General von Steuben
1930
(Mercator M-560)
- Type: Passenger
- Displacement: 14,660 tons
- Dimensions: 550 x 65 x 28 ft.
- Machinery: Steam reciprocating, exhaust turbine, twin screws = 16 knots
- Passengers: 793 (214 cabin class, 358 tourist class, 221 third class)
- Builder: Stettiner Machinebau AG 'Vulcan', Stettin, Germany, 1923
- Service: Built as the 13,325 ton coal-burning München for Norddeutscher Lloyd, with accomodation for 1079. Beginning service between Bremen and New York 23 Jun 1923, she was the first German commercial liner to port in the United States following the First World War. On 11 Feb 1930 she was gutted by fire and sank at Pier 42 in New York. Refloated and given temporary repairs in Brooklyn, then sailed to Bremen for rebuilding. She emerged as the oil-fired General von Steuben with tonnage and accomodation as shown. She resumed Bremen-Southampton-New York service through 1934, then shifted to use as a cruise ship. In 1938 her name was shortened to Steuben. Taken over by the Kriegsmarine as an accomodation ship in 1939. Used as a transport in the Baltic starting in Aug 1944, evacuating wounded from the eastern front. On route from Pillau to Kiel with 2500 wounded, 2000 refugees, and 450 crew, she was torpedoed by Russian submarine S-13 just before midnight 10 Feb 1945 and sank in 15 minutes with the loss of approximately 3000 lives.
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