SS Dwinsk

SS "Dwinsk" was an British-flagged ocean liner sunk by "U-151" in World War I. The ship was previously the third "Rotterdam" for the Holland America Line, "C.F. Tietgen" for the Scandinavian America Line, and, as "Dwinsk", for the Russian American Line. The ship was put under Cunard Line management in 1917, and sailed under the British flag until sunk on 18 June 1918.

History

SS "Rotterdam" was launched 18 February 1897 by Harland & Wolff in Belfast for the Holland America Line, the third ship by that name for the line. She sailed from Rotterdam, her namesake city, to Boulogne and New York on her maiden voyage 18 August 1897. The ship began its final voyage on this route on 17 February 1906.cite web | url = http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/descriptions/ShipsR.html | title = SHIP DESCRIPTIONS - R: ROTTERDAM / C.F.TIETGEN / DWINSK 1897 | publisher = TheShipsList | date = 2007-04-04 | accessdate = 2008-02-20 ]

Purchased by the Scandinavian America Line on 5 April 1906, the ship was renamed "C.F. Tietgen" after Carl Frederik Tietgen a Danish merchant. The ship operated primarily on a Copenhagen-Kristiania-Kristiansand-New York route through 1913. On 28 June 1906 the "Tietgen" collided with and sank the schooner "E. G. Hay" without loss of life. In July 1913 the ship was chartered to Nordisk Film A/S for the filming of "Atlantis".cite web | url = http://www.norwayheritage.com/p_ship.asp?sh=cftie | title = S/S C. F. Tietgen, Scandinavian America Line | publisher = Norway-Heritage | accessdate = 2008-02-20 ]

Later in 1913, the ship was sold to the Russian American Line and renamed "Dwinsk", and operating between Libau and New York from 10 February 1914. On 20 September 1914, "Dwinsk" began sailing on an Archangel-Hammerfest-New York route.

In 1917, control of the ship passed to Cunard Line who reflagged her under the British flag, and retaining her existing name. On 18 June 1918, while steaming from France to Newport News, Virginia, "Dwinsk" was torpedoed by "U-151" about convert|400|mi from Bermuda. After the ship sank, "U-151" remained in the area, using the survivors in seven lifeboats as a lure to try to sink additional Allied ships.

Later the same day, USS|Von Steuben|ID-3017|6 spotted wreckage and the seven lifeboats, and as it approached the survivors, narrowly averted a torpedo strike launched by "U-151".Cite web | url = http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/v4/von_steuben-i.htm | title = "Von Stueben" | work = Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships | publisher = United States Navy | date = | accessdate = 2008-02-20 ]

Six of the lifeboats were rescued by other ships; the seventh lifeboat with 22 men aboard was never heard from again. USS|Siboney|ID-2999|6 rescued two boats on 21 June, and USS|Rondo|ID-2488|6 picked up the final boat on 28 June.Cite web | url = http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/s12/siboney-i.htm | title = "Siboney" | work = Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships | publisher = United States Navy | date = | accessdate = 2008-02-20 ] Gleaves|p. 214]

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