Monday, October 17, 2011

the Empress of Japan in Wellington, 1940


"Weren't we at war in 1940?"  Yes, but not with Japan until December 1941, and in any event the ship was part of Canadian Pacific's fleet, by this stage being used an an Allied troopship.  Nevertheless, for obvious reasons she was renamed Empress of Scotland in 1942.  After purchase by the Hamburg Atlantic Line she was renamed the Hanseatic in 1957. She was destroyed by fire in New York in September 1966 and subsequently scrapped.

More details
Builder: Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, Govan, Scotland
In service: June 1930 as RMS (Royal Mail Ship) Empress of Japan
Service route: 1930-1939: Vancouver-Yokohama-Kobe-Shanghai-Hong Kong
(as Hanseatic) Tonnage: 30,030 GRT 
Length: 205 meters 
Beam: 25.5 meters 
Speed: 22 knots 
Capacity: 1260 (liner service); 960 (cruise service)

a Canadian Pacific official postcard

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