HMS ''Princess Beatrix'' was a commando
troop ship
A troopship (also troop ship or troop transport or trooper) is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime. Troopships were often drafted from commercial shipping fleets, and were unable land troops directly on shore, typicall ...
of the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
. Built as a civilian passenger liner in 1939, she was named the MS ''Prinses Beatrix'', after
Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands
Beatrix (Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard, ; born 31 January 1938) is a member of the Dutch royal house who reigned as List of monarchs of the Netherlands, Queen of the Netherlands from 1980 until her abdication in 2013.
Beatrix is the eldest daug ...
, and operated by
Stoomvaart Maatschappij Zeeland (SMZ) (The Zealand Steamship Company) between
Flushing
Flushing may refer to:
Places
* Flushing, Cornwall, a village in the United Kingdom
* Flushing, Queens, New York City
** Flushing Bay, a bay off the north shore of Queens
** Flushing Chinatown (法拉盛華埠), a community in Queens
** Flushin ...
and
Harwich, along with her sister ship,
MS ''Koningin Emma''. After fleeing to Britain after the German invasion in 1940, she was requisitioned by the British
Ministry of War Transport
The Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) was a department of the British Government formed early in the Second World War to control transportation policy and resources. It was formed by merging the Ministry of Shipping and the Ministry of Transport ...
, renamed HMS ''Princess Beatrix'' and converted to a troopship at
Harland and Wolff
Harland & Wolff is a British shipbuilding company based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It specialises in ship repair, shipbuilding and offshore construction. Harland & Wolff is famous for having built the majority of the ocean liners for the W ...
's yard in
Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...
. During the war her main role was transporting
British Commandos
The Commando, Commandos, also known as the British Commandos, were formed during the World War II, Second World War in June 1940, following a request from Winston Churchill, for special forces that could carry out Raid (military), raids against ...
, and she participated in the
Lofoten Islands Raid and the
Dieppe Raid. She had the advantage of a high speed that allowed hit and run operations. Later designated as a
landing ship, infantry (medium) she took part in the landings in
North Africa
North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...
,
Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 = Ethnicity
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographi ...
,
Salerno,
Anzio
Anzio (, also , ) is a town and ''comune'' on the coast of the Lazio region of Italy, about south of Rome.
Well known for its seaside harbour setting, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Islands ...
, and
southern France. In 1946 ''Princess Beatrix'' was returned to her owners and continued to operate as ferry from
Hook of Holland
Hook of Holland ( nl, Hoek van Holland, ) is a town in the southwestern corner of Holland, hence the name; ''hoek'' means "corner" and was the word in use before the word ''kaap'' – "cape", from Portuguese ''cabo'' – became Dutch. The English t ...
until 1969, when she was scrapped in
Antwerp,
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
.
Construction
The MS ''Prinses Beatrix'' was ordered by the Zeeland Steamship Company (SMZ) in December 1937 to operate between
Vlissingen
Vlissingen (; zea, label= Zeelandic, Vlissienge), historically known in English as Flushing, is a municipality and a city in the southwestern Netherlands on the former island of Walcheren. With its strategic location between the Scheldt river ...
(Flushing) and
Harwich. The keel was laid on 7 May 1938 at the
De Schelde shipyard at Vlissingen, and the ship was launched on 25 March 1939 by
Prince Bernhard
, house = Lippe
, father = Prince Bernhard of Lippe
, mother = Armgard von Cramm
, birth_date =
, birth_name = Count Bernhard of Biesterfeld
, birth_place = Jena, Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Germany
, death_date = ...
.
During sea trials ''Prinses Beatrix'' made more than which was more than was contractually agreed. On 19 May 1939 the ship was handed over to the SMZ. It had a gross register tonnage of 4,135 tons and was capable of carrying 1,800 passengers. Propulsion was provided by two 2-stroke Sulzer diesel engines with a total output of 12,500 shp.
Service history
''Prinses Beatrix'' entered service on 3 July 1939, but after the outbreak of war on 1 September 1939, was withdrawn, and remained in port. On 10 May 1940 the Germans launched their
invasion of the Netherlands, dropping mines in the Schelde estuary, and bombing and strafing shipping. ''Prinses Beatrix'' promptly fled, arriving at
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
on the 15th.
Troop transport
Two days later the British
Ministry of War Transport
The Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) was a department of the British Government formed early in the Second World War to control transportation policy and resources. It was formed by merging the Ministry of Shipping and the Ministry of Transport ...
chartered her as a
troop transport
A troopship (also troop ship or troop transport or trooper) is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime. Troopships were often drafted from commercial shipping fleets, and were unable land troops directly on shore, typicall ...
. She was fitted with "
degaussing
Degaussing is the process of decreasing or eliminating a remnant magnetic field. It is named after the gauss, a unit of magnetism, which in turn was named after Carl Friedrich Gauss. Due to magnetic hysteresis, it is generally not possible to red ...
" coils as protection against German
magnetic mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to damage or destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, any ...
s and sailed with her original civilian crew on board in addition to a
Dutch Marine detachment.
The ship was ordered to take French troops evacuated to England from
Dunkirk back to
Brest
Brest may refer to:
Places
*Brest, Belarus
**Brest Region
**Brest Airport
**Brest Fortress
* Brest, Kyustendil Province, Bulgaria
* Břest, Czech Republic
*Brest, France
** Arrondissement of Brest
**Brest Bretagne Airport
** Château de Brest
*Br ...
to continue the fight. She left
Plymouth on 2 June and sailed with 2,000 aboard, accompanied by the French
corvette ''Commandant Rivière''. They returned the next day, then sailed once more with approximately 1,500 men on board, returning with British troops.
In September 1940 ''Prinses Beatrix'' was formally taken over by the
Admiralty
Admiralty most often refers to:
*Admiralty, Hong Kong
*Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964
*The rank of admiral
*Admiralty law
Admiralty can also refer to:
Buildings
* Admiralty, Traf ...
to be converted into an "assault ship" at the
Harland and Wolff
Harland & Wolff is a British shipbuilding company based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It specialises in ship repair, shipbuilding and offshore construction. Harland & Wolff is famous for having built the majority of the ocean liners for the W ...
shipyard in
Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...
. The upper deck was largely cleared and gravity
davits installed enabling six
LCAs Link Capacity Adjustment Scheme or LCAS is a method to dynamically increase or decrease the bandwidth of virtual concatenated containers. The LCAS protocol is specified in ITU-T
The ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) is one of ...
and two
LCM(1)s to be carried, along with 450 troops. ''Prinses Beatrix'' was armed with two 12-pounder guns, two 2-pounders, four Hotchkiss 20 mm machine guns, and four .303 cal. machine guns. The ship was commissioned as HMS ''Princess Beatrix'' on 22 January 1941 as a special service ship.
Lofoten Raid
Her first major action in her new role was "
Operation Claymore
Operation Claymore was a British commando raid on the Norwegian Lofoten Islands during the Second World War. The Lofoten Islands were an important centre for the production of fish oil and glycerine, used in the German war economy. The landing ...
", a raid on the
Lofoten Islands
Lofoten () is an archipelago and a traditional district in the county of Nordland, Norway. Lofoten has distinctive scenery with dramatic mountains and peaks, open sea and sheltered bays, beaches and untouched lands. There are two towns, Svolvæ ...
in northern
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
. On 22 February 1941 ''Princess Beatrix'' arrived at
Scapa Flow, where men of
3 Commando
No. 3 Commando was a battalion-sized British Commandos, Commando unit raised by the British Army during the Second World War. Formed in July 1940 from volunteers for special service, it was the first such unit to carry the title of "Commando". Sho ...
boarded, as well as
Royal Engineer
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...
demolition experts and a contingent of Norwegian troops. The British ships - five destroyers and two troop ships - entered the
Vestfjord
Vestfjord, meaning "West Fjord" in the Danish language, is a fjord in King Christian X Land, eastern Greenland.
This fjord is part of the Scoresby Sound system in the area of Sermersooq municipality. Geography
This tributary fjord extends between ...
on the morning of 4 March, and launched their attack. Surprise was complete and there was little resistance. All targets selected were located and destroyed. The troops were embarked by 13.00 hours and within half an hour the British had left. After returning to England ''Princess Beatrix'' was used for the training and exercise of Special Forces in Scotland.
South Atlantic
In late 1941 she was selected to join the forces gathered at
Freetown
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the Western Area of the country. Freetown is Sierra Leone's major urban, economic, financial, cultural, educational and po ...
,
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierr ...
, for "Operation Pilgrim", the planned occupation of the
Canary Islands, if either the Spanish or the Germans captured
Gibraltar
)
, anthem = " God Save the King"
, song = " Gibraltar Anthem"
, image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg
, map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe
, map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green
, mapsize =
, image_map2 = Gib ...
. After maintenance at Glasgow ''Princess Beatrix'' sailed to Freetown, arriving on 5 October 1941. However, it soon became clear that
Franco
Franco may refer to:
Name
* Franco (name)
* Francisco Franco (1892–1975), Spanish general and dictator of Spain from 1939 to 1975
* Franco Luambo (1938–1989), Congolese musician, the "Grand Maître"
Prefix
* Franco, a prefix used when ref ...
did not plan to join the
Axis
An axis (plural ''axes'') is an imaginary line around which an object rotates or is symmetrical. Axis may also refer to:
Mathematics
* Axis of rotation: see rotation around a fixed axis
* Axis (mathematics), a designator for a Cartesian-coordinat ...
, nor was he prepared to allow the German troops free passage through Spain to attack Gibraltar, and the operation was cancelled.
On 4 November 1941 the British navy tanker reported that she had been attacked by a German raider, between
Natal, Brazil
Natal ( ) is the capital and largest city of the state of Rio Grande do Norte, located in northeastern Brazil. According to IBGE's 2021 estimate, the city had a total population o896,708 making it the 19th largest city in the country. Natal is a ...
and Freetown. ''Princess Beatrix'' was one of the ships sent to search. No German raider was found and the Admiralty assumed that a German U-boat had shot at the tanker. However, on 22 November the was sunk by the British cruiser in the southern Atlantic close to
Ascension Island, and on 1 December the cruiser sank the German supply ship ''Python'' in the same area. Almost all the crews from both ships were taken aboard German and Italian submarines. The British feared that the Germans would try to land on Ascension and overwhelm the tiny garrison. ''Princess Beatrix'' was hurriedly loaded with troops and set sail. However, while en route it was learned that the German crewmen were on their way to
Bordeaux
Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefect ...
and the ship was recalled.
On 14 February 1942 ''Princess Beatrix'' left Freetown, and returned to England for refitting, after which she was reclassified as a
landing ship, infantry (medium).
Dieppe Raid
In April 1942 ''Princess Beatrix'' was selected to take part in a raid on the French coast at
Dieppe
Dieppe (; Norman: ''Dgieppe'') is a coastal commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France.
Dieppe is a seaport on the English Channel at the mouth of the river Arques. A regular ferry service runs to N ...
. On the evening of 18 August 1942 a fleet of more than 200 ships sailed across the Channel. ''Princess Beatrix'' and the British ship landed men of the
South Saskatchewan Regiment on "Green Beach" to the west of Dieppe at
Pourville. However, the raid was not a success, and the losses were high. ''Princess Beatrix'' sustained slight damage when she collided with the ''Invicta'' during operations.
Invasion of North Africa
After repairs ''Princess Beatrix'' was assigned to Training Squadron D based on the Clyde, carrying out exercises with Special Forces and practising the landing of ground troops on enemy beaches. All these exercises were in preparation for the landings in North Africa, "
Operation Torch". On 26 October 1942 ''Princess Beatrix'' received troops from the 1st Battalion of the
U.S. 6th Armored Infantry Regiment, then joined Convoy KMF-1 for North Africa, landing her troops west of
Oran.
The Moonlight Squadron
''Princess Beatrix'' remained in the western
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...
, supplying and transporting reinforcements for the
First Army. On the evening of Friday, 13 November 1942, ''Princess Beatrix'' left Algiers with units of the British
78th Infantry Division for
Bône
Annaba ( ar, عنّابة, "Place of the Jujubes"; ber, Aânavaen), formerly known as Bon, Bona and Bône, is a seaport city in the northeastern corner of Algeria, close to the border with Tunisia. Annaba is near the small Seybouse River ...
, close to the front line. On the return trip to Algiers she was repeatedly attacked by German aircraft, but made port without damage.
''Princess Beatrix'', her sister ship and the former Burn & Laird Lines ships and became known as the "Moonlight Squadron" for their preference for operating at night. After the
fall of Tunis in May 1943 the ships received a special commendation from the Allied Army Commanders and a letter from the British Admiral
Andrew Cunningham, the Commander in Chief of the western Mediterranean. During her time in the Mediterranean ''Princess Beatrix'' transported 15,700 men, including a large number of German and Italian POWs while sailing 12,000 miles.
Invasion of Sicily
''Princess Beatrix'' was then attached to the ships of "Operation Husky", the
invasion of Sicily
The Allied invasion of Sicily, also known as Operation Husky, was a major campaign of World War II in which the Allied forces invaded the island of Sicily in July 1943 and took it from the Axis powers ( Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany). It bega ...
. The ship was attached to Force B and sailed with convoy SBF-1. On board were men of the
51st (Highland) Infantry Division
The 51st (Highland) Division was an infantry division of the British Army that fought on the Western Front in France during the First World War from 1915 to 1918. The division was raised in 1908, upon the creation of the Territorial Force, as ...
and a Special Forces group, which were to raid a beach codenamed Bark South. On 16 August 1943 ''Princess Beatrix'' participated in a joint Anglo-American landing at Cape Scarletta, code-named "Operation Blackcock" aimed at
Messina.
Operations off Italy
After the Armistice between Italy and Allied armed forces, Armistice with Italy was announced on 8 September 1943, Allied troops were rushed from north Africa to the Italian mainland and ''Princess Beatrix'' made a number of voyages between Brindisi and Taranto
Taranto (, also ; ; nap, label= Tarantino, Tarde; Latin: Tarentum; Old Italian: ''Tarento''; Ancient Greek: Τάρᾱς) is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto, serving as an important com ...
. In the following months she was based at Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
. On 29 December 1943 ''Princess Beatrix'' was involved in " Operation Partridge" - a raid at the mouth of the Garigliano River
The Garigliano () is a river in central Italy.
It forms at the confluence of the rivers Gari (also known as the Rapido) and Liri. Garigliano is actually a deformation of "Gari-Lirano" (which in Italian means something like "Gari from the Liri") ...
with troops of 9 Commando.
During the Anzio landings on 22 January 1944 ''Princess Beatrix'' transported men of the 1st and 3rd Ranger Battalion
The 3rd Ranger Battalion, currently based at Fort Benning, Georgia, is the third of three Ranger Battalions belonging to the United States Army's 75th Ranger Regiment.
History World War II Ranger Organization by Major Herman Dammer
After the ...
s. ''Princess Beatrix'' then sailed to Ferryville, Tunisia
)
, image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa
, image_map2 =
, capital = Tunis
, largest_city = capital
, ...
, at the end of the month to overhaul her engines.
Operations off France
After operating around Corsica, supporting occupation operations, ''Princess Beatrix'' sailed into the Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to t ...
, and was the one of first ships to enter Ancona
Ancona (, also , ) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region in central Italy, with a population of around 101,997 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region. The city is located northeast of Rome, on the Adriatic ...
, after it was liberated. After a short stay at the east coast ''Princess Beatrix'' moved to the other side of the Italy, to transport French Special Forces on attacks on the French Mediterranean coast in " Operation Romeo".
During the invasion of southern France in August 1944 ''Princess Beatrix'' was in convoy CR-1, landing French troops at between Hyères
Hyères (), Provençal Occitan: ''Ieras'' in classical norm, or ''Iero'' in Mistralian norm) is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.
The old town lies from the sea clustered arou ...
and Saint-Tropez.
''Princess Beatrix'' then sailed for the UK, arriving at the Clyde Clyde may refer to:
People
* Clyde (given name)
* Clyde (surname)
Places
For townships see also Clyde Township
Australia
* Clyde, New South Wales
* Clyde, Victoria
* Clyde River, New South Wales
Canada
* Clyde, Alberta
* Clyde, Ontario, a tow ...
on 1 September 1944. In her two years in the Mediterranean she had sailed 42,755 miles and transported 26,142 men, including a large number of POWs, participated in eight landing operations with American, British and French troops aboard, without loss. Only one member of the crew was captured, but was promptly liberated, and returned to the ship eight days later.
Indian Ocean
''Princess Beatrix'' operated for a time between the Clyde, Avonmouth
Avonmouth is a port and outer suburb of Bristol, England, facing two rivers: the reinforced north bank of the final stage of the Avon which rises at sources in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Somerset; and the eastern shore of the Severn Es ...
and Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...
before she was decommissioned to be adapted for service in tropical waters at D & W Henderson Ltd., Glasgow. She then sailed to the Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by t ...
, arriving at Trincomalee
Trincomalee (; ta, திருகோணமலை, translit=Tirukōṇamalai; si, ත්රිකුණාමළය, translit= Trikuṇāmaḷaya), also known as Gokanna and Gokarna, is the administrative headquarters of the Trincomalee Dis ...
on 15 July 1945. A few days after the Japanese surrender
The surrender of the Empire of Japan in World War II was announced by Emperor Hirohito on 15 August and formally signed on 2 September 1945, bringing the war's hostilities to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy ( ...
she then took part in "Operation Jurist" - the reoccupation of Penang by British Marines.
''Princess Beatrix'' then acted as troop transport, sailing to Colombo
Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo m ...
, and taking French troops to Saigon. On 29 September the ship entered the port of Tanjung Priok
Tanjung Priok is a district of North Jakarta, Indonesia. It hosts the western part of the city's main harbor, the Port of Tanjung Priok (located in Tanjung Priok District and Koja District). The district of Tanjung Priok is bounded by Laksaman ...
to take Dutch women and children from Japanese concentration camps. In early January 1946 she was ordered to return home, arriving at Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most dens ...
on 15 February.
Return to the Netherlands
Decommissioned the next day, she was disarmed at Greenock, and on 13 April 1946 arrived at her home port of Vlissingen
Vlissingen (; zea, label= Zeelandic, Vlissienge), historically known in English as Flushing, is a municipality and a city in the southwestern Netherlands on the former island of Walcheren. With its strategic location between the Scheldt river ...
to be returned to the Dutch government. She served as a military transport for a time before being handed back to SMZ, and resumed her original name MS ''Prinses Beatrix''.
Post-war shortages of materials and labour meant that it was 31 May 1948 before ''Prinses Beatrix'' could return to service, sailing for the first time to Harwich from the Hook of Holland
Hook of Holland ( nl, Hoek van Holland, ) is a town in the southwestern corner of Holland, hence the name; ''hoek'' means "corner" and was the word in use before the word ''kaap'' – "cape", from Portuguese ''cabo'' – became Dutch. The English t ...
. She remained in service on the same route until 1968, when she was replaced by a new generation of roll-on/roll-off
Roll-on/roll-off (RORO or ro-ro) ships are cargo ships designed to carry wheeled cargo, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, buses, trailers, and railroad cars, that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels or using ...
ships. The thirty-year-old ''Prinses Beatrix'' was taken out of service and sold for scrap just before the year's end in Antwerp.
References
External links
Ships of Stoomvaart Maatschappij Zeeland
{{DEFAULTSORT:Princess Beatrix, Hms
Ministry of War Transport ships
Troop ships of the Royal Navy
1939 ships
Commandos (United Kingdom)