Blohm & Voss also built Graf Waldersee. She was launched on 10 December 1898 and completed on 18 March 1899. She was laid down as Pavia, but was launched as Graf Waldersee to honour Alfred, Graf von Waldersee, who until 1891 had been Chief of the German General Staff and who in 1898 had been made Inspector-General of the German Third Army.
Graf Waldersee's registered length was 561.2ft (171.1m), her beam was 62.2ft (19.0m) and her depth was 37.7ft (11.5m).[1] As built, her tonnages were 12,830GRT and 8,157NRT.[2] She had berths for 162 passengers in first class, 184 in second class and 2,200 in third class.[3]
Illustration from a Graf Waldersee dinner menu and concert programme, showing passengers playing shuffleboard on deck
In March 1899 HAPAG announced that the regular route for Graf Waldersee and her three sisters would be Hamburg – Cherbourg – Plymouth – New York.[4] HAPAG also announced a reduction in its transatlantic fares. On Graf Waldersee and her sisters the rate for a first class cabin was reduced from $65 to $50, and that for a second class cabin was reduced from $47.50 to $38.[5]
On 2 April 1899 Graf Waldersee left Hamburg on her maiden voyage via Boulogne to New York.[3] She reached New York on 15 April.[2]
On an eastbound Atlantic crossing in 1901 Graf Waldersee weathered a "hurricane" from 19 to 22 March. She was swamped by heavy seas, several members of her crew were injured, part of her cargo shifted and many of her deck fittings were damaged. She reached Plymouth safely on 28 March.[6]
On a westbound crossing in 1908 smallpox broke out among Graf Waldersee's third class passengers. When she reached New York on 14 March, 197 of her 400 third class passengers were quarantined on Hoffman Island.[7]
In 1910 Graf Waldersee was refitted as a two-class ship. First class was abolished, second class was increased to 408 berths and third class to 2,310 berths.[8] The refit increased her tonnage to 13,148GRT.[9]
On the night of 23–24 September 1913 Graf Waldersee collided with the Norwegian steamship Norge in the Elbe. Graf Waldersee was undamaged, but Norge was holed below the waterline and had to be towed to a dock for repair.[11]
Graf Waldersee was assigned to the Cruiser and Transport Division of the US Atlantic Fleet. On 7 April she left Brest, France for New York carrying either 1,526[14] or 1,741[13] US troops. She made another voyage between Brest and New York from 18 May to 2 June.[14]
On the night of 11–12 June 1919 the cargo shipRedondo accidentally rammed Graf Waldersee in fog about 86 nautical miles (160km) off Sandy Hook, New Jersey. Graf Waldersee reported 6 feet (2m) of water in her engine room,[15] and Redondo shipped water in her forward hold. Redondo stood by ready to assist until Graf Waldersee's sister ship Patricia arrived.[16]
In June 1919 Graf Waldersee was damaged in a collision. Her sister shipPatricia (shown here) rescued her passengers and towed her to safety.
Patricia took off Graf Waldersee's passengers and half of her crew and then took the damaged liner in tow. Late on the morning of 12 June Graf Waldersee's crew beached her on a sandbar on Long Island. Three tugs came to assist, using their pumps to reduce the level of water in Graf Waldersee's engine room.[16]Divers temporarily repaired the hole in her hull with layers of tarpaulin reinforced with planks.[17] She was refloated on the afternoon of 14 June and four tugs towed her to Brooklyn Navy Yard.[18]
From 7 to 30 August Graf Waldersee made another voyage between Brest and New York to repatriate US personnel. On 25 November 1919 at Stapleton, Staten Island the US Navy decommissioned Graf Waldersee and returned her to the US Shipping Board.[14]
UK service
Graf Waldersee was one of eight ships that the US government had seized from Germany but which the UK government also claimed. The others were Cap Finisterre, Imperator, Kaiserin Auguste Victoria, Mobile, Pretoria, Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm and Zeppelin.[19]
In the latter part of 1919 the British Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, under contract to the UK Shipping Controller, sent 1,100 officers and men to the US to take over Graf Waldersee, Imperator and Kaiserin Auguste Victoria. They included 35 Goaneselascars who travelled as passengers aboard the White Star LinerBelgic to be cooks and stewards on Graf Waldersee. However, when Belgic reached New York on 17 October, the US Bureau of Immigration detained the lascars on Ellis Island.[20]
On 26 December 1919 President Wilson surrendered seven former German ships, including Graf Waldersee, to the UK in settlement of the dispute between the two allies. The 35 Goanese cooks and stewards who had been detained on Ellis Island since 17 October were finally released to become part of Graf Waldersee's crew.[19]
In December 1920 Graf Waldersee collided in the River Thames with two ships and a hulk, including Hain Steamship Co's Tregantle, shown here.
On 4 December 1920 Graf Waldersee broke adrift when under tow in the River Thames. On 6 December she again broke adrift when under tow in the Thames. On this occasion she collided with the cargo ships Tregantle and Fairfield and hulk Sumatra, causing Fairfield to capsize. Graf Waldersee eventually grounded off Gravesend.[9]
In 1921 the Shipping Controller auctionedGraf Waldersee for scrap. Thos. W. Ward bought her and sold her on to Kohlbrandwerft in Hamburg, who scrapped her in 1922.[3][9]
Related Research Articles
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References
1 2 3 "Steamers". Lloyd's Register of Shipping. Vol.I. London: Lloyd's Register of Shipping. 1914.
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