Lot Essay
The turbine steamer 'Andes' was built for the Royal Mail Line by Harland & Wolff at Belfast in 1938-39. Displacing 25,689 tons gross, she measures 669 feet in length with an 83½ foot beam, and was powered by her builder's own steam turbines driving twin screws to give her a maximum speed of 12 knots. Designed as a prestigious addition to the company's South American fleet, she had accomodation for 403 First and 204 Second Class passengers catered for by a crew of 451.
Her maiden voyage was scheduled for 26 September 1939 to coincide with the company's centenary but the outbreak of War caused these plans to be abandoned and she was instead requisitioned for conversion into a troopship. With berths for 4,096 men, she made her first trooping voyage in December 1939 and was employed thus throughout the War. In May 1945 she took the Norwegian government-in-excile home to Oslo but was soon afterwards released from her wartime duties and extensively reconditioned by her builders for peacetime service. With alterd accommodation, she commenced her commercial sailings in January 1948, making the passage from Southampton to Buenos Aires in 18 days, and thereafter settled into a regular routine which lasted eleven years.
By 1959, passenger traffic had declined to the extent that she was rebuilt as a cruise liner and in this final role lasted until 1971 when she was sold to Dutch shipbreakers for £300,000. In a career lasting thirty-two years she had steamed 2¾million miles, and had proved herself a worthy vessel to carry the Royal Mail Line's colours almost to the end of its existence as one of the world's premier shipping lines.
Her maiden voyage was scheduled for 26 September 1939 to coincide with the company's centenary but the outbreak of War caused these plans to be abandoned and she was instead requisitioned for conversion into a troopship. With berths for 4,096 men, she made her first trooping voyage in December 1939 and was employed thus throughout the War. In May 1945 she took the Norwegian government-in-excile home to Oslo but was soon afterwards released from her wartime duties and extensively reconditioned by her builders for peacetime service. With alterd accommodation, she commenced her commercial sailings in January 1948, making the passage from Southampton to Buenos Aires in 18 days, and thereafter settled into a regular routine which lasted eleven years.
By 1959, passenger traffic had declined to the extent that she was rebuilt as a cruise liner and in this final role lasted until 1971 when she was sold to Dutch shipbreakers for £300,000. In a career lasting thirty-two years she had steamed 2¾million miles, and had proved herself a worthy vessel to carry the Royal Mail Line's colours almost to the end of its existence as one of the world's premier shipping lines.