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|---|---|
 Netherlands | |
| Name | MS Koningin Emma |
| Namesake | Emma of the Netherlands |
| Owner | Stoomvaart Maatschappij Zeeland |
| Ordered | December 1937 |
| Builder | De Schelde, Vlissingen |
| Yard number | 209 |
| Laid down | 7 May 1938 |
| Launched | 14 January 1939 |
| Completed | 19 May 1939 |
| In service | May 1939 |
| Out of service | September 1939 |
| Fate | Requisitioned by the Ministry of War Transport, 15 May 1940 |
| History | |
 UK | |
| Name | HMS Queen Emma |
| Acquired | 15 May 1940 |
| Commissioned | 22 January 1941 |
| Decommissioned | 29 April 1946 |
| Honours and awards | list error: <br /> list (help) Norway Dieppe North Africa Sicily Atlantic Mediterranean Normandy |
| Fate | Returned to the Netherlands, 29 April 1946 |
| History | |
| Netherlands | |
| Name | MS Koningin Emma |
| Acquired | 29 April 1946 |
| In service | 5 March 1948 |
| Out of service | 1968 |
| Fate | Scrapped in Antwerp, 1968 |
| General characteristics (as built) | |
| Tonnage | list error: <br /> list (help) 4,135 GT 2,100 NT |
| Length | list error: <br /> list (help) 380 ft (120 m) o/a 351 ft (107 m) p/p |
| Beam | 47 ft (14 m) |
| Draught | 13 ft 6 in (4.11 m) |
| Decks | 5 |
| Propulsion | 2 × Sulzer diesel engines, 12,500 shp (9,321 kW) |
| Speed | 24.5 knots (45.4 km/h; 28.2 mph) |
| Capacity | 1,800 passengers |
| Crew | 58 |
| Armament | list error: <br /> list (help) As HMS "Queen Emma" : • 2 × 12-pounder (76 mm) guns • 2 × 2-pounder (40 mm) machine guns • 4 × 20 mm Hotchkiss machine guns • 4 × .303 calibre machine guns |
HMS Queen Emma was a commando troop ship of the Royal Navy during the Second World War.
Emma was built by De Schelde at Vlissingen as the MS 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 Flushing and Harwich, along with her sister ship, Prinses Beatrix (Princess Beatrix). Both ships were owned and operated by Stoomvaart Maatschappij Zeeland (SMZ), The Zealand Steamship Company.
In 1940, Koningin Emma was requisitioned by the British 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 British 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 HMS Dunedin were at Freetown, Sierra Leone, returning to the United Kingdom having taken troops to Egypt. They were ordered to help the Royal Navy and the United States 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 - from Hook of Holland - until 1969, when she was scrapped in Antwerp, Belgium.
References
- Peter Lee. "M/V Koningin Emma 1939". History of LSI(S) HMS Princess Beatrix and HMS Queen Emma in World War II. Retrieved 30 July 2010.
External links
- http://www.nih.ww2site.com/nih/addenda/queenemma.html
- info about the search
- http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/SMZ2.html