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EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA, TIRPITZ, EMPRESS OF CHINA
S.S. EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA
Built as TIRPITZ for Hamburg-Amerika Line by Vulcanwerke, A.G at Stettin, Germany
21,861 GRT
615 x 75 feet
Twin screw, turbines
17 knots
370 First class, 190 Second Class, 415 Third Class, 1,000 Steerage
Laid down in 1912, she was launched but incomplete before World War 1. In 1916 work continued
to fit out the liner. After the Armistice TIRPITZ was ceded to Great Britain and handed over to the Shipping Controller
May 1919. She was placed under P & O management. Bought by Canadian Pacific and renamed EMPRESS OF CHINA
July 28, 1921. As British ship yards were full, she was sent to Hamburg for fitting out for North Pacific Service.
An odd fact was that her funnels were not evenly spaced, the aft dummy funnel was 7 feet further from the middle funnel than the forward funnel.
Early in 1922 she was renamed EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA and her completion for service took place at John Brown in
Scotland. She sailed from the Clyde for Vancouver on a positioning voyage June 16, 1922, via Panama Canal.
She went into Pacific service with EMPRESSES of RUSSIA, ASIA and CANADA, Vancouver - Yokohama service.
However, serious engine problems took her out of service and to the US Navy yard at Bremerton. She became
unpopular with her owners due to many mechanical problems, slow speed and high oil consumption.
In September 1, 1923 with Captain Robinson in command she just was putting to sea at Yokohama an
earthquake struck the port. The pier was shattered by the quake and she was swirled through the
harbour. Brought under control she lowered boats to rescue those seeing her off who had been pitched into
the water. Burning fuel began to spread across the water as her screws became entangled
in anchor chains of STEEL NAVIGATOR lying astern of her. Unable to maneuver she collided
with a Japanese freighter LYONS MARU twice, then began drifting toward a burning oil field with
over 2,000 people aboard. Gale force winds prevented her from getting her head around, again
she had no room to maneuver. Her SOS was answered by a Dutch tanker IRIS which was anchored
outside the harbour. Despite her flammable cargo, at great risk IRIS hove to and made fast
to the EMPRESS. IRIS pulled the EMPRESS's bow around so she was able to steam out through the
smashed breakwater. Once outside she anchored, meanwhile her boats were bring survivors out to
her. She remained in place for a week acting as a hospital ship. Her efforts contributed to
the saving of 3,000 lives and she earned her undying gratitude in Japan. Underwriter in London distributed
2,152 pounds among the crew as reward.
Following the dramatic role she returned to service but in 1926 Candian Pacific were forced to deal with her
poor performance and chose to re-engine and re-boiler the ship. After 20 voyages across the Pacific, she sailed to Govan
Fairfield at Govan arriving September 9, 1926. The vastly complex work was made more difficult by her divided uptakes offering
no central space to remove machinery. Old boilder were sliced up and removed in pieces, the whole job lasted many months and
cost over half a million pounds. When it was completed she was virtually a new ship. Now driven by Parsons turbines with six
double-ended boilers. On trials the ship made 20.34 knots and required 50 tons a day less oil.
It was decided to place her on Atlantic service and she sailed from Southampton for Quebec on her First voyage June 25, 1927
with the Prince of Wales aboard for Diamond Jubillee celebrations in Canada. She was now in service with EMPRESSES OF SCOTAND and FRANCE.
In 1928 she began to cruise in the off season and to sail on round the world voyages. After the EMPRESS OF FRANCE was withdrawn from the service AUSTRALIA and SCOTLAND
carried on a two ship service with white hulls with dark blue riband and green boottopping.
In 1938 she went to Harland & Wolff at Southampton for an overhaul returning for the 1939 season,
but after only three cruises
she was selected to act as the Royal Yacht to take King George VI and the Queen to Canada. She
sailed from Portsmouth May 6, 1939
and arrived two days late in Quebec due to dense fog. She continued on the Quebec run until the
outbreak of War whereupon she became a troopship.
It was in this role that she would remain for the next 13 years. EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA worked
world wide in trooping in every theatre of war. In 1946 while anchoring off Liverpool her anchor
tangled with that of
a cargo liner DEBRETT, the two ships collided and seven tugs were needed to separate them.
In December of 1946 she was altered for peace-time trooping,
offering better accommodations, however she was never repainted from the wartime grey. She continiued to
carry troops up to another overhaul in Liverpool in 1951.
The following year after her 70th trooping voyage she was sold. Bought for scrap, she sailed from
the Mersey to Inverkeithing, May 8, 1952.
Sources: GREAT PASSENGER SHIPS OF THE WORLD, Volume 2; Arnold Kludas, Steamers of the Past; J.H. Isherwood
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