ZIM Israel Navigation Co

ssMaritime.com & ssMaritime.net

With Reuben Goossens

Maritime Historian

Page One

Introduction

This ZIM feature covers all of their passenger liners, from their first ship in 1947 to the day ZIM ceased its passenger operations 1969. ZIM passenger liners were as follows: SS Kedmah, SS Negbah, SS Galilah and SS Artza, SS Jerusalem (1), SS Israel, Zion, Jerusalem (2), Theodor Herzl, SS Shalom & MS Moledet.

The birth of ZIM

In 1947 a special holiday was declared throughout the then British-ruled Palestine. It was all because of a small 2,499 GRT steamship. As she approached Tel Aviv's tiny harbour, thousands of men and women, among them future leaders of Israel, began to cheer, for this ship arriving was the SS Kedmah, which commenced a whole new maritime era.

ZIM Lines was incorporated in 1945 by the Jewish Agency, the Labour Federation and the Israel Maritime League. The company was led by Dr. Naftali Vydra, a man of vision who together with his cohorts were not seamen.

ZIM faced the daunting challenge of bringing thousands of immigrants to the pre-State of Israel, despite the fact there were almost no passenger ships available. The company’s early fleet included vessels that were used for clandestine “legal” and “illegal” immigration. After the Holocaust, in 1948, the State of Israel was reborn, since the nation had been invaded by armies over the centuries, including the Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, the Ottoman Empire and finally, England. On May 14, 1948, the Biblical State of Israel rose up from the ashes and soon ZIM was about to become the start of what is now a massive modern shipping company, officially named the “ZIM Israel navigation Company.”

After the establishment of the State of Israel ZIM’s primary concern was to meet the demands of the unforeseen pressure for immigration. In the days immediately following the Declaration of Independence, the vessels which had carried “illegal” immigrants, caught by the British during their Mandate in Palestine, were reactivated by the same men who were previously in charge of that “illegal immigration” and they continued transporting the now legal immigrants. These vessels came under a newly formed company simply named "Ships & Vessels." The first Minister of Transport, David Remez decided that it was necessary to build up one large National Shipping Line, and with his active assistance "Ships & Vessels" and ZIM officially merged on August 15, 1948. The ships of both companies were then operated by the "Shoham Maritime Services Ltd," a wholly owned ZIM subsidiary.

The ZIM Ships and their background

Blue Star - Straits Steamship Co Liner, SS Kedah

SS Kedah

ZIM's first passenger ship, the SS Kedmah, entered service in 1947. She transported passengers and immigrants to pre-state Israel, from Genoa and Marseilles and continued in service until 1952.

SS Kedmah had her beginnings in 1926, when the Straits Steamship Company, an associate of the Blue Funnel Line, decided to build a ship designed especially for the express service between Singapore and Penang. Until then the company operated various small vessels which were the main, sometimes the only, connection, between many small ports in the region. The specifications put down by the company were quite a challenge to marine architecture, and only three firms offered tenders for her construction. The contract was placed with Vickers shipyard, of Barrow. She was launched by Lady Maxwell on July, 16, 1927, and named Kedah after the Malaysian province in which she was meant to operate. Her specifications were 2,499 gross tons, 317ft long and 50ft wide. She had two passenger decks, three holds and hatchways and 6 steam-driven cranes. A double bottom extended for the whole of her length. She was powered by two steam turbine engines, and had twin screws. SS Kedah commenced service in 1927. Soon she became a popular ship in the region and was nicknamed the “Little Queen of Malacca Straits.” Painted all white, with mahogany coloured life boats, she was an impressive looking small ship. Amidships she accommodated 80 first-class passengers, as well as up to 960 deck passengers.

War time duties

SS Kedah, armed auxiliary vessel number FY035

Photograph courtesy of Mrs. Harman, and taken by Second officer Dick Harman

In December 1939, SS Kedah was requisitioned by the Royal Navy as an armed auxiliary vessel number FY035. The Navy made various changes, which included the top section of the funnel being removed; also new taller masts were erected, as well as being armed with two 4 inch guns and one 3 inch. Anti-aircraft gun. Depth charge launchers were placed on the after deck. She served in the north of Borneo and was used as an evacuation ship, prior the fall of Singapore. One her last sailing out of Singapore she was under constant attack from the air, but remained undamaged, thanks to the brilliant seamanship of captain, J.L. Sinclair. However, with bombs falling close to her hull, the massive vibrations damaged her mahinerary and she could only manage a speed of 7 knots. In Batavia, although in urgent need of overhaul, she was ordered to sail to Tjilatjap Indonesia, to take onboard the staff of General Wavell, and some 400 refugees, and take them to Colombo Ceylon. But, she was once again attacked by air, after which her machinery failed completely. She was towed the rest of the way by H.M.S. Dragon. She arrived in Colombo on March 9, where she was fully refitted. Thereafter, she spent the next two years operating in the Bay of Bengal. But in 1945 she was chosen to be the headquarters for the General Staff during the invasion of Malaya. For this purpose she was suitably fitted out with an array of radio equipment. On September 5, 1945, "Kedah" was the first ships to re-enter Singapore, flying the flag of rear admiral J. A.V. Morse, and carrying the combined operations staff, senior officers of the British military and the chairman of the Singapore Harbour Board, all in all, a dramatic and historic moment.

On her way back to England, she remained in Malta for a while serving as an accommodation ship. In 1946 she returned to Barrow for a comprehensive repairs and a refit. The Straits Steamship Company had no further need for the old girl, having received a substantial compensation from the Navy.

SS Kedmah - Israel’s first official passenger liner

SS Kedmah, the pride of the Nation of Israel

Whilst still under repair, she was sold, for £75,000 pounds, to Harris and Dixon of London, who were representing Palestinian interests, which was later disclosed as being the ZIM Palestine Navigation Company. After taking possession of the ship, she was taken to Antwerp for further refitting. She was renamed Kedmah, and with the refit completed her accommodations had been greatly enlarged. She was now listed as being 3,504 GRT.

On July 28, 1947, SS Kedmah arrived at Tel Aviv, where, accompanied by intense national emotions, there was an enthusiastic anticipation for her arrival. The papers headlines, as well as the various speeches given by the leaders of the Jewish Community, testify to the great symbolic value attached to this ship. She was called “the first Hebrew ship.” And though there were vessels owned by Palestinian Jews before her, there was no other ship owned by a national company, with the National colours on her funnel, being an integral part of the Jewish struggle for the restoration of their independent state. In May 1948, the ZIM Palestine Navigation Company was renamed ZIM Israel Navigation Company.

The Bridge of the Kedmah

SS Kedmah was a popular ship with the public as were the heads of state. Israel's first president, Mr.Chaim Weizman, began a tradition of vacation cruises on board the flag ship of the Israeli Merchant Marine.

The Kedmah was finally sold in 1952 to old partners, Harris and Dixon, and she was renamed Golden Isles. She cruised around the Mediterranean until 1954, when ZIM chartered the ship again for a several voyages. On the first of these voyages the ship came to the rescue of a French passenger liner, Champollion, which in December 1952 grounded and sank near Beirut. She rescued 186 survivors. In 1956 Harris and Dixon sold her for scrap.

ZIM’s - SS Negbah, SS Galilah and SS Artza

SS Negbah

Negbah ready for departure

The twin funnelled SS Galilah

SS Artza also was a popular cruise ships

SS Jerusalem (1) - Israel’s first Trans-Atlantic Liner

After the SS Kedmah was sold in l952, ZIM decided to establish itself as a passenger Line in the North Atlantic, with sailings between Haifa and New York. For this purpose ZIM bought a magnificent old ship, the 40 year old Home Line liner, SS Argentina.

SS Bergensfjord, a stately liner for her day

The 11,013 GRT steamer was built for Norske Amerikalinje (Norwegian America Line - NAL) in l913 by Cammell Laird & Co., Birkenhead, as the SS Bergensfjord. She was launched on April 8, 1913. She departed on her maiden voyage from Christiania (Oslo) to New York on September 26, 1913.

Specifications: Length 512.4ft, Breadth 61.2ft, Draught 29.4ft. Engines: Two four cylinder quadruple-expansion steam engines with exhaust turbine driving twin screws, with a speed of 15 knots, As built she accommodated 105 cabin class passengers, 216 tourist class and 760 third class passengers.

She was refitted in November 1925 to accommodate 367-cabin class and 572-3rd class passengers, then in September 1927 she received another refit changing her capacity to 90 cabin, 155-tourist and 500-3rd class. In 1932/33 she was fitted with two low-pressure steam turbines, and her tonnage increased to 11,015 GRT. In January 1939 she was again refitted to carry cabin and 3rd class only.

She left Bergen on her last voyage to New York on April 7, 1940, just two days before the Germans invaded Norway. After arriving safely in New York, in December 1940, she was handed over to the British Ministry of War Transport and she commenced a troop carrying career for the next five years. During active duties, she carried around 165,000 troops, and with sea 919 days, she sailed over 300,000 miles.

SS Bergensfjord seen as a trooper

Troops ready for departure

After her wartime service had been completed she was returned to NAL in February 1946. NAL sold her in August the next year to Home Lines, who renamed her SS Argentina to be used on the emigrant route between Italy to South America. However, she was placed under the management, of Panamanian Lines Inc. On July 13, 1951 she commenced the Genoa to New York service. In 1952 she officially was transferred to Home Lines Inc. Her final Trans Atlantic voyage commenced December, 20, 1952.

Upon her return to Italy, she was sold to ZIM Lines, who renamed her SS Jerusalem. After another refit she now accommodated 38 First Class and 741 Tourist Class passengers. She departed on her maiden voyage from Haifa to New York on April 4, 1953.

The stately SS Jerusalem (I)

Note the stained timbers on her Bridge and forward Boat Deck

Her itinerary was as follows: Haifa, Limassol, Malta, Cannes, Halifax and New York. SS Jerusalem crossed the ocean six times a year, as well as five voyages on the Haifa, Naples, Marseilles run. With the acquisition of a new liner SS Jerusalem (I) was renamed SS Aliya in 1955. She remained in ZIM's services until l959 when she was sold for scrap. Having proudly transported over 118,000 passengers and immigrants, SS Aliya was scrapped at Spezia in 1959. She was a staunch ship and she certainly could not conceal her age, but she was exceptionally dependable, having never missing a sailing or delayed by mechanical difficulties. In spite of her high consumption of fuel and boiler water, she proved to be a profitable ship, thus her long career.

ZIM Lines INDEX

Page One: ZIM Lines early history & their 1^st five passenger liners

Page Two: SS Israel, Zion, Jerusalem (II), Theodor Herzl & MS Moledet

Page Three: SS Shalom, Hanseatic, Doric, Royal Odyssey, Regal Sun, Sun

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