S/S “Heimdall”:
From steamer to “car ferry”

	During World War II “Heimdall” carried hundreds of children away from the war in Finland to the safety in Sweden. On this painting the vessel arrives at Turku after such a voyage in the winter of 1942 and is assisted by Turku's old harbour tug “Aura”.

In 1913 Stockholms Rederiaktiebolag Svea ordered a single-decked combined passenger and cargo vessel from Oskarshamns Mek. Verkstads & Skeppsdockas AB. The vessel was named “Heimdall” and delivered in 1915.
Originally the newbuilding was intended for the route Stockholm–Riga, but the outbreak of World War I made it impossible to fulfil these plans. Instead it was decided to put her on the Stockholm–Lübeck trade.
However, most of her career “Heimdall” sailed between Sweden and Finland. On a journey from Stockholm to Helsinki on September 8, 1929 she went aground at Ryssmasterna in the northern part of the Stockholm archipelago. She sank but was salvaged after a month. Her elegant interiors were destroyed and after a complete refit she was back in business on the Finland route.
After the outbreak of World War II in 1939 “Heimdall” was temporarily laid up. In the severe ice winter of 1940 she was chartered for icebreaking, but was soon back on the Stockholm–Mariehamn– Turku service. “Heimdall” was one of the vessels carrying Finnish children to safety in Sweden from the Soviet bombardments of several cities during the war.
After more than 40 years of service for Svea, a new era began for “Heimdall” in 1957. She was sold to the recently established Siljarederiet – the Silja company – which was formed by the three co-operating owners Svea, Bore and FÅA. Already from the start, Silja’s business idea was to carry passengers and cars. “Heimdall” was rebuilt and renamed “Silja”, but her car-carrying capacity was modest. She could take about 25 cars on deck, but they had to be loaded by crane!
“Silja” continued her former traffic between Sweden and Finland. Although made obsolete by the new car ferries, “Silja” continued in service for many years. In 1961 she was on chartered to FÅA for the Helsinki–Travemünde trade and in the summer 1966 she made cruises from Helsinki to Tallinn and Riga.
In 1967 “Silja” was finally sold to M. Rauanheimo in Kokkola, Finland, and sailed a few seasons on the Gulf of Bothnia as Coccolita. The very last season, 1970, she made short cruises between Stockholm and Mariehamn for Bore Lines as Mariehamnaren. Now her time was definitively out and the 56-year-old lady was scrapped in Helsinki in 1971.

// Pär-Henrik Sjöström

Sources:
Olsson: Svensk Kustsjöfart 1840–1940, Borås 1997
Lundmark: Rederi-Svea, Stockholm 1951
Malmberg: Fyrtio år med Silja Lines vita båtar
Persson: Kustångare, Uddevalla 1983
Thure Malmbergs sjöfartsarkiv

Back to SSG 7, August 23

Latest update 18-10-2006 8:49

All material © Scandinavian Shipping Gazette.

Scandinavian Shipping Gazette | www.shipgaz.com | info@shipgaz.com | webmaster | Contact us | Cookie information