SS Bremen (1896)

The SS Bremen, later renamed Constantinople and then King Alexander, was a German Barbarossa class ocean liner commissioned in 1897 by Norddeutscher Lloyd.

For other ships named Bremen, see Bremen.

SS Bremen in 1905
History
German Empire
NameSS Bremen
NamesakeBremen
OwnerNorth German Lloyd
Port of registryBremen
Builder
Yard number583
Launched14 November 1896
FateHanded to Great Britain as war reparations 4 April 1919
History
United Kingdom
NameSS Bremen
Owner
Operator
Acquired1919
Renamed
  • SS Constantinople 1921,
  • SS King Alexander 1924
FateBroken up Italy 1929
General characteristics
Class and typeBarbarossa class ocean liner
Tonnage10,525 GRT.
Length550 ft (170 m)
Beam60.2 ft (18.3 m)
Draft34 ft (10 m)
Propulsion
Speed15.5 knots (28.7 km/h; 17.8 mph)
Complement250

History

The SS Bremen was built by F. Schichau of Danzig for the Norddeutscher-Lloyd line. She started her maiden voyage on 5 June 1897, traveling from Bremen to New York with a stopover at Southampton. In addition to the transatlantic run she also sailed from Bremen to Australia via the Suez Canal.[1]

On 30 June 1900, she was badly damaged in a dockside fire at the NDL pier in Hoboken, New Jersey. The fire was started in a bale of cotton. The Lloyd ships SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, SS Saale and SS Main were also damaged in the fire, with the SS Saale sinking, whilst the Bremen ran aground. After the fire she was rebuilt by AG Vulcan Stettin, lengthened to 575 ft, and her tonnage was increased to 11,540 GRT. She reentered service in October 1901.[1]

On 20 April 1912, while sailing from Bremen to New York City, SS Bremen passed through the debris field left by the sinking of the RMS Titanic. A Bohemian passenger named Stephen Rehorek photographed an iceberg that matched eyewitness descriptions and sketches that had been given about the iceberg that Titanic struck. In addition, passengers and crew reported seeing hundreds of bodies floating in the water as well as many deck chairs and pieces of wood. Since there was already a ship specially chartered by White Star line to retrieve any bodies, the Bremen did not stop to recover any.[2][3][4][5]

"S.S. Bremen" hymn with G. Howell-Baker and music by E. Edgar Evans

Bremen was laid up during World War I. After the war she was given to the British P&O line as part of the war reparations. Two years later she was sold to the Byron S.S. Co. and renamed Constantinople, and operated on the Piraeus-New York City route. By 1924, she was renamed King Alexander. She was scrapped in 1929.[1][6]

References

Bibliography

Citations
  1. Arnold Kludas. Great Passenger Ships of the World Vol 1 1858-1912. Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 18. ISBN 0-85059-174-0.
  2. "UK | Scotland | Picture of 'Titanic iceberg' unveiled". BBC News. 28 July 2002. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  3. "Encyclopedia Titanica Message Board: S.S. Bremen's passengers view Titanic disaster". www.encyclopedia-titanica.org. Archived from the original on 9 January 2004. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  4. "Sinking of the Titanic - CHAPTER XXI". Archived from the original on 28 February 2008. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  5. "Titanic". Archived from the original on 3 January 2007. Retrieved 9 February 2007.
  6. Sue Swiggum (5 February 2005). "National Greek Line - Byron SS Co". Theshipslist.com. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
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