View source for SS Potsdam (1899)

{{short description|Steamship that was built as an ocean liner and later converted into a whaling factory ship}}
{{other ships|SS Potsdam}}
{{redirect|SS Stockholm|other ships|Stockholm (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}} 
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image= Fred Pansing Potsdam 1910.jpg
|Ship caption= Painting of ''Potsdam'' in about 1910
}} 
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header= 
|Ship country= 
|Ship flag= 
|Ship name= *1900: ''Potsdam''
*1915: ''Stockholm''
*1928: ''Solglimt''
*1941: ''Sonderburg''
|Ship namesake= *1900: [[Potsdam]]
*1915: [[Stockholm]]
*1928: Norwegian for "sunshine"
*1941: [[Sønderborg|Sonderburg]]
|Ship nickname= "Funneldam"
|Ship owner= *1900: [[Holland America Line]]
*1915: [[Swedish American Line]]
*1928: Hvalfangerstakjeselskabet 'Atlas'
*1930: A/S Odd
*1941: [[Kriegsmarine]]
|Ship operator= *1928: Christian Nielsen & Co
*1930: A/S Thor Dahl
*1941: Erste Deutsche Wahlfang Ges
*1942: Trossschiffverband
|Ship registry= *1900: {{flagicon|Netherlands}} [[Port of Rotterdam|Rotterdam]]
*1915: {{flagicon|Sweden}} [[Port of Gothenburg|Gothenburg]]
*1928: {{flagicon|Norway}} [[Larvik]]
*1929: {{flagicon|Norway}} [[Sandefjord]]
*1941: {{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} [[Port of Hamburg|Hamburg]]
|Ship route= *1900: Rotterdam – [[Port of New York and New Jersey|New York]]
*1915: Gothenburg – New York
|Ship ordered= 
|Ship builder= [[Blohm+Voss]]
|Ship original cost= 
|Ship yard number= 139
|Ship laid down= 4 May 1899
|Ship launched= 15 December 1899
|Ship completed= 5 May 1900
|Ship acquired= 
|Ship commissioned= 
|Ship decommissioned= 
|Ship honours=
|Ship maiden voyage= 17 May 1900
|Ship refit= 1928
|Ship in service= 
|Ship out of service= 
|Ship identification= *1900: [[code letters]] PQLF
*{{ICS|Papa}}{{ICS|Quebec}}{{ICS|Lima}}{{ICS|Foxtrot}}
*by 1913: [[Maritime call sign|call sign]] MHM
*1914: call sign PEE
*1915: code letters JVMC
*{{ICS|Juliet}}{{ICS|Victor}}{{ICS|Mike}}{{ICS|Charlie}}
*by 1918: call sign SGL
*1928: code letters LHNB
*{{ICS|Lima}}{{ICS|Hotel}}{{ICS|November}}{{ICS|Bravo}}
*by 1934: call sign LDMD
*{{ICS|Lima}}{{ICS|Delta}}{{ICS|Mike}}{{ICS|Delta}}
|Ship fate= [[Scuttling|scuttled 1944]], partly blown up 1946, raised and scrapped 1947
|Ship notes= 
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship type= *1900: [[ocean liner]]
*1928: [[whaling]] [[factory ship]]
|Ship tonnage= *1900: {{GRT|12606}}, {{NRT|8018}}, {{DWT|12649}}
*1930: {{GRT|12279}}, {{NRT|7123}}
|Ship displacement= 
|Ship length= *{{cvt|174.65|m|abbr=on|disp=flip}} [[Length overall|overall]]
*{{cvt|550.0|ft|abbr=on}} registered
|Ship beam= {{cvt|62.0|ft|abbr=on}}
|Ship draught= {{cvt|31|ft|10|in|abbr=on|2}}
|Ship depth= {{cvt|34.6|ft|abbr=on}}
|Ship decks= 3
|Ship power= 1,355 [[Horsepower#Nominal horsepower|NHP]], 7,600 [[Horsepower#Indicated horsepower|ihp]]
|Ship propulsion= *2 × [[Propeller|screws]]
*2 × [[Marine steam engine#Triple or multiple expansion|triple-expansion engines]]
|Ship speed= {{convert|15|kn|km/h}}
|Ship capacity= *'''passengers, 1900:''' 282 × [[First class travel|1st class]], 208 × 2nd class, 1,800 × 3rd class
*'''cargo:''' {{convert|612000|cuft|0}} grain, {{convert|559000|cuft|0}} bale
|Ship crew= 186
|Ship sensors= *by 1910: [[Submarine signals|submarine signalling]]
*by 1930: wireless [[direction finding]]
|Ship notes= [[sister ship]]s: {{USS|Rijndam||2}}, {{SS|Noordam|1902|2}}
}}
|}

'''SS ''Potsdam''''' was a [[Steamship|steam]] [[ocean liner]] that was launched in [[German Empire|Germany]] in 1899 for [[Holland America Line]]. In 1915 [[Swedish American Line]] acquired her and renamed her '''''Stockholm'''''.

In 1929 Norwegian owners acquired her, had her converted into a [[whaling]] [[factory ship]], and renamed her '''''Solglimt'''''. In 1941 a German [[Merchant raider|auxiliary cruiser]] captured her and she was renamed '''''Sonderburg'''''. She was [[Scuttling|scuttled]] in 1944, and raised and scrapped in 1947.

When new, ''Potsdam'' was the largest ship in the Holland America Line fleet. She was the only Holland America Line ship ever to be named after the German city of [[Potsdam]]. She was the first of four Swedish American liners to be named after the Swedish capital city [[Stockholm]].

==Building==
[[Blohm+Voss]] built ''Potsdam'' in [[Hamburg]] as yard number 139. She was laid down on 4 May 1899, launched on 15 December 1899 and completed on 5 May 1900. Her [[length overall]] was {{cvt|174.65|m|abbr=on|disp=flip}} and her registered length was {{cvt|550.0|ft|abbr=on}}. Her beam was {{cvt|62.0|ft|abbr=on}} and her depth was {{cvt|34.6|ft|abbr=on}}. Her [[tonnage]]s were {{GRT|12606}}, {{NRT|8018}} and {{DWT|12649}}. Her passenger accommodation had berths for 282 first class, 208 second class and 1,800 third class passengers. Her holds had cubic capacity of {{convert|612000|cuft|0}} for grain and {{convert|559000|cuft|0}} for cargo in bales.<ref name=SMHD>{{cite web |url= https://www.marhisdata.nl/schip&id=5248 |title=Potsdam – ID 5248 |work=Stichting Maritiem-Historische Databank |language=nl |access-date=15 May 2023}}</ref>

''Potsdam'' had twin [[Propeller|screws]], each driven by a three-cylinder [[Marine steam engine#Triple or multiple expansion|triple-expansion steam engine]]. The combined power of her twin engines was rated at 1,355 [[Horsepower#Nominal horsepower|NHP]]{{sfn|''Lloyd's Register'' 1901|loc=POR–POV}} or 7,600 [[Horsepower#Indicated horsepower|ihp]], and gave her a speed of {{convert|15|kn|km/h}}.<ref name=SMHD/>

==''Potsdam''==
Holland America Line [[Ship registration|registered]] ''Potsdam'' at [[Port of Rotterdam|Rotterdam]]. Her Dutch [[code letters]] were PQLF.{{sfn|''Lloyd's Register'' 1901|loc=POR–POV}}

Her regular route was between Rotterdam and [[Port of New York and New Jersey|New York]] via [[Boulogne-sur-Mer|Boulogne]].{{sfn|Dowling|1909|p=321}} She began her maiden voyage on 17 May 1900.<ref name=Reimertz>{{cite web |url= http://thegreatoceanliners.com/articles/potsdam/ |last=Reimertz |first=Henrik |title=Potsdam |work=The Great Ocean Liners |date=21 March 2018 |access-date=15 May 2023}}</ref>

At first, ''Potsdam''{{'}}s speed was unsatisfactory, and she was found not to steam well enough. In her winter overhaul of 1900 to 1901 her funnel was increased in height by {{convert|23|ft}} to improve the draught through her furnaces and boilers. The modification succeeded in improvingher steaming and her speed. Her taller funnel earnt her the nickname "Funneldam".<ref name=Reimertz/>

Holland America Line ordered two [[sister ship]]s for ''Potsdam'', built by [[Harland & Wolff]] in [[Ireland]].<ref name=Reimertz/> {{USS|Rijndam||2}} was launched in May 1901 and completed that October.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.theyard.info/ships/ships.asp?entryid=336 |title=Rijndam |work=Harland & Wolff The Yard |access-date=15 May 2023}}</ref> ''Noordam'' was launched in September 1901 and completed in March 1902.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.theyard.info/ships/ships.asp?entryid=338 |title=Noordam |work=Harland & Wolff The Yard |access-date=15 May 2023}}</ref>

By 1910 ''Potsdam'' was equipped for [[Submarine signals|submarine signalling]], and the [[Marconi Company]] had equipped her for [[wireless telegraphy]].{{sfn|''Lloyd's Register'' 1910|loc=POT–PRA}} By 1913 her wireless telegraph [[Maritime call sign|call sign]] was MHM,{{sfn|The Marconi Press Agency Ltd|1913|p=270}} but by 1914 it had been changed to PEE.{{sfn|The Marconi Press Agency Ltd|1914|p=415}}

On 15 April 1912 [[White Star Line]]'s RMS ''[[Titanic]]'' sank with the loss of 1,517 lives. Under public scrutiny after the disaster, other companies admitted that their passenger ships carried too few lifeboats. Holland America Line was one of them, and the company duly had two more pairs of lifeboats installed aboard ''Potsdam'', positioned aft on a deckhouse.<ref name=Reimertz/>

Early the [[World War I|First World War]], the ship's name and home port "Potsdam Rotterdam" were painted on her side in large capital letters to identify her as a neutral ship. But passenger numbers declined, and Holland America Line laid ''Potsdam'' up in Rotterdam and advertised her for sale.<ref name=Reimertz/>

==''Stockholm''==
[[File:Däcksvy med befäl och besättning - Sjöfartsmuseet Akvariet - SMGF3702.tif|thumb|left|Part of ''Stockholm''{{'}}s crew on deck in [[Port of Gothenburg|Gothenburg]] in 1915]]
In September 1915 Swedish America Line acquired ''Potsdam'',<ref name=SMHD/> renamed her ''Stockholm'', and registered her in [[Port of Gothenburg|Gothenburg]].{{sfn|''Lloyd's Register'' 1917|loc=STE–STO}} Her passenger accommodation was improved, particularly in Third Class, to appeal to Swedish emigrants to the USA.<ref name=Reimertz/> Her Swedish code letters were JVMC,{{sfn|''Lloyd's Register'' 1917|loc=STE–STO}} and by 1918 her call sign was SGL.{{sfn|The Marconi Press Agency Ltd|1918|p=759}} She began her first voyage from Gothenburg to New York on 11 December 1915.<ref name=Reimertz/>

At first ''Stockholm'' prospered. However, on 1 February 1917 the [[Imperial German Navy]] resumed [[unrestricted submarine warfare]]. This increased the danger for neutral shipping, so ''Stockholm'' was laid up in Gothenburg from May 1917 until June 1918.<ref name=Reimertz/>

[[File:Famous (African American) regiment arrives home on the "Stockholm". "Stockholm" as she entered port . . . - NARA - 533515.tif|thumb|''Stockholm'' arriving in New York in 1919, repatriating members of the [[369th Infantry Regiment (United States)|369th Infantry Regiment]]. Note the lettering "Stockholm Sverige" on her side, identifying her as a neutral ship in the First World War.]]
In 1919 the United States chartered ''Stockholm'' to repatriate troops from [[French Third Republic|France]].<ref name=Reimertz/> She brought 1,000 members of the [[African Americans|Afro-American]] [[369th Infantry Regiment (United States)|369th Infantry Regiment]] home from Europe to New York.

In 1922 [[Götaverken]] converted ''Stockholm'' from coal to [[heavy fuel oil]]. This improved the performance of her furnaces and boilers, so the height of her funnel was reduced by {{convert|7|ft|0}}.<ref name=Reimertz/>

''Stockholm'' began her final transatlantic voyage for Swedish American Line on 29 September 1928.<ref name=Reimertz/>

==''Solglimt''==
[[File:Flytende kokeri Solglimt Fs.00230.jpg|thumb|left|The [[whaling]] [[factory ship]] ''Solglimt''. Note the new masts, and the stern chute for hauling whale carcasses aboard.]]
In November 1928 Hvalfangerstakjeselskabet 'Atlas' ("The Atlas Whaling Company") acquired ''Stockholm'' and had her refitted as a whaling factory ship.<ref name=SMHD/> Her tonnages were revised to {{GRT|12279}} and {{NRT|7123}}.{{sfn|''Lloyd's Register'' 1930|loc=SOL}} Atlas registered her in [[Larvik]] and appointed Christian Nielsen & Co to [[Ship management|manage]] her.{{sfn|''Lloyd's Register'' 1928|loc=S}} She entered service in her new role on 12 September 1929.<ref name=Reimertz/>

By 1930 her Norwegian code letters were LHNB, and she was equipped with wireless [[direction finding]].{{sfn|''Lloyd's Register'' 1930|loc=SOL}} In 1930 A/S Odd acquired ''Solglimt'', registered her in [[Sandefjord]], and appointed A/S Thor Dahl to manage her.<ref name=SMHD/> By 1934 her call sign was LDMD.{{sfn|''Lloyd's Register'' 1934|loc=SOL}}

On 14 January 1941 the {{ship|German auxiliary cruiser|Pinguin}} captured a Norwegian fleet of 11 [[whaler]]s and three factory ships in the [[Southern Ocean]]. They included ''Solglimt'', which was laden with [[whale oil]].<ref name=Reimertz/> On 25 January ''Pinguin'' sent ''Solglimt'' to German-occupied France under a German [[prize crew]]. She reached [[Bordeaux]] on 16 March.<ref name=SMHD/>

==''Sonderburg''==
The [[Kriegsmarine]] kept the ship as a [[Prize (law)|prize]], renamed her ''Sonderburg'', after [[Sønderborg]] in [[South Jutland County|North Schleswig]], and registered her in [[Port of Hamburg|Hamburg]].<ref name=SMHD/>

In 1941 the Erste Deutsche Wahlfang Gesellschaft ("First German Whaling Company") managed ''Sonderburg''. By 1942 the Trossschiffverband ("Supply Ship Association") was her manager.<ref name=SMHD/> Also in 1942, she was in [[Cherbourg Harbour]] during a [[RAF Bomber Command]].<ref name=Reimertz/> At least two bombs hit and damaged her.

In June 1944, German forces scuttled ''Sonderburg'' in the [[English Channel]] at [[Cherbourg]].<ref name=SMHD/> In August 1946 the French used explosives to demolish part of the ship to clear the port.<ref name=Reimertz/> In January 1947 the remains of her wreck were raised and towed to Britain, where the [[British Iron & Steel Corporation]] scrapped her.<ref name=SMHD/>
{{wide image|British bombing raid in Cherbourg, France in 1942, a stick of bombs falling across the whale-oil factory ship Solglimt NGA photo.jpg|600px|RAF photographs of [[Cherbourg Harbour]] during and after an air raid in 1942, showing ''Sonderburg'' during and after being bombed}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book |last=Dowling |first=R |origyear=1903 |year=1909 |edition=3rd |title=All About Ships & Shipping |place=London |publisher=Alexander Moring Ltd}}
*{{cite book |year=1901 |title=Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping |volume=I.–Steamers |place=London |publisher=[[Lloyd's Register]] of Shipping |via=[[Internet Archive]] |url= https://archive.org/details/HECROS1902ST/page/n646/mode/1up |ref={{harvid|''Lloyd's Register'' 1901}} }}
*{{cite book |year=1910 |title=Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping |volume=I.–Steamers |place=London |publisher=Lloyd's Register of Shipping |via=Internet Archive |url= https://archive.org/details/HECROS1911ST/page/n830/mode/1up |ref={{harvid|''Lloyd's Register'' 1910}} }}
*{{cite book |year=1917 |title=Lloyd's Register of Shipping |volume=II.–Steamers |place=London |publisher=Lloyd's Register of Shipping |via=Internet Archive |url= https://archive.org/details/HECROS1918ST/page/n969/mode/1up |ref={{harvid|''Lloyd's Register'' 1917}} }}
*{{cite book |year=1928 |title=Lloyd's Register of Shipping |volume=II.–Steamers and Motorships |place=London |publisher=Lloyd's Register of Shipping |via=Internet Archive |url= https://archive.org/details/HECROS1929ST/page/n1720/mode/1up |ref={{harvid|''Lloyd's Register'' 1928}} }}
*{{cite book |year=1930 |title=Lloyd's Register of Shipping |volume=II.–Steamers and Motorships of 300 Tons Gross and Over |place=London |publisher=Lloyd's Register of Shipping |via=[[Southampton City Council]] |url= https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/30/30b1107.pdf |ref={{harvid|''Lloyd's Register'' 1930}} }}
*{{cite book |year=1934 |title=Lloyd's Register of Shipping |volume=II.–Steamers and Motorships of 300 Tons Gross and Over |place=London |publisher=Lloyd's Register of Shipping |via=Southampton City Council |url= https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/34/34b0783.pdf |ref={{harvid|''Lloyd's Register'' 1934}} }}
*{{cite book |author=The Marconi Press Agency Ltd |author-link=Marconi Company |year=1913 |title=The Year Book of Wireless Telegraphy and Telephony |place=London |publisher=The St Katherine Press}}
*{{cite book |author=The Marconi Press Agency Ltd |author-link=Marconi Company |year=1914 |title=The Year Book of Wireless Telegraphy and Telephony |place=London |publisher=The Marconi Press Agency Ltd}}
*{{cite book |author=The Marconi Press Agency Ltd |author-link=Marconi Company |year=1918 |title=The Year Book of Wireless Telegraphy and Telephony |place=London |publisher=The Wireless Press, Ltd}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Potsdam (ship, 1900)}}
*{{cite web |url= http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/potsdam_1900.htm |last=Asklander |first=Micke |title=S/S Potsdam (1900) |access-date=27 February 2008 |website=Fakta om Fartyg |language=Swedish |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080318131828/http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/potsdam_1900.htm |archive-date=18 March 2008 |url-status=live}}
*{{cite web |url= http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/SwedishAmericaPCs.html#anchor20978 |last=Boyle |first=Ian |title=Stockholm (I) 1915–28 |work=Swedish American Line}} – official postcards of ''Stockholm''
*{{cite web |url= http://www.thegreatoceanliners.com/potsdam.html |last=Ljungström |first=Henrik |title=Potsdam/Stockholm (I)/Solglimt/Sonderburg 1900 – 1947 |access-date=27 February 2008 |website=The Great Ocean Liners |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160709043425/http://www.thegreatoceanliners.com/potsdam.html |archive-date=9 July 2016}}

{{Holland America Ships}}
{{June 1944 shipwrecks|state=collapsed}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Potsdam}}
[[Category:1899 ships]]
[[Category:Factory ships]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in June 1944]]
[[Category:Ocean liners]]
[[Category:Passenger ships of the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Passenger ships of Sweden]]
[[Category:Scuttled vessels of Germany]]
[[Category:Ships built in Hamburg]]
[[Category:Ships of the Holland America Line]]
[[Category:Ships of Swedish American Line]]
[[Category:Steamships of Germany]]
[[Category:Steamships of the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Steamships of Norway]]
[[Category:Steamships of Sweden]]
[[Category:Whaling in Norway]]