SS Thuringia (1922)

The ship was built in 1922 by Howaldtswerke, Kiel.[1] She was yard number 610.[2]

The ship was 150.90 metres (495 ft 1 in) long, with a beam of 18.50 metres (60 ft 8 in). She had a draft of 8.50 metres (27 ft 11 in).[2] She was assessed at 11,251 GRT,[1] 6,579 NRT.[3]

The ship was propelled by a steam turbine, driving a single screw propeller . The turbine was made by Brown, Boveri & Compagnie, Mannheim. Rated at 5,300 shp (4.0 MW), it could propel her at 15.5 knots (28.7 km/h). Steam was supplied by five boilers. Her range was 11,500 nautical miles (21,300 km)[2]

Thuringa was built for the Hamburg Amerikanische Paketfahrt AG, Hamburg (HAPAG).[1] The fourth HAPAG ship of that name,[4] she was launched on 12 August 1922 and completed on 10 January 1923. She had a crew of 164,[2] with accommodation for 158 cabin class and 680 third class passengers. Making her maiden voyage on 22 January 1923,[5] she was used on the Hamburg - New York route.[6] Thuringia made her last voyage for HAPAG starting on 9 January 1930 on the Hamburg – Cobh – Halifax – New York route.[5]

In 1930, she was refitted for service on the South American route, and renamed General San Martin.[2] Her Code Letters were RDFC.[3] On 14 August 1931, she ran aground in the Tagus at Lisbon, Portugal.[7] On 26 December 1932, General San Martin ran aground at Cuxhaven, Germany in fog. She was refloated later that day with assistance from a tug.[8] With the changes to Code Letters in 1934, General San Martin was allocated the letters DHIR.[9] On 18 March 1934, she was chartered by Hamburg-Südamerikanische Dampfschiffahrts-Gesellschaft (Hamburg Süd). General San Martin was bought by Hamburg Süd on 30 June 1936.[5]

On 20 January 1940, General San Martin was requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine for use as a barracks ship. She served 7th U-boat Flotilla at Königsberg. From 1 March 1941 she served 3rd U-boat Flotilla at Kiel. From 1 October 1941 she served 8th U-boat Flotilla at Königsberg and then 32nd U-boat Flotilla from August 1944. From 15 January 1945, she served 7th U-boat Flotilla at Kiel.[2] She is also said to have seen use as a tender during World War II.[1] From 25 January 1945,[2] General San Martin assisted in the evacuation of civilians from the Baltic.[1] She transported over 30,000 people in eleven voyages. From 4 April 1945, she served as a hospital ship.[2]

General San Martin was seized by the British in May 1945 at Copenhagen, Denmark. She was passed to the MoWT, which became the Ministry of Transport later that year.[1] On 8 October, she was declared to be a prize of war.[2] The Code Letters GQXY were allocated. Her port of registry was London.[10] She was operated under the management of the Shaw, Savill & Albion Line.[1] In 1946, she was renamed Empire Deben. She was used as a troopship, serving in this role until 1949.[2] Her departure from Southampton, Hampshire on 14 September 1948 for Gibraltar, Malta and Port Said, Egypt was delayed due to engine defects.[11] One of the apprentices who served on board Empire Deben was Dennis Scott-Masson, who was the captain of Canberra during the Falklands War.[12] Empire Deben was scrapped in March 1949 at Newport, Monmouthshire.[2]

• Photo of Thuringia