History of Liner CHAMPOLLION
Compagnie des Messageries Maritimes, 1925 - 1952
Building year : .............1924
Name of shipyard : ..........Chantiers
Place of shipyard : .........La Ciotat
Sister ship(s) : ............Mariette Pacha
Launching : .................March 16, 1924
Crew : ......................18 officers, 225 crew
Passengers : .................188 1st class, 133 2nd class, 128 3rd class, 500 4th class
Length : ....................156,70 meters
Width : .....................19,20 meters
Gross tonnage : .............12.213 tons
Net tonnage : ...............7140 tons
Speed : .....................16 n
Ordered with
MARIETTE PACHA for the fast line Egypt-Syria by Services Contractuels des Messageries Maritimes at the Société Provençale de Constructions Navales in La Ciotat. Launched on March 16, 1924 in the presence of Luynes d'Auteroche, great-grand nephew of Champollion and President Georges Philippar. These two steamers mix Art Déco and decorations inspired from Antique Egypt very appreciated after the discovery of the tomb of Tutankham in 1922. After a maiden cruising from August 3 to 9, 1925, first departure of Marseille on September 14, 1925 for Alexandria and Beirut to which will be added from 1933 Haïfa for the transport of emigrants in Palestine, and Port Said. In 1933 she is withdrawn from the service to undergo important transformations in La Ciotat : lengthening of 14,5 meters, curved stem of Maier type, shaped rudder and two turbines Bauer Wach, allowing her to connect Marseille in Alexandria in 3 days. Her characteristics are from now on the following ones : length 171,2 meters, gross tonnage 13.619 tx, register tonnage 7391 tx, deadweight 5.043 T., power 14.600 cv, speed 18 knots., passengers 188 in 1st class, 253 in 2nd, 114 in 3rd, and 760 ration card holders. Given into service on August 18, 1934, the speed obtained is insufficient and the departures must take place from roads of Villefranche, test stopped by the war of Spain. She takes again the normal line with MARIETTE PACHA who was not transformed. She also carries out cruises in the Mediterranean and in Easter 1938, she failed to be lost while entering in Syra. Requisitioned in 1939, initially in Brest for an expedition in Finland, cancelled on March 13, 1940, she accomplishes from July to September 1941 two voyages to repatriate the troops of Beirut. As guardship in Algiers, she leaves the 1st December 1942 for Casablanca, then joins Dakar to bring back colonial troops. In front of the refusal of the majority of the officers to sail from Dakar, the captain commits suicide, but could be saved in extremis. Returned in Casablanca, she is integrated to the British War Shipping Administration, sent to London for transformation into transport of troops under management P & O. She is damaged on March 14, 1944 in Naples during a German bombardment and on April 14, 1944 in Bombay, during the explosion of English cargo liner FORT STIKINE loaded with explosives (1000 died and disappeared, 10 lost ships). In 1945 she repatriates the British troops from Alexandria to Toulon and England. Given back in 1946 to Services Contractuels des Messageries Maritimes, she carries out transports of troops on Indo-China, Madagascar and North Africa. from September 12, 1950 at March 1951, she undergoes a new modification before taking again the line Marseille-Alexandria-Beirut. The 3 chimneys are replaced by only one, the back mast is restored and the cabins of the passengers reconditioned (207 in 1st, 114 tourists and 150 intermediaries). On the 22 september 1952, misled by the new fire of the airport of Beirut, she runs aground parallel to the coast by heavy sea. On 400 passengers and men of crew, 15 found death entangled in the fuel oil, escaping the hull which broke, while having tried to reach the coast by swimming. The wreck is sold for demolition to the Lebanese company National Engineering and Trading Co.
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