SS Batavier II (1897)

Batavier II and her sister ship {{SS|Batavier III|1897|2}} were built for William Müller and Company by the Gourlay Brothers of Dundee, Scotland. The ship was launched on 17 August 1897. As built, she was {{convert|74.4|m|ftin}} long (between perpendiculars) and {{convert|10.2|m|ftin}} abeam. Batavier II was powered by a single 4-cylinder, triple-expansion steam engine of {{convert|2000|ihp}} that moved her up to {{convert|14|knots|km/h}}. She could carry up to 321 passengers: 44 in first class, 27 in second class, and up to 250 in steerage. She was listed at {{GRT|1136|disp=long}}.

Upon completion in October 1897, she joined the 683-ton Batavier I in packet service between Rotterdam and London. The pair were joined by Batavier III after her completion in November.{{csr|register=MSI|id=5600939|shipname=Batavier III |access-date=17 March 2009 }} In Rotterdam, the ships docked at the Willemsplein; in London, the ships originally docked near London Bridge, but in 1899 switched to the Customs House and Wool Quays near the Tower Bridge. Also beginning in 1899, Batavier Line service between Rotterdam and London was offered daily except Sundays;van Ysselsteyn, p. 222. each of the ships made three round trips per week. In addition to passengers, Batavier II could also carry a limited quantity of freight. One example that may be typical was a load of {{convert|1|LT|ST}} of dry chemical wood pulp in 5 bales carried to London in March 1907.{{cite journal | title = British imports of chemical and mechanical wood pulp for the week ended March 23rd 1907 | journal = The World's Paper Trade Review; A Weekly Journal for Paper Makers & Engineers | location = London | publisher = W. John Stonhill & Co. | volume = XLVII | issue = 14 | page = 42 | date = 5 April 1907 | oclc = 49480751 }} In 1909, Batavier II was rebuilt to {{GRT|1335}} and lengthened by {{convert|5.3|m|ftin}} to {{convert|79.7|m|ftin}}.

After the outbreak of World War I in August 1914, the Batavier Line continued service on the Rotterdam–London route. In December 1914, Batavier II made news when porters handling what was identified as a {{convert|750|lb|kg|adj=on}} crate of Swedish matches discovered an escaped German Army officer inside. The plan, apparently, was for him to be shipped from London to Rotterdam via Batavier II. The plot unraveled when the porters could only move the heavy crate by rolling it, which knocked the man unconscious; the officer was returned to the custody of British military officials.{{cite news | title = Find German officer hidden in a big box | url = https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1914/12/13/100122103.pdf | work = The New York Times | date = 13 December 1914 | access-date = 18 March 2009 | page = 2 }}

In June 1915, passengers on Batavier II witnessed an attack by two German airplanes against a British steamship between the Galloper and the North Hinder Lightships. The attack was broken off when two British airplanes arrived over the ship to engage the German aircraft; none of the airplanes were destroyed, and the ship was unscathed.{{cite journal | editor-last = Spooner | editor-first = Stanley | title = Aircraft and the War | journal = Flight | volume = VII | issue = 23 | date = 4 June 1915 | page = 404 | location = London | publisher = Royal Aero Club | issn = 0015-3710 | oclc = 6674288 }}

On 24 September 1916, after Batavier II had departed from Rotterdam, the ship was stopped by the German submarine {{SMU|UB-6||2}}. She was seized as prize and sailed into German-held Zeebrugge. There, Batavier II{{'}}s Dutch crew and women and children passengers were released and sent via train to Rotterdam.{{cite news | title = Another Dutch ship seized by Germans | url = https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1916/09/25/104692304.pdf | work = The New York Times | date = 25 September 1916 | access-date = 18 March 2009 | page = 1 }}{{cite web | last = Helgason | first = Guðmundur | title = Ships hit during WWI: Ships hit by UB 6 | url = http://uboat.net/wwi/boats/successes/ub6.html | work = U-Boat War in World War I | publisher = Uboat.net | date = | access-date = 18 March 2009 }} The Germans confiscated the ship's cargo of food. Also on board Batavier II were four escaped Russian prisoners of war and Richard Hansemann, a German-born New York businessman.{{cite news | title = Germans hold New Yorker | newspaper = The Washington Post | date = 27 September 1916 | page = 3 }} American newspapers carried reports of Hansemann's plight, reporting by 1 October that he would likely be impressed into the German Army.{{cite news | title = May have to join army | url = https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1916/10/01/99441367.pdf | work = The New York Times | date = 1 October 1916 | access-date = 18 March 2009 | page = 5 }}

Batavier II{{'}}s whereabouts and activities over the next ten months are uncertain. She remained under German control for a time,{{cite web | last = Helgason | first = Guðmundur | title = Ships hit during WWI: Batavier Ii (p.) | url = http://uboat.net/wwi/ships_hit/665.html | work = U-Boat War in World War I | publisher = Uboat.net | access-date = 18 March 2009 }} but how long is not clear from sources. Batavier II was back under Dutch control by late July 1917.{{cite news | title = How Batavier II was sunk | work = The New York Times | date = 1 Aug 1917 | page = 2 }}

On 27 July 1917, Batavier II was shelled by British submarine {{HMS|E55||2}} just outside Dutch territorial waters.Sources alternately identify the submarine as {{HMS|L55}}, upon which construction had not yet begun in July 1917; or "C55"', never used by a British submarine. See: {{cite news | title = Capture of Dutch ship by submarine | work = The Christian Science Monitor | date = 1 Aug 1917 | page = 1 }} Also see: {{cite news | title = How Batavier II was sunk | work = The New York Times | date = 1 Aug 1917 | page = 2 }} Damaged by E55{{'}}s gunfire, Batavier II{{'}}s crew steered her back into Dutch territorial waters. E55 then sent a prize crew on board Batavier II and sailed her back outside Dutch waters. By the time a Dutch torpedo boat arrived on the scene, Batavier II was taking on water and had drifted back into Dutch territory. The torpedo boat sent the message "respect neutrality" to E55 which retrieved her prize crew and departed. Despite efforts to stem the flow of water,{{cite news | title = Capture of Dutch ship by submarine | work = The Christian Science Monitor | date = 1 Aug 1917 | page = 1 }} Batavier II sank {{convert|1|nmi|km}} from the Molengat North Buoy, off Texel.

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• {{cite book | last = van Ysselsteyn | first = Hendrik Albert | title = The Port of Rotterdam | location = Rotterdam | publisher = Nijgh & Van Ditmar's Publishing Co. | year = 1908 | edition = 3d | oclc = 60983381 }}

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{{July 1917 shipwrecks}}

{{coord missing|North Sea}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Batavier Ii}}

Category:Ships built in Dundee

Category:Passenger ships of the Netherlands

Category:Ships sunk by British submarines

Category:World War I shipwrecks in the North Sea

Category:1897 ships

Category:Maritime incidents in 1917