America
1940
(Mercator M-563)
- Type: Passenger
- Displacement: 33,961 tons
- Dimensions: 723 x 93 x 33.5 ft.
- Machinery: Parsons geared turbines, twin screw, 37,400 shp = 22 knots
- Passengers: 1,202 (543 first class, 418 cabin class, 241 tourist class)
- Crew: 643
- Builder: Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Company, Newport News, Virginia
- Service: Designed by William Francis Gibbs and built for United States Lines. Intended transatlantic service cancelled owing to war; used as a cruise ship 1940-41. Sailed as troopship USS West Point, 1941-46. Renamed America and used in New York-Northern Europe service, 1946-64. Sold to Chandris Lines (Greek flag), 1964 and renamed Australis. Europe-Australia and around-the-world services. 1978 renamed America and used for cruising; renamed Italis later that same year for further cruising, 1979. Laid up after 1979 and sold; renamed Noga in 1980, and Alferdoss in 1984. Renamed American Star in 1994, for use as a hotel ship in Thailand. On 18 Jan 1994, while bound for Bangkok, the ship was wrecked off the Canary Islands. Abandoned, it later broke up.
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