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Revision as of 15:28, 19 May 2006
HMS Queen Emma was a commando troop ship of the Royal Navy during the Second World War.
Emma was built as the Koningin Emma, in 1939 as a civilian passenger liner. She was named after Queen Emma of the Netherlands. She ferried across the North Sea between the Hook of Holland and Harwich, along with her sister ship, Prinses Beatrix.
In 1940, Koningin Emma was requisitioned by the Ministry of War Transport and renamed HMS Queen Emma. Prinses Beatrix was also requisitioned, becoming HMS Princess Beatrix. Queen Emma was converted to a new role as a troopship at Harland and Wolff's yard in Belfast. During the war her main role was transporting commandos, and she participated in the Lofoten Islands Raid and the Dieppe Raid, amongst others. She had the advantage of a high speed that allowed hit and run operations.
In 1941, Queen Emma, Princess Beatrix and HMAS Dunedin were Freetown, Sierra Leone, returning to the United Kingdom having taken troops to Egypt. They were ordered to help the Royal Navy and the U.S. Navy with the search for a surface raider (later identified as the Atlantis).
In 1946 Queen Emma was released back to her owners and continued to ferry until 1969, when she was scrapped in Antwerp, Belgium.