W T Marshall WT Marball was built as Carl Abraham Azcell at W Hagglunds Skeppsvary in Sundsvall in 1873 for shipping partnership of the same town headed by J V Heliberg, The main engine was built by W Lindbergs Mekaniska Verkstad in Stockholm and was a Wolfs system compound steam type that gave @ speed of roughly seven knots In 1855, the ship was acquired by Consul Axel Johnson in Stockholm for 55 000 kronor and renamed W T Marshall ia honour of a very close business associate in Great Britain who supplied much of the ‘coal imporced by A Johnson & Co. WT Marshall was built in wood reinforced with iron plates at the waterline, could load 255 standard timber loads and had a deadweight of 900 tons. She was sold as early as 1888 by Axel Johnson to shipowner HA Reinert in Moss, Norway, for 45000 kronor and renamed Bofnia, The ship was lost in the North Sea 10 yeuss later. ‘Axel Johnson was prompted to acquire this steamer by the fact that his trading operation with the UK, among others, had grown to such proportions that the ‘company was chartering about 140 voyages a year during the 1880s. Looking around for its own tonnage: represented a natural move. WT Marshal! was originally built as a full-igged sailing ship with four masts and an auxiliary engine connected t0 a two-bladed propeller. In 1879, how~ ever, she was converted at the Kockums yard to a ‘rwo-masted steam schooner and supplied with anew: three-bladed screw. Before her sale to Axel Johnson in 1885, the ship was equipped with a new sieam boiler and then raised on the slipway at the Finnboda Varv yard in Stockholm for caulking and partial renewal of | hull and deck. A donkey boiler and two winches were installed. TThe ship was not strong enough to carry full cargo of icon and, when such loads were shipped, consign- ments were limited to 150 tons and the cargo comple mented by timber, for instance. WT Marshall completed a total of 23 voyages for Axel Johnson's account between Sweden and the Humber estuary in England. She carried a crew of 16 and could make 7.5 knots fully laden, Her first master was N-M Jeppson. 220Annie Therese Rederiaktiebolaget AB Nordstjemnan started opera tions in 1890 wich Annie Therse as its first vessel. She was named after Axel Johnson's wife. This ship had been delivered in 1872 by the Reiherstieg Schiffswerft yard in Hamburg to Hamburg Amerikanische Paketfahet AG (Hapag), as the Cyeep. A Johnson & Co acquired the vessel at an aucti: Hamburg for 130000 marks or about 160.000 Swe- dish kronor on 11 February 1890. Annie Therse was transferred to Rederiakticholaget Nordstjernan at the company’s constituent general meeting, in exchange for 180 shares of 1 000 kronor each, corresponding to 90 per cent of che share capital ‘The ship subsequently served Nordstjernan until she was sold in 1920 at the age of 47 to Rederi AB Ystad for 225 000 kronor and renamed Beatrice. Two weeks late, she was sold on to Spain and sank in 1936, 64 years old, after being shelled in connection with the Spanish Civil War, Annie Therese had a deadweight of 1225 tons and a _pr08s tonnage of just under 1 000 tons. Her cargo hold ‘measured 63 000 cubic feet, corresponding in volume to the type of paragraph ship buile during the 1950s for the North Sea and Baltic trades. In deadweight terms, she matched the more developed kind of paragtaph ship built for the same traffic in the 1960s, ‘The ship was equipped with a compound steam engine of 620 indicated horsepower, which gave a speed of about nine knots, This engine was built by the yard. Annie Therese carried a crew of 18 and was primarily employed in the Baltic and North Sea Outbound cargoes consisted mainly of iron and cim- ber, while she carried coal home for A Johnson & Co's During the 1890s, Annie Therese suffered a umber of breakdowns and ran up a substantial repair bill. She ‘was totally refurbishised several times over the years at a considerable cost, Throughout almost the entire 1890s and the first decade of the 20th century, Annie Therese was up for sale on the second-hand matket, A relatively hi price had been paid for her, and earnings during the first two decades were not sufficient to allow necessary depreciation to be charged. For most of the time she ‘was owned by Nordstiernan, the ship was entered in the company’s books at twice her market value. When an opportunity to sell Amie Therese arose, however, nothing came of it and Nordstjernan spent several further sums on refurbishing her. One scheme under consideration in 1908 was to replace the steam tengine with diesel machinery. But the desire to have ‘ovo engines connected to separate propellers proved too complex an arrangement for installation on the 35-year-old steamer. She was buile in so-called puddled iron, in other words, iron produced in the old-fashioned way. This gave a very heavy hull that was highly suitable for heavy cargoes and which never rusted. Many of the fold iron-hulled steamers served for up to a century. When steel began to be employed as a shipbuilding. ‘material, vessel lifetimes became appreciably shorter — not least as a result of corrosion problems. “Annie Therese was built with her engine and boiler room close to the stern, which resulted in a short propeller shaft. A small cargo hold was located above the propeller tunnel, The big hold forward of the engine room was served by three hatches. A small deckhouse stood amidships with officers’ quarters, a saloon and open bridge above. Stokers and deck hands were quartered at the stern. The first master was NM Jeppson, 221Axel Johnson Aval Joinson ranked as the company’s first newbuilding, ‘nd was delivered in 1891 from O A Brodin’s yard in Give fora price of 380 000 kronor, She was delivered late and the company secured about 7000 kronor in. compensation. The ship attracted great attention in ‘Sweden as the biggest stee!-hulled vessel buile domesti- cally for a Swedish owner and in Swedish materials ‘A triple expansion steam engine developing, 650 indicated horsepower to give a speed of roughly nine knots was installed in Axel Jodnson, This was buile at Bergaunds Mekaniska Verkstad in Stockholm. With a gross tonnage of just over 1.500 tons, the ship bad a deadweight of 2 160 tons. Her cargo hold measured 104 000 cubic feet. “Axel Jenson was the first vessel to be painted in the ‘gecy Johnson colour sported by the company for almost 100 years. She was a singledecker with a crew of 20, featuring attractive lines and an engine room fand superstructure located together amidships. Her first master was HE Nordab During the nine years Axel Jobnson sailed for Nord stjernan, she mainly carried cargo for A Johnson & Co across the North Sea and the Baltic. But she also made onger voyages. In 1892, she sailed from Hamburg to New York, and became in the same year the first Swedish steamer to ound the Cape of Good Hope. This occurred on a round trip fom Britain around [Africa via Durban, Rangoon and Suez. The following year, the ship made a trip from the Mediterranean to the River Plate area where she loaded return cargo for Britain, In April 1900, the ship was sold to Hamburg for 17.900 pounds sterling (about 322000 kronor) and renamed Brifzig. She was confiscated by the British government during the First World War and given the ‘name Poalp, and then sold to Ttaly in 1922 with the name Accentne, The ship ended up in Estonia in 1929 under the name Nerto and was sold for scrap in 1933 at the age of 52. 222(Owar It was the firse of Axel Johnson's four large iron fore steamers and came to serve the company well, partly in the ore trades and partly in the South ‘America line Exports of ore from the new mines in Gallivare and Kiieunavaara in Lapland were increasing. Axel John- son’s contacts with Enskilda Banken in Stockholm and his interest in the Swedish steel industry made ic natural for him to work, like Axel Brostrém, for a share of the expanding ore shipments, Oscar Iwas buile at James Laing & Son in Sunder- land for Rederiaktiebolaget Nordstjernan and deliver- ced in mid-December 1896, She had a deadweight of 5 500 tons and a gross tonnage of 3 550 tons. Like the three ore steamers that followed, the ship was a so-called trunk type, which meant that she had a double bortom and broad wing tanks for ballast, and a narrow cargo container along the centre line, The latter stood higher than the weather deck, which meant that the heavy ore was distributed vertically in such a way as to dampen the vessel’s motion in the sea. In other words, she was specially designed to carry a heavy ore cargo. The design came from the Swedish shipbuilder Wilhelm Hok, who was working at this time with James Laing & Son in Sunderland. ‘The vessel was equipped with a triple expansion engine developing 1450 indicated horsepower and built by North-Eastern Marine Engineering Co. Her speed was roughly nine knots. The first master was H E Nordahl, with F L Matson as the first chief engineer, Oscar I was initially employed in the ore traffic from Oxelésund to the Continent, and later from Narvik and Lulet as well. She also sailed to some extent in transatlantic traffic and North American ‘coastal trades. In connection with the ordering of this vessel, Axel Johnson secured a shipping contract for 1897 and 1898 which called for the transport of 80 000 tons of fre in each of these years from Oxelésund to Rotter- dam. The contract was extended in 1899 and 1900 to embrace 100 000 tons annually. However, Nordstjer- nan cancelled this ore contract with Wm H Miller in spring 1900 and paid compensation. The reason was that Axel Johnson's son, Axel Axson Johnson, had succeeded luring the brief but good shipping boom in concluding a very advantageous time charter agrce- mene with Dominion Iron & Steel Co in Newfound- land. The ship was to sail in traffic between New- Foundland and the USA for a 24-month period. Oscar I was employed in the traffic between Sweden and the River Plate for several years, but returned to the ore trade with occasional voyages co South Amer- ica. In 1913 and 1915, she was time chartered for shipments between Spain and Britain/the Continent After colliding in 1915 with the British auxiliary cruiser Patuca, Ostar I was lost on a voyage from the South American east coast with 4 200 tons of general cargo for Norway and Sweden, The crew of 4 was rescued by the British auxiliary cruiser Royal So 23Oscar Fredrik ‘The first large specially-built ore steamer ordered by Nordstjernan was followed by three big trunk-type steamers, but these were ordered by Axel Johnson for A Johason & Co. Built at Howaldeswerke Deutsche Werft with deliv- cry in 1900, the first of these vessels had a deadweight ‘of 6 540 tons and was equipped with Howaldeswerke’s triple expansion machinery which gave a speed of 10 knots, The first master was HE Nordahl and FL Matson was chief engineer. There was a crew of 32. The vessel cost 940 500 Swedish kronor. When (Owar Fredrit was subsequently sold by Axel Johnson ‘on 2 May 1901, about 11 months after her delivery, Redieriaktiebolaget Nordstjernan had to pay 1.2 mill- jon kronor. tar Fredrik ranked on delivery as Sweden’s largest steamer. She was fitted with a deep tank forward of the engine room, which could be used either for liquid cargo or ballast and was equipped with powerful pump capacity ‘The ship was employed during her First few years in ‘ore tfc from Lule and subsequently slo Narvik, to Antwerp and Rotterdam On 26 Rovernber 1304, Osar Fadi sailed fom Gothenburg under the corsmand of Capesin Victor Camp for Buenos Aire in Argentina in onder to open a line to South Americ On board were 290 tont of Swedish general cargo hound for Argentina, She was better filled on the return tip, with total of bout 3900 ton of eargo comprising bran, linseed and out insacks, Roughly 1000 rons was destined for Kesta- nia (Ost, 2200 tons Tor Nalin, 480" rons for Gothenburg and 200 tons for Malmo with an option for Gothenburg. Following this voyage, the ship returned to the ore traffic but, after a conversion in 1908, when she was equipped with a tweendeck 10 rake her better sulted for general cargo she wat ‘installed inthe liner trafic to South America During the post First World War depresion, the ship vas laid up at the beginning of 1921 and soldat the end of the sume yeat to the Stines shipping companis in Hamburg for 300.000 kronor. She wat renamed Frizz Hage Stine, and emained under the German flag until she war sunk in ans atack on 16 February 1985 224Dating Sophia Drottning Sophia, Kronprins Gustaf ‘The sister ships Drottning Sophia and Kromprins Gustaf ‘were both ordered at the turn of the century by Axel Johnson from the Howaldtswerke yard in Kiel. They ‘were delivered on 20 April and 6 July 1901 respective- ly. These ships had a deadweight of 7 740 tons and a toss tonnage of almost 5.000 tons. They carried a triple expansion engine which developed 1.950 horse- power and produced a speed of 10 knots. Both ships were commanded on their maiden voyage by Captain H E Nordabl, with C L Pierron as chief engineer of Drattnng Sophia and FL Mattson in the same post on Kronprins Gustaf Each vessel cost 1.38 million marks, corresponding, to roughly 67 000 pounds sterling or about 1.2 million kronor. When they were sold in January 1904 by Axel Johnson to Rederiakticbolaget Nordstjernan, the two ships each commanded a price of 1.5 million kronor. During the time these vessels sailed for A Johnson & Co, they were employed in the ore traffic. When Nordstjernan took them over, the ships transferred to liner traffic between Sweden and South America, Both sister ships were returned to ore carrying when special tonnage had been built for the liner traffic. They sailed from Lule’ and Narvik to the European continent, and also across the North Atlantic with consignments that included ore fom Newfoundland to Rotterdam, Both ships were laid up at the end of the First World War and were obliged to make trips from Argentina to Sweden after the war for the grain office of the Swedish National Economic Commission. The vessels were laid up again at the beginning of 1921 and sold in the same year together with Oscar Fredrik to the Stinnes companies in Hamburg. Kronprins Gustaf was renamed Adeline Hugo Stinues, while Drattning Sophia acquired the name Heinrich Hugo Stinnes. Each of the vessels fetched 345000 kronor. Both were sunk in German service during the Second World War, 25Nordstjernan Nordifjeman was ordered by Rederiaktiebolaget Nord- stjernan in 1898 and delivered from Howaldtswerke in Kiel on 11 April 1900. This was the first of a number Of small steamers, strengthened for heavy cargo, that Nordstjernan acquired during the first rwo decades of the 20th century. She had a deadweight of 1 830 cons and was equipped with a triple expansion engine that developed 650 indicated horsepower. The price was 386 200 marks, corresponding to 347 600 kronor. Her first master was J Higwall and the chief engineer was EE Ekman, This was a standard design, but the company demanded certain modifications, including three boil- ers instead of one and certain reinforcements to the hull structure t0 make the ship more suitable for the ore traffic, One of the advantages of Norditjeman was that she drew only 15 fect of water fully laden. The ship was mainly employed between Sweden/ Norway and British as well as French ports, carrying coal, ore, pig iron and steel, but also general cargo. During the last year of the First World War, Norditeruan like many of the company’s other vessels ~ sailed for the British Nordsferman made occasional transoceanic voyages. Her longest was in 1915 to the South American west coast and home via the Panama Canal She was sold in 1920 to Rederi AB Falkvik in Solvesborg for 475.000 kronor and renamed Fa/kei Jn 1955, the 55-year-old ship was sold for scrapping in Ystad. 26Reserv Rederiakticbolaget Nordstjernan’s frst vessel, Annie There, was not the company’s only steamer tobe built in “old-fashioned” iron, ‘The steamer Merkar of Trelleborg, with « dead weight of 2580 tons, went aground on 19 April 1903 immediately north of Borgholm on Oland. After provisional repairs, she was salvaged, taken in 10 COskarshamn and there offered for sale. The ship had been built by Edward Withy & Co in West Hartlepool for R Ropner & Co of the same town and named Wella in 1982. ‘She was builtin iron and equipped with a com- pound engine, supplied by R Richardson & Sons of West Hartlepool, which developed 844 indicared horsepower. Tn 1899, she was sold to the Netherlands and then in 1901 co Redcri_ AB Merkurius in Trelleborg for 10 900 pounds sterling (about 196 000 kronor), when she was given the name Merkur: The ship was sold to Trelleborgs Nya Angfartygs AB in March 1902, and this company owned her when she went aground in bud weather and was salvaged by Neprunbolagct. ‘Consul General Axel Johnson bought her on his own account on 4 November 1903 for 45 000 kronor. She was then repaired at Oskarshamns Mekaniska Verkstads och Skeppsdockas Aktiebolag at a cost of 122.000 kronor, before being acquired by Rederiaktie: bolaget Nordstjernan in January 1904 for the sum of Axel Johnson's expenditures, namely 45.000 plus 122000 kronor. ‘Nordstjernan. had stumbled across an attractive ship. She was named Reserv because it was intended to employ her in the ore shipping coneract while the fother ore steamers were transferred to the planned South America line. Her first master was J H Anders- son, with A Huleman as chief engineer. In 1915, Reser ran aground off Stora Karls, sprang ‘leak and could not be refloated until 750 tons of coal had been thrown overboard. Like so many of the company’s other smaller ships, she sailed for the Allies towards the end of the First World War on a time charter basis. ‘The ship carried a crew of 21 Resery was sold for 500 000 kronor to Sunds AB in Sundsvall in 1920, and to Gavle in 1928 for 95 000 kronor. Gavle remained her home port until 1935, when she was sold for scrap to Genoa in Italy at the age of 53.Kronprinsessan Victoria, Prinsessan Ingeborg The two steamers Kroxprinstan Victoria and Prnsessan Ingeborg were ordered by Rederiaktiebolaget Nord- stjemnan, They were the first ewo shelterdecked cargo liners specially constructed for the River Plate line. These ships were built with two continuous decks and triple expansion engines of 2 050 indicated horse- power buile at the yard. They could make almost 11 knots. Both vessels had a deadweight of 6 123 tons and were delivered in aurumn 1905 for 940 000 kronor each. They were outfitted for 15 passengers and a crew of 35. Steam-driven winches had been installed for the cargo booms, capstans and windlass. Other features included two small cargo holds, measuring 5.000 cubic feet in all, specially installed for hides. ‘The first master on Kronprinessan Vittora was Victor Camp, with A Milton as the chief engineer, while the corresponding posts on Prinessam Ingeborg were held by E Peterson and A Kromnow. During her service with Rederiaktiebolaget Nor seman, Prinesan Ingeborg ran onto a mine off the UK. east coast, but managed to make it into Grimsby. Two members of the crew were injured. Both ships were sold in November 1921 to the German shipowner Hugo Seinnes. Kroyprinssas Victo- ria fetched 540 000 kronor and was renamed Eee Hinge Stinne, She was scrapped in Hamburg in 1932. Prins- ‘an Ingeborg was sold for 570 000 kronor and her new rname became Ernst Hay Stimnes. She foundered under the German flag off the Norwegian coast with a cargo of ore.Axel Jobnson (II), Annie Jobnson ‘The next pair of vessels ordered by Nordstjernan specially for the River Plate line were Axel Jauow and ‘Anie Jobson, Lindholmens Varv secured the order ata price that lay about 10 per cent above the market rate, Despite this, Lindholmen made a loss at least on Ave! _Jelnsen, which was delivered on 21 December 1910. Built at Motala Verkstad in Sweden, che triple ‘expansion engine developed 2 130 indicated horse- power. This machinery proved underpowered for both steamers, which had a deadweight of 6 500 tons, and they never achieved their contract speed. ‘Axel Jolnson and her sister ship Annie Jolnson cost about 1.1 million kronor each. Design by W Hok and built to Lloyd’s Register class, these were beautiful ships with fine, clean lines. They were fitted with two continuous tweendecks as well as steam-driven cargo winches, capstans and windlass. In addition, ehey each had a 30-ton heavy life boom and a special 10.000 cubie foot hold for hides, Their total cargo hold volume eame to around 320 000 cubic fect. Consul General Axel Johnson's enthusiasm for developing the Swedish shipbuilding industry was a major reason why the order went co a domestic yard, He had first approached Gétaverken in Gothenburg with an enquiry, but the yard explained that it could not possibly build ships of this size at a price compe- ticive with foreign rivals. When the ships were delivered in 1910 and 1911 respectively, they represented the largest vessels ever built at Swedish yards. ‘Victor Camp was Axe Jobnso’s first master, with C M Ling as chief engineer. On Annie Jobnsor, the corresponding posts were taken by JO E Ekstrém and CM Lang ‘The ships were laid up at the beginning of the 1920s and sold, along with the company’s other steamers, to Hugo Stinnes in Hamburg. Axel Jobnson was named Hilde Hugo Stinwer and fetched a price of 545.000 kronor. She was bought in 1926 by the Hamburg ‘Amerika Line and renamed Aragonia before being scrapped in Hamburg in 1932. “Arnie Jobnson was sold to Hugo Stinnes for 545 000 kronor and renamed Otte Hugo Stimes. She was bought in 1926 by the Hamburg Amerika Line and scrapped in Hamburg in 1932. This ship also earned the dubious distinction of suffering the biggest British cargo confiscation of any Johnson vessel. The incident occurred in May 1916, when Annie Jobnson was on her way from South ‘America to Sweden. She was escorted by the British into Glasgow, where the cargo was unloaded for inspection, The bulk of her 6000-ton load was confiscated, including $50 tons of tanning agent, 140 tons of hides and 3 125 tons of coffee. 29Margaret A virtually finished steamer of 2 200 tons deadweight was acquired by Rederiakticbolaget Nordstjernan in 1912 from the British yard Campbeltown Shi building Co. This ship initially worked in the ore traffic from Oxelosund and subsequently from Luled to Britain and the Continent. ‘Margaret was equipped with a triple expansion engine from D Rowan & Co of Glasgow, which developed 660 indicated horsepower and gave a speed of nine knots fully laden. The ship was a typical North Sea steamer of average British standard for the time. She cost 20 000 pounds sterling on delivery, corresponding to 380 000 Swe- dish kronor. Her first master was S'T Evelius, with O E Kromnow as chief engineer. During the war, Margarer made a couple of trips outside the North Sea both to the River Plate and the south Pacific. In 1917, she sailed to Bermuda and the ‘American east coast, and in 1919 fetched a consign- ‘ment of coffee from Santos. She sank the same year off the southern tip of Oland in the Baltic on a voyage from Sundsvall to Rouen carrying wood pulp. The ship could not be saved, but the crew was rescued. 230Suecia, Pedro Christophersen, Kronprins Gustav Adolf, Kronprinsessan Margareta, Pacific, San Francisco, Valparaiso, Lima * Kedoe, Cometa * Santos Consul General Axel Johnson was deeply interested in the diesel engine, As early as 1908, he investigated the possibility of installing such machinery in two of the ‘company’s North Sea steamers. “The German inventor Rudolf Diesel had developed the engine named after him in the 1890s, and the first ‘motors were tested at the end of that decade. With the aid of Sweden's Marcus Wallenberg, Ivar Knudsen, head of Burmeister & Wain in Copenhagen, was able to acquire a licence for building diesel engines. He ‘worked during the first decade of the 20th century to, develop a powerful slow-speed diesel which would be suitable for use on ocean-going vessels, ‘The Danish East Asiatic Company ordered the first ship to be equipped with such engines. She was the Selandis, which was launched in November 1911 and. began her trial voyage in February 1912. When Selandia called at London on her maiden voyage, she was visited by Winston Chruchill, who declared: “This new type of ship is the century's most perfect ‘maritime masterpiece”. ‘A couple of months before Selandia began her trial voyage, Rederiaktiebolaget Nordstiernan ordered two diescl-driven motor ships of 6 550 tons deadweight at Burmeister & Wain and simultaneously secured op- tions for a further four vessels. When these options were exercised during the war, further ships were also ordered. The series ultimately totalled 10 plus one ships and was very successful ‘An amusing detail from the exchange of telegrams between the shipping company office and its eechnical manager, Axel Kromnow, at the yard: During the construction of Sti, oil prices rise t0 50 kronor per ton, Axel Axson Johnson becomes concerned and asks Kromnow to secure a written guarantee from the yatd that the company will be able to buy oil for a ‘maximum of 40 kronor per ton for five years. Natur- ally enough, this demand was not accepted. ‘The first vessels cost 1 240 000 kronor each, but those built during the war years became increasingly expensive as the cost of materials rose. Introduction of the first diesel-driven liners meant a revolution for long-distance Tiner trades. ‘These vessels consumed 7.2 tons of diese oil per day, while & steamer of the same size and speed burnt roughly 35Krona Margaret tons of coal. In addition, steamers had to store this coal in holds which greatly diminished cargo space. The motor ships could place their bunker oil tanks in the double bottom where they took no space from the cargo holds. They were also able to load oil in Europe for the whole round trip to South America, where bunker oil was hard to obtain. ‘The new motor ships were of the same speed and size as the steam liners Annie Jolnson and Axel Jbnson, built ac Lindholmen. As a result, che company could make direct comparisons between the two vessel types. The motor ships proved able to load 5 850 tons of cargo, while the two steamers were limited to 3.600 tons depending on the amount of coal carried. In addition, the motor ships needed fewer engine room hands. ‘Deck and auxiliary machinery winches, windlass ces and the like ~ on a motor ship could be electrified. ‘This helped Scandinavian companies, including Asea of Sweden, to become pioneers in the development of such marine electrical equipment as capstans, winches and so forth. ‘Vessels in this series were equipped with double Burmeister & Wain engines coupled to separate pro- pellers. These installations were cight-cylinder, single-acting four-stroke units with a bore of 500 millimetres and a stroke of 660 millimetres. Each engine developed 770 shaft horsepower or 1000 indicated horsepower at 140 rpm. This was sufficient to give a speed of roughly 10 knots. Each ship was outfitted for a crew of 33 and 20 passengers in double cabins Their hulls were attractive with clean lines, but the lack of a funnel gave the ships a very unusual appearance. Fumes were expelled through exhaust pipes run along the aft mast. “The sister ships experienced varied fates. However, they all did good service and most had a very long life Suscia, delivered in 1912, was time chartered on 26 August 1940 to the UK government under the Swe- dish-British sea transport agreement. She came to be operated by MacGowan & Gross Led in London and ‘was mainly employed between Cape Town and Bom- bay and between the US east coast and Britain. On 16 “August 1942, the ship was torpedoed by a German Usboat in the North Atlantic with the loss of nine crew members. ‘The first master of the Suecia was J O Ekstrom, with CM Ling as chief engineer. Delivered in 1913, Pedro Chrstophersen did good service until she was lid up during the Second World War from 1940-44, The ship subsequently carried medicines between Canada and Greece for the Red Cross. She was then laid up again in 1955 in Gothen- burg, where she remained until being sold to Skrot & Avfallsprodukter in the same city. After Pedro Christo- _phorsen eas broken up down to the waterline, she was ‘acquired in 1964 by Svenska Vagaktiebolaget and Nya Asfalt AB, who jointly had the hull converted to a work barge under the name Pedro. The latter has since been used to support the construction of many bridges and port facilities inside and outside Scandinavia. ‘Victor Camp was this vesse’s first master, with C M Ling as chief engineer. Kronprins Gustaf Adolf was delivered in 1914 and, like the next three sisters, her propulsion machinery differed from the rest of the series in that both engines were six-cylinder units with a bore of 540 millimetres and a stroke of 730 millimetres. This raised their speed somewhat for a modest investment and a slight inerease in fuel consumption. The ship opened the north Pacific line. She left Gothenburg on 17 June 1914 and sailed directly to San Diego in California via the Strait of Magellan. After continuing to San Fran- cisco, she arrived in Panama on 8 November and passed through the nevly-opened Panama Canal as 232the second Johnson ship t0 use this route. Kronprinss: an Margarea bad passed through a month carer. On 20 July 1930, fire broke out in the cargo of coal being shipped by Kronprins Gustav Adaf to Santos. She put into Pernambuco where the blaze was extinguish- fed, but a new fire broke out a week later and the burnt-out ship went aground on the Brazilian coast Her first master was E Lewenhagen, with OE Kromnow as chief engineer. Kronprinesian Margareta was delivered in 1914. Her maiden voyage came (0 last seven months. After loading a cargo which included paving stones, she left Gothenburg on 7 May on a voyage via the Strait of Magellan to ports on the South American west coast. Thanks to the outbreak of the First World War, she remained in Caleta Coluso from 4 August to 2 October. She passed thorugh the newly-opened Pana- ‘ma Canal on 20 October as the first Johnson vessel to take this route, and the first ship in the world to circumnavigate South America. The ship returned (0 Gothenburg on 10 December 1914. She was sold in 1951 to Hugo Stinnes of Hamburg, for 1.8 million kronor, and renamed Oxsprensen. This company put the ship through a comprehensive conversion and lengthening, which increased her deadweight to 8200 tons. In 1956, her original propulsion machinery was replaced with two Atlas- MaK diesel engines developing a combined 2.300 shaft horsepower. She was scrapped in 1963 Her first master was Th Meyer, with C M Ling as chief engineer. During the Second World War, Krowprinsstan Mar garda sailed for the Allies in accordance with the ‘Swedish-UK shipping agreement. Pacific was delivered immediately after the outbreak of the First World War, in December 1914. She was sold to Hugo Stinnes of Hamburg in 1951 for 1.8 million kronor and had her name changed 10 Ellen Hugo Stinne. The vessel underwent a comprehensive conversion in 1961-62 and was fitted with new MaK engines in the latter year. After being auctioned off in 1971, she was sold to Panama in 1978 and renamed Caitot. The ship was scrapped in India in 1980, Note that she did good service for 66 years and her original engines functioned for 48 of these. Pac's first master was G Malmsj6 and E Hallen- igren was her first chief engineer. ‘San Francie was delivered in 1915 and sold to Hugo Stinnes in 1950 for 2.4 million kronor. The first master was D Liljequist, with J Carlsson as his chiet cengincer. She was scrapped in Antwerp in 1959. Valparaiso was delivered in 1917, Like her subse- quent sister ships, this vessel carried a new type of ‘main engine with a cylinder bore of 590 mm and a 900 mm sttoke, It developed 1 300 indicated horse- power or 1000 shaft horsepower. The ship was torpedoed by a German U-boat in the North Atlantic on 31 December 1940 and the entire crew of 32 followed her to the bottom. She was sailing, at the time for the British Ministry of War Transport, ‘operated by Donaldson Line. Valparaiso’s first master was } QE Ekstrom, with B A J Joransson as chief engineer. ‘Lima was delivered on 17 January 1918, and accord ingly escaped having to serve during the First World War. During the Second World War, however, she was topedoed on 12 September 1942 by a Getman U-boat. Three crew members were killed. The ship hhad been sailing since May 1940 for the British War Transport Ministry under a time charter and was operated by Furness Whithy & Co Ltd of Liverpool. While under charter, she was employed in the traffic between Africa and India, Lima went aground in the Strait of Magellan in autumn 1921, and the legal consequences forced Johnson Line to suspend calls in Chile for many years, See the chapter on the Americas for details. Her first master was F W Grundberg, with BG H Linder as chief engineer. Kedoe (yard number 317) and Cameta (yard number 312) were sold after launching to Rotterdamsche Lloyd in the Netherlands and Det Bergenske in Norway respectively Delivered in 1925, Sanfas was the last vessel in this series. She was buile not at Burmeister & Wain but at Kockums Mekaniska Verkstad in Malm. Nor did she ‘carry Burmeister & Wain engines, but was equipped with two six-cylinder single-acting four-stroke MAN engines with a bore of 570 mm and a one metre stroke, Each engine developed 1 350 indicated horse- power and 1050 shaft horsepower. These were the first MAN engines to be built at Kockums. ‘The first master of Santor was O Gedda, and her first chief engineer was BG H Linder. She was torpedoed on 24 February 1940 on her way from Bahia to Gothenburg, when the ship was just off Kirkwall after putting in for inspection. Twenty-two crew and three passengers as well as six crew rescued from the Swedish ship Liana sunk earlier ~ were lost, but 12 members of the Sams crew were saved,Aveta Thai, Avesta ‘The Kockums yard in Malmé designed a standard vessel in 1912, and delivered 15 ships of this type in the years from 1913 10 1923. In 1912, Rederiakticbolaget Nordstjernan ordered wo of these steamers, with a deadweight of 2.232 rons. They were delivered in 1913, named Thai and Avesta and equipped with triple expansion engines of 70) indicated horsepower. In addition to the usual trips across the North Sea, these ships made a number of long-distance voyages, particularly during the Second World War. Thai was sent in 1915 on two voyages to Brazil and a round trip to the Pacific coast of South and Central America. In 1916, Thai also made a round trip to che River Plate and Brazil This ship went aground in Bjérkviken bay imme: diately outside Sundsvall on 2 December 1917, when she was sailing for the State Fuel Commission. Salvage work was extremely complex and took 19 months, since the ship was as good as beached, thrown high up and held fast by a cleft in the rocks. The accident happened in very bad weather. After Thai had been salvaged and repaired, she returned to service but was sold in 1921 to Rederi AB Valhall in Helsingborg for 375.000 kronor and se named Onrin. In 1951, she was sold to Rederi AB Hastings of the same town for 1275 000 kronor and changed her name to Harding. The ship was wrecked fon the night before Christmas Eve in 1954 in the Aland Sea. Her crew was saved, Sister ship Aves also made a number of long voyages during the First World War. These included round trips to South America in 1914 and 1916, and the ship sailed solely co Brazil and the south Pacific during 1915. Before being sold to Rederi AB Vanadis in Helsingborg, Avesta made a last round trip to South America in 1921. On her sale to Helsingborg for 360.000 kronor, she was renamed Osman. She was lost fon the Norwegian coast on 16 March 1940, ‘Thai's first master was I Thre, with O R Hubinette as chief engineer, The corresponding posts on Avesta were held by Vietor Camp and OE Kromnow.Lao After Nordstjernan lost its ore steamer Oscar Hin 1915, efforts were made to obtain a replacement. This was found during the autumn in the shape of the Fenno-Russian vessel Hyiis,buile in 1898 in Glasgow. Nordsijernan paid 550000 kronor for this 4 300- tonner, and she was given the name Lao. Her first master was C A Herlitz, with J E Berlin as the first chief engineer. ‘Lao was fitted with a triple expansion engine of 800 indicated horsepower. Problems arose for Nordstjernan because the ship had flown the Russian flag before she was sold. The Germans had to approve the acquisition, and deman- ‘As Lasts ded in return for this approval that Lao should be employed exclusively in the ore trafic between Scan- dinavia and Germany. Axel Axson Johnson was not prepared to make such a commitment. As a result, it took until summer 117 before the transaction could be finalised and Nordstjernan was able to time charter the ship to the Stare Fuel Commission. When this three-month charter was over, Lao found herself laid up for 11 months, Nordstjeenan sold Leo in 1920 for one million kronor to Svenska Sockerfabriks AB, and her name was changed to Levins. She was sold for scrap in 1960, 235Engelsberg A small steamer of 770 tons deadweight was delivered to A Johnson & Co on 3 March 1917 from Goteborgs Nya Mekaniska Verkstads AB ~ i.e, Gotaverken. This vessel was named Engelsherg. Her first master was L J Larsson, with ] A Christenson as the firse chief cengineet She was a so-called “Svenske type”, with engines and superstructure aft, was particularly well suited for trafic through the enlarged Trollhitee canal in south- cern Sweden, and had been reinforced for navigation in ‘After no more than a few months, more precisely 25 July of the same year, the ship was sold by A Johnson & Co to Rederiaktiebolaget Nordstjernan. She was a singledecked bulk carrier for coastal traffic and intended to operate with a crew of 15, Cargo capacity totalled 34 000 cubic feet of grain, and the deck machinery was steam driven. Enelderg was ‘employed in traffic across the North Sea and along the Swedish coast After the war, she sailed for A Johnson & Co in the North Sea, but was laid up in Gothenburg in the winter of 1920 before being acquired in March 1921 by Rederi AB Ostersjin of Trelleborg for 230 000 kronor and renamed Salfid. In 1934, she was sold to Denmark for 90.000 kronor, and was converted t0 a diesle-driven “paragraph” ship (499 gross tons) in 1950. 236