Cruise Talk: Coronation Voyage: Canadian Pacific

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»	Cruise Talk » Ocean Liners and Classic Cruise Ships » Coronation Voyage: Canadian Pacific - Empress of France

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Topic: Coronation Voyage: Canadian Pacific - Empress of France

Paddy
First Class Passenger
Member # 357

posted 11-14-2000 05:13 PM

I am going to see Coronation Voyage tomorrow. Has anyone seen this play? Any info on it? Also, I would like (if possible) any info on teh ship and the line (if the ship actualy existed).
Thanks,
Paddy.

Posts: 763 | From: Belfast, Ireland | Registered: Aug 99 | IP: Logged

sympatico
First Class Passenger
Member # 797

posted 11-14-2000 05:36 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Paddy:
I am going to see Coronation Voyage tomorrow. Has anyone seen this play? Any info on it? Also, I would like (if possible) any info on teh ship and the line (if the ship actualy existed).
Thanks,
Paddy.

Canadian Pacific used to have a ship but I don't think it was called the Empress of France. I thought it was the Empress of Canada. I don't think CP would have a ship named "France", but then again, I may be wrong. I know she was bought and her name changed and I don't know if she is even still sailing.
Maybe Green or one of the other Canucks remembers this ship.
I may be all wrong, so excuse me if I am. If my husband was here, he definitely would know.

Posts: 3305 | From: Toronto, Ont. Canada | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

PauloMestre
First Class Passenger
Member # 1613

posted 11-14-2000 06:27 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Paddy:
I am going to see Coronation Voyage tomorrow. Has anyone seen this play? Any info on it? Also, I would like (if possible) any info on teh ship and the line (if the ship actualy existed).
Thanks,
Paddy.

Paddy, there was only one Empress of France on the CPR fleet. She was the former Alsatian on the Allan Line that was transfered when CPR bought the Allan Line in 1917. Launched in March 1913 in Glasgow, her maiden voyage was in January 1914. During the war she served as a armed merchant cruiser, and helped rescue the crew of the wrecked WSL Oceanic in September 1914.
She was renamed in 1919 and until 1931 used mainly on the Canadian run and some around-the-world cruises in the 20's. Laid up in 1931 she was scrapped in 1934.
Length: 600 ft
Breadth: 72 ft
Tonnage: 18,000

Regards

Paulo Mestre

[This message has been edited by PauloMestre (edited 11-14-2000).]

Posts: 311 | From: Alhos Vedros, Setubal, Portugal | Registered: Sep 2000 | IP: Logged

gohaze
First Class Passenger
Member # 586

posted 11-14-2000 07:32 PM

Sorry Paolo but there were 2 Empress of France...I sailed on the second one in 1955.
She was built as the Duchess of Bedford by John Browns in 1928. 20,133gt. On the 9th Aug. 1942 she sank a U-boat by gunfire.
Oct.1947 after a refit she was renamed Empress of France and went to the boneyard at Newport Mon. in 1960.
Her sistership, the Duchess of Richmond became the Empress of Canada which was burned out alongside in Liverpool in 1953.
...peter

Posts: 1909 | From: Vancouver.BC | Registered: Sep 99 | IP: Logged

NAL
First Class Passenger
Member # 1102

posted 11-14-2000 07:36 PM

It seems to me I remember Canadian Pacific
buying De Grasse from the French Line as
they need extra tonnage at the time. I
think they only used her a short time and
then she was sold to the Italians. I cannot
remember what they renamed her...Empress of
Scotland rings a bell, but I'm not sure.
Others will know.

Posts: 2243 | From: Watsontown, PA | Registered: Feb 2000 | IP: Logged

gohaze
First Class Passenger
Member # 586

posted 11-14-2000 08:47 PM

NAL...the De Grasse was as you say bought from French Line, to replace the burned out Empress of Canada. She was renamed Empress of Australia and I sailed on her too in 1954.
The Empress of Scotland was originally the Empress of Japan and was renamed for obvious reasons. She became the Hanseatic.
...peter

Posts: 1909 | From: Vancouver.BC | Registered: Sep 99 | IP: Logged

Terry
First Class Passenger
Member # 448

posted 11-15-2000 06:47 AM

Peter

Did you sail on the JAPAN/SCOTLAND? If so were her interiors much changed from pre-war.

Thanks Terry Donegan

Posts: 391 | From: Brandon, Norfolk, UK | Registered: Aug 99 | IP: Logged

Malcolm @ cruisepage
Cruise Director
Member # 301

posted 11-15-2000 07:29 AM

Paddy, what is the play about?

Posts: 19210 | From: Essex (Just Outside London) | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

NAL
First Class Passenger
Member # 1102

posted 11-15-2000 09:24 AM

gohaze....

Thanks for clearing up the question. I know
my mother sailed on the De Grasse in'49 or
so, but that was too early for me. Was she
changed much internally when she became the
Empress of Australia? I know she was a quick
replacement so not too much could have been
done.

Posts: 2243 | From: Watsontown, PA | Registered: Feb 2000 | IP: Logged

PauloMestre
First Class Passenger
Member # 1613

posted 11-15-2000 11:41 AM

The ships in question:

First Empress of France (ex Alsatian)
1919-1934

Second Empress of France (seen here with her former name, Duchess of Bedford)
1928-1960

DeGrasse with CGT colours with the modifications done in 1947 (one funnel, rebuilt forward superstructure)
1924-1953

Empress of Australia (ex DeGrasse), she was bought by CPR to replace the Empress of Canada (ex Duchess of Richmond) that burned out in London in 1953. Since the Empress of Canada was completely booked for the Coronation Year a new ship was need imediatly for their Liverpool-Montreal run.
After 3 years, now that she have served her duty CPR sold her to the Grimaldi-SIOSA company in 1956. She was refurbished and used on their Italy-West Indies-Venezuela run.
Renamed Venezuela, she hit rocks near Cannes in 1962 and since her repair was considered too expensive for her age she was finally scrapped.

When placing Empress of Australia on service CPR shortnend the masts so that she could pass under the bridges at Montreal.

Regards

Paulo Mestre

[This message has been edited by PauloMestre (edited 11-15-2000).]

Posts: 311 | From: Alhos Vedros, Setubal, Portugal | Registered: Sep 2000 | IP: Logged

gohaze
First Class Passenger
Member # 586

posted 11-15-2000 01:07 PM

Hi...as I mentioned the Empress of Canada was burned out in Liverpool - in the Gladstone Dock where she was doing her annual refit. It was a bad time for a fire, suppertime on a Sunday with basically only watchmen on board. Astern of her was her sistership the Empress of France and whilst the Officers on there plus the Company's large shore gang offered to go on board with the City firemen to show them where to go, they were all ordered off the ship and to stay away. Consequently most of the water poured on went to the wrong places and as the list increased the Fire Chief wouldn't take any advice and the inevitably happened when she capsized against the dock.
The Officers on the France using the Ralston (anybody remember them) Stability table calculated within 1 degree of when it would happen. Not bad.!!
There was a big shake-up in the Fire Dept. after that and they started Fire Fighting courses for ship's Officers out at the Fire School at the Airport.

The Australia was replaced by the new Empress of Britain.

Terry...I never sailed on the Scotland so I'm afraid I can't answer that one but I doubt that she was anywhere near as nice as the Japan. Those conversions back to peacetime were pretty austere due simply to lack of materials at that time.

NAL...other than painting the hull white and changing the name and the funnel, I don't think ther was much done. One thing I do remember was the bulk wine room with all the copper pipes and the big copper jugs that were filled for the dining rooms and I guess the crew messes as well. Needless to say the CPR didn't use them.
....peter

Posts: 1909 | From: Vancouver.BC | Registered: Sep 99 | IP: Logged

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