S.S. Batavia/Polonia

The Polonia is arriving in the United States:

Wireless information from Sandy Hook, NJ on April 15, 1913: SS Polonia, Patras (Greece) to New York, was 198 miles E at 9AM; due 16th, 8:30 AM Greek Line

The BATAVIA was built by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg in 1899 for the Hamburg America Line. She was a 10,178 gross ton ship, length 501.3ft x beam 62.2 ft, one funnel, two masts, twin screw and a speed of 14 knots. There was accommodation for 300-2nd and 2,400-3rd class passengers. Launched on March 11, 1899, she sailed on her maiden voyage from Hamburg to Baltimore on 30/5/1899. In 1906 she was rebuilt to 11,464 tons and on 11/6/1909 she took aboard 300 survivors from the Cunard vessel SLAVONIA which was aground and wrecked off the Azores. On 20/12/1912 she commenced her last voyage from Hamburg to Boston and Baltimore and in 1913 she was transferred to Unione Austriaca and renamed POLONIA. On 23/3/1913 she started sailings from Trieste to Patras, Palermo, Naples, and New York and in June of that year, made her first crossing from Trieste to Quebec and Montreal. In August 1913 she made her second and last voyage on this service and then went back to Hamburg America Line, resumed her previous name of BATAVIA and in March 1914 returned to the Hamburg - Baltimore service. Her last voyage commenced 20/6/1914 when she left Hamburg for New York and back to Hamburg (arrived 28/7/1914). During the great War she was used as a German naval transport and on 30/12/1919 surrendered to the Allies and was ceded to France. In 1920 she went to the French company Messageries Maritimes and was scrapped in 1924. [North Atlantic Seaway by N.R.P.Bonsor, vol.1,p.405-6] [Merchant Fleets by Duncan Haws, vol.4, Hamburg America Line]