aad.born
"Alnati" PGNB
picture by ?
at Las Palmas
a real classic beauty !
a ship with a complex and fascinating history.
She was sunk 3 times in a time span of 3 years.
ex-Albireo
ex-Wuri
ex-Alfa
ex-Butterfly
december 18th 1963
i joined her as radio operator
I was told "she really is a submarine in disguise"
Originally named "Albireo" she was launched in Amsterdam on may the 31st 1940.
Just 3 weeks after the German army invaded and conquered the Netherlands. May 10th .
She was to be one of four sisters, "Algol" "Albireo" "Altair" "Aldabi".
It took one and a half year to complete her.
They were not in a big hurry because of the war.
On january 29th 1942 she was confiscated by the Germans,
renamed "Wuri" with home-port Hamburg.
1)
In august 1942 her short career as a German vessel ended on a mine in the Kattegat Danmark.
The midship section with engineroom and the aftship were salvaged and towed into the port of Kopenhagen.
2)
Three years after this, she was sunk the second time.
By the Danish underground to prevent her from being used as a block-ship by the German occupation.
After the war her original owners NIGOCO were very short of cash and could not pay for the necessary rebuilding, repairs and refitting.
3)
Sold to Swedish owners in 1945 and renamed "Butterfly".
Under tow to Sweden she did sink again.
The 3rd time.
In Gothenburg the engineroom was rebuilt but her Swedish owners also lacked funds to complete the job.
In Gothenburg she remained until NIGOCO finally bought her back in 1948, for next to nothing.
Rebuilt, repaired and refitted by Deutsche Werft in Hamburg, to the original plans and renamed "Alnati".
So It took almost a full nine years before the owners finally put her into the Rotterdam-South America service she was built for.
The date: April 15th 1949 !
Van Nievelt, Goudriaan & co's stoomvaart maatschappij (NIGOCO).
"Alnati" PGNB
picture by ?
at Las Palmas
a real classic beauty !
a ship with a complex and fascinating history.
She was sunk 3 times in a time span of 3 years.
ex-Albireo
ex-Wuri
ex-Alfa
ex-Butterfly
december 18th 1963
i joined her as radio operator
I was told "she really is a submarine in disguise"
Originally named "Albireo" she was launched in Amsterdam on may the 31st 1940.
Just 3 weeks after the German army invaded and conquered the Netherlands. May 10th .
She was to be one of four sisters, "Algol" "Albireo" "Altair" "Aldabi".
It took one and a half year to complete her.
They were not in a big hurry because of the war.
On january 29th 1942 she was confiscated by the Germans,
renamed "Wuri" with home-port Hamburg.
1)
In august 1942 her short career as a German vessel ended on a mine in the Kattegat Danmark.
The midship section with engineroom and the aftship were salvaged and towed into the port of Kopenhagen.
2)
Three years after this, she was sunk the second time.
By the Danish underground to prevent her from being used as a block-ship by the German occupation.
After the war her original owners NIGOCO were very short of cash and could not pay for the necessary rebuilding, repairs and refitting.
3)
Sold to Swedish owners in 1945 and renamed "Butterfly".
Under tow to Sweden she did sink again.
The 3rd time.
In Gothenburg the engineroom was rebuilt but her Swedish owners also lacked funds to complete the job.
In Gothenburg she remained until NIGOCO finally bought her back in 1948, for next to nothing.
Rebuilt, repaired and refitted by Deutsche Werft in Hamburg, to the original plans and renamed "Alnati".
So It took almost a full nine years before the owners finally put her into the Rotterdam-South America service she was built for.
The date: April 15th 1949 !
Van Nievelt, Goudriaan & co's stoomvaart maatschappij (NIGOCO).