History

After the Second World War, during which Blue Star Line had lost many ships, they started to rebuild their fleet. The most famous series of ship introduced after the war were the Argentina Star, Brazil Star, Uruguay Star and Paraguay Star.

Service Career (1947 - 1972):

The Argentina Star was the first of the series and was launched in 1947 by Cammell Laird Birkenhead. She was built for the London to South America service of Blue Star Line. She accommodated just 53 first class passengers in luxurious surroundings and graced with personalised service. These style of ships were much desired by the discerning traveller between the late 1940s and the 1960s. After this period these ships were gradually retired from service and disappeared as air travel took over.

Of six hatch tween-deck construction, the sister ships were refrigerated by brine grids cooled by Hall's CO² compressors. Refrigerated lockers were also provided in the tween deck sides. Chilled beef was carried from Buenos Aires to the European market as hung carcasses on hooks and rails provided for this purpose. No.4 Hatch behind the forward windbreak contained a swimming pool when on passage! With accommodation for 68 passengers she operated a regular service to South America, calling at Lisbon, Las Palmas, Rio de Janeiro, Santos, Montevideo and terminating at Buenos Aires, on a seven week turnaround. Powered by steam turbines supplied by two Babcock & Wilcox sinuous header boilers, producing steam at 430 lbs/sq" and 760°F superheat. Auxiliary DC power was provided by four Ruston Diesel engines in common with many Blue Star Line vessels of this period, when port time was nearly as great as passage time.

After many years service she was retired in 1972. Initially she was sold to Nissho Iwai Co., Japan for scrapping but was resold to Yi Ho Iron & Steel Works in Taiwan and scrapped at Kaoshiung in Taiwan.