελευταιες ημερες της Μικρασιατικης Καταστροφης.

Εδω παρουσιαζω δυο σελιδες απο τα Απομνημονευματα του μουσουργου Διονυσιου Λαυραγκα που μιλουν αδρα για το πλοιο και τις τελευταιες ημερες της Σμυρνης. Ο Λαυραγκας και το Ελληνικο Μελοδραμα βρισκοντουσαν στην Σμυρνη για μια παρασταση τον Αυγουστο του 1922....

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