History


       
RETURN TO THE HOMEPAGE                                                                                                                                                                                                                    S/S MALOLO 1926


In the 1920s and 1930s Matson reached a peak of expansion. With increasing passenger traffic to Hawaii, Matson Line introduced the Malolo in 1927. She was the fastest ship in the Pacific, cruising at 22 knots. Her success led to the construction of three sister ships: the Mariposa, Monterey and Lurline between 1930 and 1932. These were known as the great Matson liners and made the liner service from San Francisco to beautiful Hawaii, the South Pacific and Australia renowned. 

Design and Construction (1926 - 1927):

The Malolo was built by W. Cramp & Sons of Philadelphia in 1926. She was the first of a number of ships designed by William Francis Gibbs for Matson Line. The Malolo was launched on the 26th June 1926. She was completed in May 1927, and departed on the 24th May 1927 for her sea trials. However the next day in thick fog, she collided with the Norwegian ship, S.S. Jacob Christensen, near the Nantucket lightship. She suffered considerable damage, with her engine room being flooded. However due to her advanced design and high standard of safety features, such as a double bottom and watertight bulkheads, she stayed afloat and was towed to New York where she was dry docked and repaired. Finally she was completed and delivered to Matson Line in October 1927.

Prewar Matson Line era (1927 - 1941):

On the 16th November 1927 she sailed from San Francisco on her maiden voyage to Honolulu in Hawaii. When built the Malolo was the largest and most technically advanced for her time. She was considered the most luxurious ocean liner to have been built in the United States. As the Malolo departed Honolulu on the return leg of her maiden voyage, Matson Line initiated the custom of passengers throwing their leis into the sea as the ship sailed past Diamond Head. The lei floating away signified that the passenger would again return to the beautiful shores of Hawaii.

The Malolo accommodated 457 First Class and 163 Cabin Class passengers in comfort and style. Although not a large ship, she was spacious. Public room in both classes were elegant and luxuriously furnished. She was one of the first liners with an indoor swimming pool and this soon became a very popular and much talked about feature of the ship. Accommodations were mostly outside and there were few inside cabins and the vast majority had private facilities.

Externally the Malolo appeared a quite conventional ship, with the traditional Matson reddish brown hull, white superstructure and two yellow and black topped funnels. However this would be changed 10 years later when she was modernised. In 1931 Matson took delivery of the Mariposa first of a trio of new liners building on the success of the Malolo. The difference with the new ship was that she sported a white hull from new, making her look much more suited to the tropics. Eventually the Malolo was painted white as well to match her newer sister ships.

Although the Malolo was primarily employed on the San Francisco to Hawaii service, she also undertook a number of cruises in her early career. On the 21st September 1929 she sailed from San Francisco and headed across the Pacific to visit Japan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and then Australia calling at Fremantle, Melbourne and Sydney. She then sailed on to Auckland in New Zealand before returning to San Francisco via Fiji, American Samoa and Hawaii.

In 1937 Matson Line decided to substantially rebuild and modernise the Malolo and rename her Matsonia. Her lifeboats were relocated and her older accommodations were greatly improved. After this major refit she returned painted in white livery and looked like a new ship. She continued to sail between San Francisco and Honolulu until 1941.

This was the heyday of the great Matson Liners, crack passenger trains were adopted as "Boat Trains", carrying passengers from New York and Chicago to connect in San Francisco with the liner sailings.

The Monterey and her sister ships were attracting the Hollywood stars sailing to Hawaii in ever increasing numbers. These stars including famous names such as William Powell, Carole Lombard, Jimmy Durante, Claudette Colbert, Myrna Loy, Joel McCrea, Frances Dee and Shirley Temple. Despite the difficulties of the Depression, the popularity of travel to Hawaii remained high.

During this period the Matson Liners became such a popular institution in San Francisco that during the Golden Gate Exposition celebrations on Treasure Island in 1939, the City named the 9th August 1939 as Matson Day!

War Service (1941 - 1946):

On the 21st November 1941, the Matsonia was requisitioned by the US Navy and served as a troopship. She was hurriedly transformed to carry up to 3000 troops and she was due to depart San Francisco on the 8th December bound for the Philippines. However due to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, this voyage was cancelled and she was loaded up with munitions and 3,280 troops to sail from San Francisco to Honolulu in convoy with her newer sisters, Monterey and Lurline. For the duration of the Second World War the Matsonia carried troops around the Pacific and made a number of voyages to Australia. In 1946 she was decommissioned after carrying around 176,000 people including troops, war brides and civilians during her war service.

Postwar Matson Line era (1946 - 1948):

The Matsonia returned to Matson Line in April 1946 and after a refit she resumed her Hawaii service with a sailing from San Francisco on the 22nd May 1946. She continued on this service single handedly until April 1948 when she was retired from service by Matson Line, laid up at Alameda in California and put up for sale. Her role was then taken over by her newer sister, Lurline.

Home Lines era (1948 - 1955):

She was soon sold to Home Lines and renamed Atlantic. She was send to the Ansaldo shipyards in Genoa, Italy for refitting. After this refit she now carryed 283 First Class, 224 Cabin Class and 735 Tourist Class passengers. Except for additional lifeboats and the Home Lines logo on her funnel she was little altered externally. The Atlantic sailed from Genoa on the 14th May 1949 on her maiden voyage to New York via Naples and Barcelona. She continued on this service until 1952 when she transferred to the Southampton to Canada service via Le Havre. In the winter months she sailed on cruises from New York to the Caribbean.

National Hellenic America Line (1955 - 1965):

In January 1955 the Atlantic was transferred to the National Hellenic American Line (a Home Lines subsidiary) and renamed Queen Frederica. She was refitted to accommodate 132 First Class, 116 Cabin Class and 931 Tourist Class passengers. She then sailed from Piraeus on the 29th January 1955 bound for New York via Naples, Palermo and Halifax. For the most part the continued on this service apart from on the 15th December 1958 when she sailed from Naples bound for Australia with Italian migrants. Her destinations were Fremantle, Melbourne and Sydney. Soon she returned to Europe via the same route and arrived in Piraeus.

In late 1960 she was refitted again and adapted to accommodate 174 First Class and 1,005 Tourist Class passengers. She then sailed on the Cuxhaven to Canada service until November 1965.

In November 1965 she was sold to Chandris Lines. She was repainted in Chandris livery with a white hull and blue and black topped funnel with a large white X. Still named Queen Frederica she sailed from Piraeus on the 10th December 1961 bound for Australia. Once she returned to Greece then then was placed on the Piraeus to New York service with cruising in the winter. In October 1966 she made a round trip from Southampton to Australia and a number of cruises before returning to Europe. She returned to Australia again in 1967 and made a few summer cruises before departing for Europe again in March 1968.

Charter to Sovereign Cruises (1968 - 1971):

When she returned to Europe, she was chartered out to Sovereign Cruises to operate Mediterranean cruises. This charter ended in September 1971 and she was laid up on the River Dart in England from the 22nd September 1971.

Charter to Blue Seas Cruises (1971 - 1973):

But she was soon given a refit and chartered to Blue Seas Cruises for cruises out of Palma de Mallorca between April and November 1973.

The Final Years (1973 - 1982):

However after this charter she again was laid up at Piraeus. Sadly 50 years after being delivered to Matson Line she was sold to Greek ship breakers in July 1977 and was towed off to the Eleusis breakers. In February 1978 she was gutted by fire and scrapping temporarily halted. Three years later her sad hulk could still be seen amongst the other ships being scrapped.

A sad end after a remarkable career for this fine example of American marine engineering showcasing the best of America.  

Long may she be remembered.













(c) The AJN Transport Britain Collection 2007                                                                                                                                                                                 A Edward Elliott