SS Rotterdam

SS Rotterdam was a steam ocean liner that was launched and completed in Ireland in 1908, and scrapped in the Netherlands in 1940. Holland America Line (HAL) owned and operated her throughout her career. She was the fourth of seven HAL ships to have been named after the Dutch city of Rotterdam. Until entered service in 1929, Rotterdam was the largest and swiftest ship in the company's fleet, and was the company's flagship. Background In the 1900s HAL increased the size of its largest transatlantic passenger liners. Between 1899 and 1902 it introduced three sister ships of about each, two of which were built by Harland & Wolff in Belfast. Then in 1906 Harland & Wolff completed , a new HAL flagship of almost . Nieuw Amsterdam was also HAL's first ship with quadruple expansion engines, and at she was about swifter than HAL's three liners. HAL then ordered an even larger ship from Harland & Wolff. Early in 1906 HAL had sold its previous Rotterdam to Det Forenede Dampskibsselskab, who renamed her C.F. Tietgen. HAL re-used the name Rotterdam for the new ship. Building HAL had ordered the new ship by July 1906. Harland & Wolff built her on slipway number 3 as yard number 390, where she was laid down on 6 November 1906.