USS Aeolus (ID-3005)

The former Great Elector as a U.S. troop transport Aeolus

• Aeolus
• City of Los Angeles

The Reichspostdampfer big Elector of the North German Lloyd ( NDL), at the Schichau in Gdansk launched from 1899, was the largest built for the Reichspostdampfer Lines Ship. It was an enlarged edition of the Barbarossa class. The NDL would be more attractive with this ship on the line to Australia for the passengers.

Seized in 1917 in the United States, the ship was used until 1932 under the American flag.

Use for the NDL

The Great Elector was launched on May 5, 1900 on her maiden voyage to New York.

On November 7, their first journey began in Reichspostdampfer service to Australia. She was at that time the largest passenger ship used to Australia and remained there until 1913, when the Blue Funnel liner Ulysses ( 14,449 GRT) was used. However, the Great Elector took place over 13 years only 9 round trips through to Australia. The last tour was launched on January 7, 1912 in Bremerhaven.

In addition, the ship was used on the line to New York. 1910, she is probably on the Mediterranean line Genoa - New York come to use.

She stated by a number of cruises. So they drove on March 8, 1904 New York to the Orient to allow, among other things 800 American Sunday School teachers attending a convention in Jerusalem. From 27 June to 25 July 1908 led by a polar trip, which was repeated in June 1910 and from 18 July to 16 August 1911. From 11 February to 24 April 1909, the Great Elector made ​​a 72 -day trip from the East New York and on 20 February 1913, the first four weeks of the West Indies cruise NDL also from New York.

On October 9, 1913, the Great Elector was involved under Captain Spangenberg at one of the largest rescue operations in the Atlantic, when it became one of the first ships in the storm burning driving emigrant ship Volturno achieved and succeeded in their voluntary boat crews to rescue 105 people. 1914 Great Elector was launched in New York.

War and post- use

When the United States entered the war, the ship (like most German ships only under his own name ) were seized, and by the U.S. Navy as USS put big Elector in service. Even during the refurbishment and repair for use as a troop transport was renamed Aeolus (ID -3005 ). She brought from November 26, 1917, eight trips from Hoboken (New Jersey) to Saint -Nazaire or Brest 24 770 soldiers to France after the armistice in seven trips 27,098 men back to the U.S.. For the last trip leaving Aeolus Brest on 26 August and arrived in New York on September 5, 1919.

Provided by the U.S. Navy decommissioned, she was overtaken until November 20, 1920 in Baltimore for 3 million dollars and brought from the Munson Line to South America to the La Plata ports in use. Whether they also received turbines when remodeling is unclear.

In August 1922 she was sold to the Los Angeles Steamship Company and took on 11 September 1922 as the City of Los Angeles the service from Los Angeles to Honolulu. The Los Angeles Steamship Company bought two more half-sisters. The former Frederick the Great came on their first trip as a City of Honolulu on fire and had to be sunk on 17 October 1922. On June 4, 1927, the first ride of the former Princess Alice was the City of Honolulu ( II) with freight and tourists to Hawaii, where it remained in service until May 1930. In January 1931, the City of Los Angeles used to test a post night flight as a Ford Trimotor nachflog of Glendale from the ship and threw a bag of 12,527 letters to deck. In August 1932, the ship was launched in San Diego. In early 1937, the former Great Elector was sold to Japan for scrapping. She arrived in Osaka on April 29, 1937.

Damensalon

Promenade Deck

Staircase