New Ships

Oslofjord, Though Norway's merchant marine is fourth biggest on the seas, the navy that defends it has a total personnel of 1,200, includes but four battleships. Nevertheless, Norway announced last week that the new flagship of its merchant marine, the Oslofjord, is a peace ship and inconvertible to war purposes. Due in New York in June, the new Norwegian America liner was last week getting her finishing touches at Bremen, Germany. Launched to the strains of Ja Vi Elsker Dette Landet (Yes, We Love This Country), Norway's biggest ship is a 20,000-tonner, 588 ft. long, is equipped with Diesel engines to carry 800 passengers from Oslo, Kristiansand, Stavenger and Bergen to New York in seven days--twelve hours faster than any other Norwegian vessel. Grateful for Germany's slick construction job, the line gave a 10,000-mark tip to the shipyard's relief fund.

Pasteur. Down the ways of Penhoet's big shipyards at St. Nazaire, France, fortnight ago screeched a 30,000-ton French Line luxury ship for the France-South America run. All the 695-ft. vessel's first and second-class rooms, as well as some of the third class, will be outside. Top speed will be 28 knots, far faster than anything in the South Atlantic. Her predecessor was the Atlantique, mysteriously burned out during her trials in 1933, on which London and other insurance groups paid $11,000,000 insurance.

Nieuw Amsterdam, Nearly twice the size of any vessel previously built in The Netherlands, the Nieuw Amsterdam was solemnly launched by Queen Wilhelmina early in 1937. Due to begin her trial runs in the next fortnight, Holland-America Line's air-conditioned flagship is scheduled to arrive in the U. S. next May. Almost exactly the size and speed of Britain's new Mauretania (see below), The Netherlands' vessel differs from the British ship in that it is streamlined, has egg-shaped, sootless funnels, and its $12,000,000 cost was met entirely without Government subsidy or mail contracts. First ship to explore New York's Hudson River 329 years ago was also Dutch--Henry Hudson's Halve Maen, which would fit neatly into the Nieuw Amsterdam's great delft-tiled swimming pools.

Mauretania, So well ahead were the plans of Cammell Laird's Birkenhead shipbuilders last week that rivets were going into plates on the top decks of Great Britain's new 33,000-ton Cunarder, largest liner ever built in England,* and costing an estimated $10,000,000. Launching is scheduled for July. Nearly 3,000 tons bigger than her famed predecessor of the same name--scrapped two years ago--the new ten-deck Mauretania is 750 ft. long and, with a speed of 22 knots from her steam turbines, will cross the Atlantic in six days. Carrying 1,250 passengers and with air-conditioned public rooms, she is specifically designed for competition with such U. S. ships as the Washington and Manhattan. Because of an elaborate gymnasium she will be publicized in England as the "fitness ship." To keep the name Mauretania in the family, her owners, Cunard White Star Ltd., transferred it to a small pleasure steamer operating between Southampton and the Isle of Wight while the big new vessel was abuilding. Like other ships of subsidized British lines, the Mauretania's specifications are Admiralty-approved so that she can serve during hostilities as a swift auxiliary war vessel.

*The 81,000-ton Queen Mary was built at Clydebank, Scotland.

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