After World War I, Germany had no merchant fleet worth speaking of.  Hamburg-America's three giants (Imperator, Vaterland, and Bismarck) were all lost as reparations to Cunard, White Star, and the United States Lines.  North German Lloyd lost all of their four-stackers (Kaiser Wilhelm Der Grosse, Kronprinz Wilhelm, Kaiser Wilhelm II, and Kronprinzessin Cecilie), as well as their Columbus, which went to White Star, and became their Homeric.  However, the allies did allow some ships to remain in German hands.  North German Lloyd's Hindenburg was one of these.

She was ordered, along with her sister ship, from the Schichau Shipyards in Danzig, and was intended to be named Hindenburg, with delivery expected in 1915.  However, the war intervened, and construction stopped completely on both the Hindenburg, and her sister Columbus.  After the war, the intended Columbus was ordered to be completed for the British as the Homeric.  However, the Hindenburg, still on the stocks at this time, was permitted to remain German, and was renamed Columbus, in order to "replace" the original Columbus, which went to White Star.

Construction on the Columbus resumed in 1920.  By the summer of 1922, she ready for launching, and according to all estimates, she should have launched without a hitch.  However, when it was time to launch her, she moved only a few yards and then stopped.  Her builders and her owners were quite embarrassed, as you might expect.  A tug was called to assist in the launching, but the attempt was futile.  She wasn't going to budge.  However, on August 12, she finally was launched, and was delivered to North German Lloyd in November 1923.  However, she did not cross the Atlantic, due to post-war material shortages, as well as other problems, she did not make her maiden voyage until April 1924.

When she was ready to start sailing, the North German Lloyd was rightly proud of their Columbus, Germany's largest post-war liner at that time.  The line's brochures on the ship were extremely enthusiastic:

"To the shores of America has come the crowning achievement of Germany's skill in shipbuilding: the new SS Columbus, the largest and fastest of German ships.  It is over four hundred years since her namesake sailed in his caravels - mere cockleshells in comparison with this giant - into the danger of uncharted seas, heedless of obstacles that beset his voyage.  Unfaltering and determined, he reached his goal.  He was the first to bring news of the existence of a Western Hemisphere, which became the New World for later explorers."

"The Columbus is not the largest ship on the seas - but there is no other that can lay claim to being more beautiful; no other in which modern scientific attainment and artistic merit has dealt so lavish a hand in beautifying interiors and developing seagoing luxury.  A glance through the Columbus will show that the architect selected, Professor Troost, to whom the North German Lloyd entrusted their artistic decorations, has in every way fulfilled his task most satisfactorily.  With the practical collaboration of skilled German artists and artisans, he has created rooms which may well claim to be the most beautiful on any modern ship.  Most imposing is the stately suite of social rooms, which, beginning with the Social Hall, leads through two side connecting Antechambers to the Library, Smoking Room, and on to the Great Staircase.  The Social Hall, the two side Antechambers, and the Library form in architecture, decoration, and coloring, one harmonious whole, in spite of their varied arrangement."

"The color scheme is placed in charming opposition to the architectural form - where the intensity of the coloring relaxes, the architectural decoration becomes more ornate - for instance, in the hall with its natural undertone, raised to glowing life by single objects of more intense color, with its mural decorations by E.R. Weiss, colored, still life studies, landscapes, etc., where at the evening dance the twelve candelabra enhance the beauty of the scene - there the color scheme reaches its highest note.  In the wainscoted Library with its massive double pillars, its built-in bookcases, its niches decorated with busts of classical poets - it is here the architectural note is accentuated.  The more neutral tones of the two side antechambers between the hall and library promote the harmony of the color scheme by bridging the contrasting colors of the two rooms, at the same time offering a change of design in upholstering and carpets."

"Particularly effective are the parallel lines of windows, mirrors, etc..  The clever way in which the curve of the wall line is taken advantage of for the placing of writing tables and the harmony in the form of windows, arrangement of ceiling and wainscoting, are also noteworthy.  Special attention should be given to the quaint, almost exotic hand-carved pictures in the hall, representing the continents and the "Four Seasons" by Joseph Wackerle, in the niches of the antechambers.  The spacious dining halls, first and second class, are on the main deck.  The architect's skill has made it possible for the first class dining hall to be particularly lofty, rising for the most part through two decks.  This produces an effect of great space such as is found on no other large ship, and allows exceptionally good ventilation - an important requisite for a dining room."

As demonstrated by their brochure text, the Columbus was indeed a very beautiful ship.  And successful, too.  So successful, in fact, that North German Lloyd started thinking about two new 35,000-ton ships nearly exactly like the Columbus.  However, as Germany's economic situation improved, the plans changed, with these two liners being upgraded from 35,000 to 50,000 tons, the length increased to 935 feet, and sights set on gaining the Blue Riband, which was at that time held by the Mauretania.  These two ships eventually became the Bremen and the Europa.

However, the Columbus was not without her fair share of problems.  In August 1927, her starboard shaft broke.  While this would usually simply require repairing the shaft, it was not so easy in this case.  The broken shaft caused her engines to race, causing them to destroy themselves.  In order to remedy this extremely sad situation, she was taken to the Vulkan shipyards in Bremen, and fitted with temporary triple-expansion engines which were transferred from the Schwaben, a freighter.  Later, in 1929, she was taken out for an extended refit, and fitted with new steam-geared turbines.  These turbines were so powerful that her service speed was increased from 18 knots to 22 knots.  During this time, she was also fitted with squat funnels, in order to more closely match the appearance of the Bremen and the Europa.  This also gave her a very sleek, racy appearance, which was associated with the motorliners of the time.

Once the Bremen and the Europa entered service, the Columbus sailed on the transatlantic route with them during the summer season.  During the winter, she went on long, luxurious cruises for the most part.  On these cruises, the minimum fare was $595, and all shore excursions could be purchased as a package for $162.50.

However, when the war clouds came and darkened the peacetime shipping trade, her commercial service soon stopped.  The New York Herald Tribune reported, on September 1, 1939:

"All German liners on the high seas were heading at full speed for safe ports today under plans completed by the Nazi shipping combine only a few hours before the outbreak of hostilities with Poland.  The major problem, disposition of the liner Columbus, which has been steaming towards New York from a Caribbean cruise, was solved last night when the North German Lloyd ordered the ship to put into Havana.  It will discharge its 745 passengers, mostly Americans, and will return to Germany.  Whether the line will make arrangements to get the passengers to New York was not determined.  It is scheduled to dock today at 4 PM at the Cuban port."

The Columbus then sailed to Vera Cruz in Mexico.  However, on October 5, another article told:

"The North German Lloyd liner Columbus's unheralded departure from Vera Cruz and her reappearance at Point Anton Lizardo, about 12 miles to the southeast, has given rise to the suspicion that she is about to abandon Mexican waters.  It is suggested that the liner may be intended to refuel the German cruiser Admiral Scheer or else go into commerce raiding on her own account.  Mexican authorities, however, state that the ship was thoroughly searched, that no war materials of any sort were found aboard and that a close watch is still kept over her."

The same article also debated what the more immediate plans for the Columbus were:

"According to naval experts, the Columbus could be converted into a very formidable commerce raider, since her great speed will render her very hard to catch.  She could easily outstrip anything but a very fast modern cruiser.  With the help of a couple of seaplanes, which could be lifted onto her deck when not in use, she would not be in grave danger even by such cruisers.  Her only difficulty would be refueling, since a ship of her size uses a very great quantity of oil.  At present, as far as is known, the Columbus has only about 100 tons of oil aboard, which would not last very long."

On December 19, 1939, her end came.  In order to thwart a British man-o-war close on her wake, she was scuttled.  On fire and sinking, an American cruiser rescued all 579 crew members.  Yes, her attempt to reach Europe failed, and she sank.  The first news of her very grim end came from the American cruiser Tuscaloosa, which flashed that the Columbus was being scuttled about 400 miles off of the American east coast, off the mouth of the Delaware Bay.

Columbus Vital Statistics:

Gross Tonnage: 32,354 (1924); 32,565 (1929); 32,381 (1939)

Length: 775 feet

Width: 83 feet

Machinery: Steam triple expansion engines (1924); Steam geared turbines (1929)

Speed: 18 knots (1924); 22 knots (1929)

Capacity: 513 First, 574 Second, 705 Third

Built: Schichau Shipyards, Danzig, Germany, 1914-1924

Demise: Scuttled off the American east coast to avoid Allied capture, December 19, 1939

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