History

 



RETURN TO THE HOMEPAGE                                                                                                                                                                                               M/S WILLEM RUYS 1947
 


Design and Construction (1939 – 1947):

Both the Nederland Line and Royal Rotterdam Lloyd Line served the Dutch East Indies route. Royal Rotterdam Lloyd Line, had ships such as the elegant trio of liners - Slamat, Indrapoera, and Sibajak, each being 12,000 GRT. However, regardless of their past elegance, these ships were rather antiquated, as the Nederland Line had introduced a number of superior ships such as the elegant and very popular Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, which commenced her Dutch East Indies service in 1930. Then in 1939, the Nederland Line introduced a new modern ship for her time, the Oranje. She joined the JVO to the East Indies. The maiden voyage Oranje to Indonesia was so popular, that Royal Rotterdam Lloyd Line knew that they needed to compete with the Nederland Line, and build a superior liner.

The keel of the ship was laid down in January 1939 at the De Schelde shipyard in Vlissingen (Flushing). However, with the outbreak of the war, the construction was halted and she remained on the slipway. The Germans first attempted to bomb her, then strangely enough they even continued the construction, which was sabotaged number times by the Dutch resistance. Soon the Germans gave up the idea, and left the ship to deteriorate. The rusting hull somehow survived the chaos of war.

After the war, it was decided to complete her, becoming a matter of national pride. It was an exciting day on the 1st July 1946; she was launched by Mrs E. E. Ruys-van Houten and was christened Willem Ruys after the founder of the Royal Rotterdam Lloyd Line.

Royal Rotterdam Lloyd Line Era (1947 – 1965):

On the 2nd December 1947, the 21,119 GRT Willem Ruys set out on her maiden voyage from Rotterdam to the Dutch East Indies. Queen Wilhelmina had granted the company a Royal prefix for its services during the war, thus the company was now officially named “Royal Rotterdam Lloyd.” The Willem Ruys featured a superstructure very different to any liner ever built. She pioneered the low-slung aluminium lifeboats, within the upper-works’ flanks. The next ship to adopt this unique arrangement was P&O’s Canberra in 1961. Today, all cruise ships follow this layout, pioneered by Willem Ruys. Compared to Oranje, her rival, she was the more luxurious of the two, setting new standards of comfort in all classes.

Willem Ruys, became the most popular liner on the Indonesia route, thus finally Royal Rotterdam Lloyd Line had a worthy rival to the Nederland Line’s, Oranje. Dutch ships sailed back and forth to Indonesia, until an event, which was about to change the Dutch shipping industry dramatically. The East Indies, group of islands, having been a Dutch colony since the 17th century, gained its independence in 1949. The flow of traffic between the Netherlands and Indonesia thus suffered a meltdown. Before being placed on a new service in 1958, Willem Ruys was involved with a minor collision with her rival, Oranje in the Red Sea. There was no loss of life. After repairs, Royal Rotterdam Lloyd Line decided to deploy her on the North Atlantic run. First, she was placed on the New York service, and later Canada was included.

Her next incarnation would see her to have a major facelift at the Wilton-Fijenoord shipyard. Soon she would ply on her new round the world service to Australia and New Zealand. Her new specifications would see her tonnage increase to 23,114 GRT, and now carrying 275-first class, and 770-second class.

She commenced her new service in March 1959, sailing eastward, via the Panama Canal, whist Johan van Oldenbarnevelt and Oranje sailed westward, via the Suez Canal. She and her two comrades at sea, JVO and Oranje, were a popular alternative to the British liners, and saw excellent loadings. The two companies Royal Rotterdam Lloyd Line and the Netherland Line collectively operated under the banner of “Royal Dutch Mails.” as they together with Greek, and Italian companies, operated on the migrant service to Australia, with paying passengers on the return voyage, most being migrants visiting their families back home. In February 1963, the 33-year old JVO was sold to the Greek Line, to become the ill-fated Lakonia, taking up cruise duties from the UK to the Mediterranean.

At the end of 1964, due to poor passenger loadings, Willem Ruys was laid up in Rotterdam, whilst her running mate the Oranje was laid up in Amsterdam.

Flotta Lauro Lines Era (1965 – 1994):

Both were placed on the market and sold to Flotta Lauro Lines. In January 1965, she was officially handed over and renamed Achille Lauro. Oranje was renamed Angelina Lauro.

She was about to be extensively rebuilt and modernised by CN Riuniti di Palermo. On the 29th August, the ship was rocked by an explosion, and a fire broke out. After the ship was made safe, work was continued, but obviously, her completion was delayed.

Externally there were some significant changes made to this already beautiful ship. The most obvious being, her twin funnels, each were the heightened, painted blue, with the traditional Lauro star added. The high slim-line funnels were topped by stylish twin smoke dispersers, giving Achille Lauro a distinctive look. In addition, promenade deck was extended forward with glazing, whilst her upper decks aft were also glazed in to protect the forward pool from the wind. Her hull was repainted dark blue, with a red boot topping. Undoubtedly, she was a magnificent sight, for a pre-war ship, looking very much like new modern liner. Her gross tonnage had now been increased to 23,629. Sadly, the Achille Lauro became a much troubled ship right up to her eventual sinking on the 2nd December 1994.

This beautiful ship was placed once again on the Australian service. On the 13th April 1966 Achille Lauro departed Genoa heading for Sydney, Australia continuing on to Wellington, New Zealand. She remained on this service for six years. However, due to a lack of passengers, she was withdrawn from service. Achille Lauro was about to join the cruise industry.

Achille Lauro was involved in a collision with a cargo ship, the Youssef. This incident resulted in one casualty. Sadly, the Youssef sank. Then in 1981, Achille Lauro suffered yet another fire. After repairs, she was placed back into service again.

In 1982, the Tenerife authorities seized her as Lauro Line had not paid the port duties. She remained laid up for several months before she was able return to her homeport, Genoa. She was again laid up until Lauro Lines paid their various debts.

Lauro Lines merged with the Chandris Line in 1985. It would be this year that became Achille Lauro’s most notorious year ever, with an event, which the world would remember, even to this day. On the 7th October 1985, Achille Lauro was on a ten-day cruise; however, just before arriving at Alexandria, the Achille Lauro was taken hostage by five Palestinian terrorists. Not since the hijacking of the Argentinean Liner Santa Maria, by a Portuguese rebel group on the 23rd January 1961 had a liner ever been taken hostage. The Santa Maria was held for 13 days. The Palestinian terrorists were in a rage, when they murdered a disabled passenger, American Mr. Leon Klinghoffer. After which, they threw him and his wheelchair overboard. After various demands, the Egyptian authorities gave the hijackers permission to leave the ship without punishment. As they left the ship, they made a victorious lap around the harbour, soon after they departed by plane. However, the American authorities forced them down over Sicily. In the meantime, the Egyptian government retained the Achille Lauro, in retaliation. Again, whilst under the Italian flag, she suffered another crisis. Eight days later, the Achille Lauro returned to her homeport. One of the terrorists was captured by the Americans during the 2003 Iraq War.

The ship continued her cruise duties, although she was re-flagged in 1987, when the Lauro Line became Star Lauro. In 1990, a TV movie was made, named, “Voyage of Terror - The Achille Lauro Affair,” starring Burt Lancaster and Eve Marie Saint. Like most movies, we cannot believe what it shows, as general exterior shots were of other cruise ships, even cargo ships, but it came off reasonably well.

Several years later came the demise of the great Willem Ruys / Achille Lauro. On the 30th November 1994, she was cruising off Somalia in the Indian ocean, when yet another fire broke out. This time there would be no reprieve for her, as this fire would be devastating. After the fire began to burn out of control, the captain gave the order to abandon ship at 0500 local time, 0200 GMT. All 1,090 passengers and crew abandoned ship. The tanker ‘Hawaiian King’ was the first of a number of ships that answered Achille Lauro’s SOS.

The Panamanian registered ‘Hawaiian King’ rescued most of the passengers. Sadly, two souls died, and eight were injured during the transfer of passengers from life rafts onto the tanker. As night fell, survivors were recovering onboard the ‘Hawaiian King.’ The US Navy cruiser Gettysburg. which by now had been stocked with much needed food. The fire raged for three days, and the Achille Lauro was declared a total loss. “The Achille Lauro is listing by at least 40 degrees, and you can still see smoke and flames, the passenger decks on the stern side are burning, and flames are licking halfway up the vessel,” said the tanker’s captain, Dimitrios Skapinakis. Achille Lauro sank on the 2nd December 1994.

Thus ends the story of the once mighty Willem Ruys 1947 – 1994.

 




 


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