RMS Virginian
| History | |
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| Builder: | Alexander Stephen and Sons, Glasgow |
| Launched: | 22 December 1904 |
| Maiden voyage: | 6 April 1905 |
| Fate: | Feb 1955: scrapped at Trieste |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Passenger liner and cargo |
| Tonnage: | 10,757 gross register tons (GRT) |
| Length: | 538 ft (164 m) |
| Beam: | 60 ft (18 m) |
| Depth: | 38 ft (12 m) |
| Propulsion: | Steam Turbine |
| Speed: | 18 kn (21 mph) |
| Capacity: | 1712 passengers |
RMS Virginian was a steam turbine powered transatlantic ocean liner, launched in 1904 for the Allan Line. She operated from 1920 to 1948 for the Swedish American Line as SS Drottningholm.
Virginian was built in 1905 by Alexander Stephen and Sons in Glasgow for the Allan Line of Canada. She was a sistership to RMS Victorian and operated in Allan Line service until 1920. In 1912, she was one of several ships in wireless radio communication with RMS Titanic, giving iceberg warnings, and at one point erroneous wireless messages had Virginian towing Titanic to Halifax, Nova Scotia and that all on board Titanic were safe. Such a report appeared in the Daily Mirror on 16 April 1912.
During World War I she served as a troop transport ship for Canada and Armed Merchant Cruiser for Royal Navy. On 21 August 1917 she was damaged by the German submarine U-102.
In 1920, she was sold to the Swedish American Line and renamed SS Drottningholm. In 1922-1923 she was refurbished, re-engined and her superstructure enlarged.
She served Sweden until 1948, notably under the command of Captain John Nordlander.
During wartime the ship was used as a mercy ship to exchange civilian internees, POWs, and diplomats. She was chartered by the American, British, and French governments for a total of 14 voyages that transported 18,160 individuals. In March 1942 the ship was chartered by the U.S. State Department via an arrangement with the Nazis and other Axis powers, facilitated with the help of the Swiss and Swedish governments, to repatriate civilian internees and diplomats from both sides of the war.
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Wikipedia