USS Gulfport (AK-5)
The similarly designed Locksun in U.S. services
- Siang Lee ( 1922)
- Heng Chong (1927 )
The Manila ( 1904) and her sister ship Sandakan ( II) were built by the Rickmers shipyard for the coastal services of the North German Lloyd ( NDL) in the Far East. The shipyard had previously already built eight identical ships for its own Rickmers Rhederei AG, Bremen. Also, this all came to the NDL, as the family Rickmers sold its fleet.
Coastal services of the NDL in the Far East
Opened in 1888 the formerly used in England ride steamer Swallow ( 932 GRT, 12 passengers, 9 knots, 1883 Tecklenborg ) a set up by the NDL feeder line from Penang to Sumatra to bring zoom tobacco as cargo for the Reichspostdampfer. Starting in 1889, the new building Sumatra came there to use. The NDL had set up this line on its own initiative. 1894, the line was largely replaced by the branch line of the Reichspostdampfer service from Singapore Sumatra to German New Guinea, on which the Reichspostdampfer for branch lines Lübeck and Stettin were used.
Purchase British lines / East Asian coast ride
1899/1900 extended the NDL its coastal services through the purchase of two British shipping companies. About the brokerage firm Arnold Otto Meyer May 24, 1899 the East Indian Ocean Steamship Company with eleven steamers ( 428-2111 GRT, built between 1872-1895 ) bought 1900 saw the Scottish Oriental Steamship Company with 14 steamers ( 307-1777 GRT large, built between 1882-1896 ). Also there have been purchases of other shipping companies, as well as new buildings.
The NDL served by his "East Asian coastal trade " lines from Penang to Belawan, from Singapore to Bangkok, Asahan ( North Sumatra ), Pontianak, North Borneo, Sandakan, Labuan and thence to the Sulu Archipelago and Manila, and Hong Kong Bangkok and Swatow. All ships also had facilities for passengers and were used for so-called pen - drives to transport workers.
Rickmers coastlines
In 1896, the Rickmers shipping company on a regular liner service to East Asia. This cargo liner service from the outset has to compete with the NDL. The NDL tried to solve this, chartered three of the cargo liners with purchase options and agreed on a common Yangtze line. Parts of the Rickmers family and other business partners sought other solutions; as the proportion of the Yangtze River line was sold to Hapag and four of the cargo liners with purchase options chartered to this. The large shipping companies took advantage of their purchasing options so that Rickmers coastlines from Hong Kong to Bangkok and Swatow had no main line and ordered the coastal steamer purchased by the NDL.
Branch line of the Reichspostdampfer service
1903 replaced the two sister ships of Prince Waldemar and Prince Sigismund the Old Stettin on the branch line Singapore New Guinea that could be traveled by much denser.
Service for the NDL
As Manila came into service it is first used on this line. With the two princes of the branch line service in 1904 was restructured again. It was offered a departure between Hong Kong and Sydney every 12 weeks. On this line there was the steamer Willehad ( 4761 GRT, 1894 Blohm & Voss ) is used, the end of 1906, at least for a ride and the Manila before 1907 by the converted, former Brazil Steamship Coblenz ( 3169 GRT, 1897 Blohm & Voss ) a ship is found, the better the " prince " fit.
At the request of the colonial administration, an additional branch route from Singapore in 1908 and re-established by Guinea, on which the Manila drove. She led from Singapore to Batavia, Makassar, Amboina, Banda, Eitape, Potsdam Harbour (now Awaro ), Alexis port, Friedrich- Wilhelm- port, Stephansort, Finschhafen, Adolf harbor, Simpson Harbour ( Rabaul today ), Peter Port to Kavieng. Partly more intermediate ports were still underway. In 1912, the Manila managed 6.5 round trips and had 1562 passengers. In this service the Manila remained until 1914.
In the months before the outbreak of war the negotiations on the future of Reichspostdampfer lines and to be granted subsidies took place. The colonial administration pushed for an extension to Apia to also grant German Samoa a permanent German connections that are not seen since 1894. The NDL offered such a line that he wanted to serve with the Manila and its sister ship Sandakan. At the conclusion of a contract, it did not come.
When the war started, the Manila was at Amboina and was launched. In 1919, she was delivered and a British shipping company took over the spot the ship management. 1922, the ship was sold to China and renamed Lee Siang. In 1927 another name change to Heng Chong and 1928, the former Manila was canceled.
Sister ship Sandakan ( II)
The Sandakan (1793 BRT) was launched on June 25, 1904 at the Rickmers shipyard as a building no. 129 from the stack and was delivered on 29 July 1904, the NDL. It was used in Singapore North Borneo service of the NDL and confiscated in 1914 by the British in Labuan. In 1922 she was sold to China and renamed Heng Yuang. In 1928 a re- renamed Heng Cheong. On January 21, 1929, the former Sandakan was lost by stranding at Shaweishan Iceland.
Half sister ships
The first two ships had a passenger device (6 first class, 32 second class, 999 steerage ), the others Passenger cabins (30 I / 9 II ). In the service of the NDL they should be run as a pure freighter with 29 crew.
All 10 ships were oil-fired.