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SS ''Kroonland'' was an ocean liner for International Mercantile Marine (IMM) from her launch in 1902 until scrapped in 1927. ''Kroonland'' was the sister ship of and a near sister ship of and of the same company. ''Kroonland'' sailed for IMM's Red Star Line for 15 years, and also sailed for IMM's American Line and Panama Pacific Line. During World War I, the ship served as United States Army transport USAT ''Kroonland'' through April 1918, and as the Navy auxiliary USS ''Kroonland'' (ID-1541) from April 1918 to October 1919. Announced by the Red Star Line in 1899, ''Kroonland'' was completed in 1902 by William Cramp and Sons of Philadelphia. When launched, she was the largest U.S. steamship ever built. ''Kroonland'' sailed from New York City to Antwerp on her maiden voyage in June 1902, beginning service on the route she would sail for the next twelve years. According to ''The New York Times'', ''Kroonland'' became the first ship to issue a wireless distress call at sea when she radioed for help during a storm in 1903. In another radio first, ''Kroonland'' heard the "first real broadcast of history" in December 1906.〔Bliss, p. 3.〕 ''Kroonland'' was one of ten ships that came to the aid of the burning liner in the mid-Atlantic in October 1913. Despite stormy seas, ''Kroonland'' was able to take aboard 89 survivors, for which captain and crew received accolades that included U.S. Congressional Gold Medals. When the outbreak of World War I in August 1914 disrupted service to Belgium, ''Kroonland'' shifted to alternate routes. On a trip to the Mediterranean in October 1914, ''Kroonland'' was detained by British authorities at Gibraltar, and part of her cargo was confiscated amidst diplomatic wrangling between the then-neutral United States and the United Kingdom. During a chartered circumnavigation of South America in February 1915, ''Kroonland'' became the largest passenger ship to date to transit the Panama Canal. ''Kroonland'' was placed in New York – Panama Canal – San Francisco service until a landslide temporarily closed the canal to navigation. Returned to transatlantic service, ''Kroonland'' was one of the first U.S. ships armed by the Navy for defense against German submarine attacks. In May 1917 ''Kroonland'' was struck by a torpedo, which failed to detonate and only slightly damaged the ship. After the United States entered World War I, ''Kroonland'' served as a troopship for the U.S. Army and Navy. She made six trips carrying troops to France before the Armistice and eight voyages after, transporting nearly 38,000 troops in total. Returned to IMM in late 1919, ''Kroonland'' was scorched in a shipyard fire in January 1920 while she was being refitted for passenger service. The liner resumed North Atlantic service in April, remaining there until returning to New York – San Francisco service in 1923. ''Kroonland'' inaugurated IMM's winter New York – Miami service from December 1925 to March 1926, but was laid up in Hoboken, New Jersey, when IMM did not resume the Miami service the following year. The ship was sold and scrapped at Genoa in 1927. == Design and construction == In July 1899, the Red Star Line announced plans for the construction of four large ocean liners. Two ships, ''Kroonland'' and , were to be built at William Cramp and Sons in Philadelphia, and the others, and , at John Brown & Company of Clydebank in Scotland.〔Bonsor, p. 840.〕 By April 1901, the two Scottish-built ships were completed and in service for Red Star,〔 with the construction of the American pair well underway. ''Kroonland'' and the virtually identical ''Finland'', at each,〔Bonsor, p. 856.〕 were slightly larger than ''Vaderland'' and ''Zeeland''.〔Bonsor, p. 855.〕 The American pair were the largest steamships built in the United States at the time of their launch, and were the highest tonnage civilian ships ever built by William Cramp.〔 U.S. Navy ships listed are by displacement.〕 ''Kroonland'' was long (pp) and abeam, with a molded depth of .〔 Her hull was steel and nearly all the rivets were set with pneumatic rivet guns.〔Pollack, p. 109.〕 ''Kroonland'' was propelled at up to by twin triple-expansion steam engines. The engines were each rated at and had cylinders of , , and with a stroke. There were nine single-ended coal-fired Scotch boilers with a heating area of , a grate area of , and an operating pressure of .〔 ''Kroonland'' had eleven watertight compartments with reinforced bulkheads, and was designed to remain afloat with up to two compartments flooded. ''Kroonland''s coal bunkers surrounded the boilers, to offer limited protection in case the ship was used in wartime.〔William Cramp, p. 133.〕 The area below the main deck could carry up to of freight and stores. ''Kroonland''s water tanks could carry of fresh water. Refrigerated storage was provided for meats and other perishables.〔William Cramp, p. 134.〕 Third-class passenger accommodations were located on the main deck: three compartments for men located forward, and a single compartment for families at the rear. The family compartment had state rooms containing either two, four, or six bunks. All compartments had well-lighted dining areas and wide hallways that led to lavatories and sanitary facilities on the upper deck.〔 The upper deck housed facilities for officers and first- and second-class passengers. A long forecastle contained the accommodations for the crew and petty officers, as well as a hospital and the third-class lavatories.〔William Cramp, p. 135.〕 First-class staterooms for 106 passengers were located close to the middle of the ship. To their rear, between the funnels, was the first-class passenger dining room, spanning the width of the ship. With seating for 208, it featured mahogany furniture and satinwood paneling with inlays, and a glass skylight ceiling that extended up through two decks.〔 Beyond this area were the galleys, sculleries, and pantries that served all passenger classes. Moving further aft, the second-class passenger dining room, which could accommodate 120 diners, was next. It, too, spanned the width of the ship and featured mahogany furniture, but was paneled with tapestry upon a cream-colored ground. Beyond the dining area were cabins for 76 second-class passengers.〔 A long bridge deck amidships contained state rooms for another 204 first-class and 120 second-class passengers. In the rear was a deck house that contained a social room for third-class passengers. A promenade deck was located above and was permanently enclosed by a boat deck,〔 where ''Kroonland''s 20 steel lifeboats were stowed.〔William Cramp, p. 136.〕 The promenade deck housed the library and smoking room for first-class passengers.〔 ''Kroonland'' was launched on the afternoon of 20 February 1902 in a small, informal ceremony. Mrs. Rodman Griscom christened the ship, but ''Kroonland'' did not budge on the launching way; cold weather had frozen the tallow used to grease the timbers. Hydraulic jacks eventually freed the ship for her plunge into the Delaware River. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「SS Kroonland」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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