Greek steamer HADIOTIS, imo 4067142/ 126m/ 11kn; 01/1929 completed by Northumberland Shipbuilding Co.(1927) Ltd., Howden-on-Tyne, for Kassos Steam Navigation Co., Ltd, Syra, Greece, mgrs Pnevmatikos, Rethymnis, Yannaghas, London; 22/12/1939 In order to secure the supply of Switzerland, the federal War Transport Office, WTO, chartered her under bareboat-charter and handed over her management to the Honegger & Ascott Co., Ltd, London; 15/02/1941 during a heavy storm whilst anchored at Leixões outer-harbour, the HADIOTIS stranded after she was hit and heavy damaged by the Brazilian pass/cargo liner Cuyaba, of Lloyd Brasileiro, Rio de Janeiro.15/04/1941 the HADIOTIS was re floated and 24/4 towed to Lisbon, where she was declared as a constructive total loss; 15/09/1941 WTO bought the wreck on for the Swiss government and let it be repaired in Lisbon during three months to become a seaworthy ship again; 30/12/1941 WTO put the cargo ship as EIGER under Swiss flag into commission of the economic supply of the country, with The Honegger & Ascott Co., Ltd, London, which managed all the ships of the Swiss government, took over also her management; 31/12/1941 the formal christening of the ship took place and already on 10/01/1942 she sailed to Genoa under the command of the Portuguese master Joâo Quininha; 13/12/1944 on a voyage to the USA the EIGER suffered a broken propeller shaft 300 miles of Bermudas, and she was towed to that islands In order to be repaired; After the war, as the Swiss government sold all its maritime ships, the EIGER went to the Swiss Shipping Co. Ltd., Basle, on 10/04/1947 and renamed as CRISTALLINA. The first voyage under the command of a Swiss master, Fritz Gerber, born in Langnau, on 12/04/1947, led from Genoa to Houston in order to load sulphur for Rotterdam; 07/01/1949 the ship was sold to the Compañia Victoria de Vapores S.A.,Panama, and renamed NICKY; 03/1949 the ship was converted from coal to oil-burner; 1951 she was sold to Kawasaki Kisen K.K., Kobe, and renamed FUJIKAWA MARU; 1957 sold to Hakuyo Kisen K.K.,Tokyo and renamed TENSHO MARU; 08/1963 arrived Osaka for breaking up.
Seen stranded at Leixões 1941.
photographer unknown - collection F. Cabral, Oporto. |
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