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With
Reuben Goossens
Maritime Historian
Author’s
collection
Page
One – MS Oranje
Link to the Angelina Lauro page is located
at the bottom of this page
MS Oranje was built for the Nederlandsche Stoomvaart Maatschapij
(Netherlands Line) in 1938/39, by the Nederland Shipbuilding Company in Amsterdam. Her keel was
laid down on July 2,
1937 and she was launched by Queen Wilhelmina and named Oranje (in
honour of the Royal House of Orange) on September 8, 1938. She undertook her trials in
June 1939 and attained a maximum speed of 26.5 knots, making her the world
fastest motor liner. One of her most striking features was the unusual shape of
her hull, for instead of her sides being vertical, her hull flared out, and
this was called a “tumbledome hull.” At the waterline she was 17 ft
(5.17 m) wider than at her superstructure. It was claimed that her unique hull
design with a flared cut away bow would provide her additional speed, something
she certainly had, as well as providing a reduced tonnage of around 1,800 tons.
Above & below:
The launching of MS Oranje on September 8 1938
Author’s
collection
This Postcard of the Oranje was
released in the fifties
Author’s
collection
Specifications (as built and in 1959)
Tonnage: 20,017 GRT
(gross registered tons) / 1959 - 20,551 GRT
Length: 656ft – 199.9m
Width: 83.7ft - 25.5m
Draft: 29ft – 8.8m
Engines: 3 x 12 cylinder Sulzer diesels 27,500 BHP
Screws: Triple
Service speed: 21 knots
– max 26.5 - during sea trails
Passengers 283 First, 283 Second, 92 Third and 52 Fourth Class / 1959 – 323 First, 626 Tourist
Class
Passenger Decks: 8
Livery: Grey hull, white superstructure, yellow and black
funnel, red boot topping
Built in 1939, MS Oranje was a modern looking liner for her time
Author’s collection
After her launching and
having been fitted out she was completed on June 27 1939 and she undertook her sea
trails and was delivered to the Netherland Line. Her first two voyages were two
ten day cruises from Amsterdam to Madeira before
she commenced her first scheduled voyage to the Dutch East Indies, which
departed Amsterdam
on September 4, 1939.
She sailed via Cape of Good Hope and Batavia.
However soon enough World War II had commenced which saw her laid up at
Sourabaya from December 1939 through to February 1941.
War Duties
In February 1941 the
Captain was ordered to sail for Sydney
and place his ship at the disposal of the Australian Navy. The Dutch Government
advised the Australian Government that they would bear the full cost of Oranje's conversion as a hospital
ship, and even though she would be sailing under Australian command the Oranje remained crewed by a Dutch
crew, and continued to sail under the Dutch flag. On July 30, 1941 she commenced a
five year service as an Australian hospital ship.
Above &
Below: Oranje is seen as an Australian based Hospital Ship
Johan
Franciscus
Oranje was the largest hospital ship operated from Australia and she served for five years throughout
the multiple theatres of World War II, including the Middle
East, as well as the Indian and Pacific Campaigns. During this
time, Oranje made 41 voyages,
carrying Australian and New
Zealand soldiers. She became a regular and most welcome sight in both Australian and New Zealand
ports.
Berthed in Sydney during the war
Peter Weatherton
Her final visit to Australia as a
hospital ship was in November 1945, after which the MS Oranje sailed for
homeport where she was received to a tumultuous welcome. She was completely
refitted and restored once again as a luxurious passenger liner. The Oranje was
officially handed back to the Netherland Line in July 1946, and the 16th she
departed Amsterdam recommencing the Batavia service, sailing this time via Southampton.
However, due to the strife in the now independent Indonesia, this service had ended
and a new service had to be found for the Oranje and other Dutch liners. In
February 1950, she made her first liner voyage from Amsterdam
via the Panama Canal to New Zealand
and Australia, returning via
Singapore and the Suez Canal. She would soon become a regular
visitor Downunder! Her history continues below the photo albums below.
Photo Album 1947 – 1958
The now famous Holland to Java poster
Author’s
collection
Above &
Below: First Class Social Lounge. The Wintergarden surrounds this room
Author’s
collection
Tourist Class
Dinning Room
Author’s
collection
Twin bedded cabin
Author’s
collection
Oranje
seen here as built, however she was about to receive a extensive refit
Author’s
collection
At twenty years of age, the
Netherland Line decided to give MS Oranje a comprehensive refit and a minor
external facelift, this took place in Amsterdam
in 1958/59. Upon completion her tonnage was then listed as 20,565 GRT and she was able to accommodate 323 Fist Class
and 626 Tourist Class passengers. Externally the
major change that could be seen were the windows amidships on promenade deck,
being the new verandah/cinema, available to both first and tourist class
passengers. Also her aft decks had been extended further aft.
1959 - 1964
Oranje is seen
here after her refit. Note the amidships enclosure on Promenade
Deck
Author’s
collection
September 7, 1960 she departed on her first round-the-world voyage
from Amsterdam via Southampton, sailing via the Suez, Singapore,
Australia, New Zealand, Panama,
Port Everglades, Bermuda, Southampton and Amsterdam.
She and two other Dutch ships serviced Australia
and New Zealand,
these being the Netherland Line Johan van Oldenbarnevelt and the Royal
Rotterdam Lloyd Willem Ruys. These three ships sailed under the banner of
“Dutch Mails.”
Oranje in Wellington New
Zealand
Her running
mate, Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, is seen in the background
Unknown
Then on February 26, 1961
she sailed in the opposite direction but visiting the same ports. However soon
enough, with air travel gaining popularity and passengers desiring to sail by
sea declining rapidly, the Nederland Line decided to end its passenger services
in 1964.
Oranje seen
passing though the Panama Canal Locks toward
the
end of her
career with the Netherland Line (Royal Dutch Mail)
Author’s
collection
Souvenir Delft
Blue plate depicting the Oranje
Author’s
collection
MS Oranje home in Amsterdam
Unknown
The Netherland Line
decided to Oranje their flagship, MS Oranje, together with her Royal Rotterdam
Lloyd, running mate MS Willem Ruys to Flotta Lauro Line. They were rebuilt and
renamed Angelina Lauro and Achille Lauro
MS
Oranje commenced her last voyage around the world voyage as a Dutch liner on May 4, 1964.
After a massive rebuilding programme, MS Oranje came out as an ultra
modern, sleek liner
Unknown
INDEX
Page One: The Oranje
Story
Page Two: The Angelina Lauro Story
Page Three: Angelina Lauro Photo Page
Page Four: Angelina
Lauro’s demise
Page Five: Angelina Lauro Deck Plan
Page
Six: MS
Orange
– Passenger list of her very first voyage/cruise 4 Aug 1939
Provided
by passenger Dieuwertje Goedkoop
Visit our Main Index
for features on other Dutch liners, such as
the Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, Sibajak, Willem Ruys (Achille Lauro),
Waterman, Groote Beer and Zuiderkruis, as well as RIL and other Dutch
Passenger/Cargo ships
I trust you have
enjoyed reading this page on two fine and much loved passenger liners. If you
have sailed on them I would like to hear from you, and if you have any
photographs I would greatly appreciate some, especially those of the interiors
and out on deck. Email Me!
Use the Back
button on your browser or Close the Page to return to the previous page
or go to our INDEX
Who is the Author of ssMaritime?
By Kosta
Specis & Hun-Eng Tan
Email
Me:
info@ssmaritime.com
PLEASE NOTE: I receive hundreds
of requests for Passenger/Crew Lists and Sailing Schedules. I
hereby wish to advise that I am unable to assist due to time restrains and as
most shipping companies have long gone these lists/schedules are no longer
available. I regret to advise that any request for these will no longer be
answered regardless of the circumstances presented!
ssMaritime.com & ssMaritime.net
Where
the ships of the past make history &
the MV Doulos Site
Please
Note:
Photographs
on ssmaritime are: 1. By the author. 2. From the author’s private
collection. 3. As provided by Shipping Companies and private
photographers or collectors. Credit is given to all contributors. However,
there are photographs provided to me without details provided regarding the
photographer concerned. I hereby invite if owners of these images would be so
kind to make them-selves known to me, that due credit may be given. I know what
it is like, I have seen a multitude of my own photographs on other sites, yet
they either refuse to give me credit and even refuse to remove them, knowing
full well that there is no legal comeback when it comes to the net. However,
let us show the charlatans up and do the right thing at all times and give
credit where credit is due! Note: I do not credit those who send
me photos as they are not the owners of the photographs concerned, unless the
image is part of their private collection.
This
notice covers all pages, although, I have done my best to ensure that all
photographs are duly credited and that this notice is displaced on each page,
that is, when a page is updated!
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is owned and © Copyright 2009 - by Reuben Goossens - All Rights Reserved
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