SS Bremen (1929)

The SS "Bremen" of 1929 was one of a pair of ocean liners built for the Norddeutsche Lloyd line (NDL) for the transatlantic passenger service. The "Bremen" was notable for her low streamlined profile, and modern approach to her design. Her sister ship was the SS|Europa|1930|2, later renamed "Liberté". The German pair sparked the building of the large (and very expensive) express liners of the 1930s.

History

"Bremen" and her sister were designed to have a cruising speed of 27.5 knots, allowing a crossing time of 5 days. This speed enabled Norddeutsche Lloyd to run regular weekly crossings with two ships, a feat that normally required three. It was claimed that Bremen briefly reached speeds of 32 knots during her sea trials.

Originally it was planned to have the "Bremen" make a simultaneous transatlantic crossing with her sister "Europa", but the "Europa" was held up by a serious fire during fitting-out, so the "Bremen" made a solo maiden voyage, departing Bremerhaven for New York City on 16 July, 1929. She arrived four days, 17 hours, and 42 minutes later, capturing the westbound Blue Riband from the RMS|Mauretania|1906|2 with an average speed of 27.83 knots. This voyage also marked the first time mail was carried by a ship launched plane for delivery before the ship's arrival. A Heinkel He12, piloted by Jobst von Studnitz, was launched a few hours before arrival in New York with a number of mailbags. On her next voyage she took the eastbound Blue Riband with a time of 4 day 14 hours and 30 minutes and an average speed of 27.91 knots. This was the first time a liner had broken two records on her first two voyages.cite book | last = Huchthausen | first = Peter A. | authorlink = Peter Huchthausen | title = Shadow Voyage: The Extraordinary Wartime Escape of the Legendary SS Bremen | publisher = John Wiley & Sons | date = 2005 | location = Hoboken, New Jersey | id = ISBN 0471457582 | oclc = 55764562 ] [cite web | url = http://www.freewebs.com/tmnarticles/bremen.htm | title = The SS Bremen Article | last = Huchthausen | first = Peter A. | authorlink = Peter Huchthausen | date = | accessdate = 2007-11-02 ] The "Bremen" lost the westbound Blue Riband to her sister "Europa" in 1930. "Bremen" lost the eastbound Blue Riband to SS "Normandie" in 1935.

As Nazism gained power in Germany, "Bremen", and her pier in New York, were often the site of Anti-Nazi demonstrations. On July 26, 1935 a group of demonstrators boarded "Bremen" just before she sailed and tore the Nazi party flag from the jackstaff and tossed it into the Hudson River. On September 15, 1935 Hitler declared the Nazi Flag to be the exclusive national flag of Germany in response to this incident, removing the status of the original flag of the Weimar Republic as co-national flag. [cite book | url = http://www.larkspring.com/Kid/Book2.html | first = Bill | last = Bailey | title = The kid from Hoboken : an autobiography | year = 1993 | chapterurl = http://www.larkspring.com/Kid/Book2/2-14.html | chapter = Chapter XIV: Ripping the Swastika off the Bremen | location = San Francisco | publisher = Circus Lithographic Prepress | oclc = 27835027 | accessdate = 2007-11-02 ] [cite web | url = http://www.fotw.net/flags/de_his.html | title = Historical flags (Germany) | date = 2003-12-27 | accessdate = 2007-11-02 | work = Flags of the World ]

On August 26, 1939, in anticipation of the 1939 invasion of Poland, the Kriegsmarine high command ordered all German merchant ships to head to German ports immediately. "Bremen" was on a westbound crossing and 2 days from New York when she received the order. "Bremen"’s captain decided to continue to New York to disembark her 1770 passengers. She left New York without passengers on August 30, 1939. She made use of bad weather, and high speed to avoid Royal Navy cruisers, arriving in Murmansk on September 6, 1939. On December 10, 1939, the "Bremen" made a dash to Bremerhaven, arriving on December 13. On the way she was sighted and challenged by the S class submarine HMS|Salmon|N65|6. While challenging "Bremen", an escorting Dornier Do 18 seaplane forced the "Salmon" to dive for safety..

The "Bremen" was used as a barrack ship; there were plans to use her as a transport in Operation Sealion, the intended invasion of Great Britain. In 1941, the "Bremen" was set alight by a crew member while at her dock in Bremerhaven and completely gutted. A lengthy investigation discovered that the arson was the result of personal grudge against the ship's owners and not an act of sabotage. She was broken up in 1946.

pecifications

* 51,656 gross tons.
* 938.6 ft (286.1 m) overall length,101.7 ft (31 m) beam.
* Engines: steam turbines geared to four screws, designed speed 27 knots.
* 2139 passengers (811 first class, 500 second class, 300 tourist class, 617 third class), 966 crew.

References

External links

* [http://www.greatoceanliners.net/bremen.html The Great Ocean Liners: "Bremen"]
* [http://www.freewebs.com/tmnarticles/bremen.htm The Maritime Network Article on SS "Bremen"]