SS Normandie 70th Anniversary of the Final Arrival at New York - August 28, 1939

by John McFarlane

Friday, August 28, 2009 is the 70th Anniversary of the final arrival at New York of the French Line flagship SS NORMANDIE. NORMANDIE was the largest and one of the fastest ocean liners in existence at that time. Her gross tonnage was 83,423 and she was 1,029 feet long (313.64m) and 118 feet wide (35.93m). The top speed of this liner was over 30 knots. From 1935 until 1938 she would vie with QUEEN MARY for the title of the fastest liner in the world.

Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939 and World War II quickly put an end to commercial passengership travel across the North Atlantic. Compagnie Generale Transatlantique (French Line), her owners, decided to keep NORMANDIE at Pier 88 North River in New York rather than allow her to sail back to Le Havre, France. Her commercial life turned out to be very short lasting only from her maiden sailing from Le Havre on May 29, 1935 until her final arrival at New York on August 28, 1939. A total of only 139 crossings.

A series of six photographs of NORMANDIE follows showing an arrival at Pier 88 in New York in the late 1930’s. The great liner is slowly warped around the "knuckle" of the French Line pier and ties up on the north side.

As it turned out SS NORMANDIE was not to sail again after her August 28, 1939 arrival. The next scheduled sailing, August 30, was cancelled and she remained at Pier 88. She was tendered by a skeleton French crew of 115 until December 12, 1941 when she was seized by the United States Navy. Work was then authorized to begin the process of conversion of the ship into a troop transport. At 3:05 PM on February 9, 1942 NORMANDIE caught fire, burned and capsized at her berth. A total loss, she was eventually salvaged, righted and scrapped in the port. THE END

Please click here to access the New York Times "Shipping & Mails" for August, 24/30, 1939.