Еуропа және Либерте: Атлант мұхитының лайнерінің тарихы

German, later French ocean liner in service 1928 1962

SS Europa, later SS Liberté IMO 5607332, was a German ocean liner built for the Norddeutsche Lloyd line (NDL) to work the transatlantic sea route. Launched in 1928, she and her sister ship, , were the two most advanced, high speed steam turbine ocean vessels in their day, with both earning the Blue Riband. After World War II French line Compagnie Générale Transatlantique was awarded the Europa as a war prize to replace the destroyed , which had caught fire and capsized at her moorings while interned by the United States in New York City. Europa was refitted at Le Havre and rechristened the Liberté, serving until the arrival of the in 1961 as the premier liner in the Compagnie's fleet. She was laid up in 1962 and scrapped at La Spezia, Italy, in 1963.

Europa was built in 1928 with her sister ship to be the second 50,000–gross ton North German Lloyd liner. They both were powered with advanced high speed steam turbine engines and and a low streamlined profile. Europa and her slightly larger sister ship were designed to have a cruising speed of 27.5 knots, allowing an Atlantic crossing time of 5 days. This enabled Norddeutsche Lloyd to run regular weekly crossings with two ships, an operation that previously required three. The launching of Europa took place at Blohm & Voss shipyard, Hamburg on Wednesday, August 15, 1928. Europa was intended to be completed in spring 1929. However, on the morning of 26 March 1929, a fire broke out while still at the equipment dock. The fire raged all day long and it was not until the evening when the fire was under control. The ship's turbines were damaged heavily and also the remainder of the ship had been significantly damaged. After long discussions between builder and shipping company, it was decided to repair the ship. Within eleven months the ship was finished and completed on February 22, 1930. The cause of the fire has never been clearly identified.

Europa made her maiden voyage to New York on 19 March 1930 taking the westbound Blue Riband from with the average speed of 27.91 knots and a crossing time of 4 days, 17 hours and 6 minutes. During the voyage many of her passengers were disturbed by the soot coming out of Europa'''s low funnels. The problem was corrected by raising the funnels by 15 feet, though decreasing her low profile. After they were raised, there were no more complaints. She held the Riband until Bremen recaptured it in June 1933. None of these plans came to pass, and in 1945, she was captured by the Allies and used as a troopship, sailing as the USS Europa (AP 177). Europa suffered from small fires caused by the removal of the ship's original high quality fittings and installation of inferior replacements to compensate for material shortages in the war effort. Also, several serious hull cracks were discovered. She was raised in April 1947 and towed to the Ateliers et Chantiers de Saint Nazaire Penhoët shipyard in Saint Nazaire to complete her refitting. She suffered some further damage when the ship caught fire once again in October 1949, resulting in damage to some of her passenger space. After five years and two near disasters the crossing was uneventful. Sailing the Le Havre – New York route, and she went on to serve as the premier transatlantic liner in the French Line fleet until the arrival of the 66,000 ton in 1961. Liberté was laid up in 1962 and scrapped at La Spezia, Italy, in 1963. Liberté was featured prominently in the Jane Russell film The French Line. Liberté made an appearance in the opening credits of the 1953 film How to Marry a Millionaire, as well as the 1954 classic film Sabrina, starring Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart, in the final scenes of the film. FateLiberté'' was scrapped in La Spezia, Italy, in 1964.