Prins Albert (1937)

Later names:
HMS Prins Albert LSI(S)-435

Builder:
Cockerill Yards
Hoboken, Belgium
Ordered:
N/A
Keel Laid:
N/A
Year Built:
1937
Launched:
April 23, 1937
Type:
Passenger
Completed:
October 1937
Fate:
Scrapped at Ghent, Belgium in 1970.


Owner
Oostende-Dover Line
(Belgian Government)
Oostende, Belgium


Dimensions, machinery and performance

Length:
372' 7"
Engines:
Two 12-cylinder Cockerill/Sulzer diesels
Beam:
49'
Boilers:
N/A
Draft:
12' 3"
Shafts:
2
Gross Tons:
2,938 (a)
HP:
17,000
Displacement:
N/A
Speed:
25.5 knots
Crew:
60 (200 wartime)
Funnels:
1
Passengers:
1,728 (250 troops)
Masts:
2
Construction notes
(a):
Later rebuilt to 3,359 GRT


History
Built for the Oostende, Belgium to Dover, England route.
May 1940:
Sailed with refugees from Oostende, Belgium to Folkestone, England.
Sept. 1941:
Converted in Penarth Pontoon Slipway & Ship Repairing Co. to an LSI(S), pennant numnber
LSI(S)-435.

Dec. 26, 1941:

Attack on the Lofoten Islands Norway.

Feb. 27, 1942:
Commando attack on Bruneval at Le Havre, France .
Aug. 19, 1942:

Attack on Dieppe by Royal Navy & Canadian troops.

May 1943:
Mediterranean Sea, landings on Sicily and in Italy. Salerno, Catania, Brindisi, Palermo,
Tarento, Augusta, Syracuse and Tropolis. At Catania, while the first wave of landing
craft were heading for the shore, HMS Prins Albert was attacked by seven torpedo boats,
only the brilliant seamanship by the captain saved the ship by avoiding the torpedoes in the
dark with still half of the Commandos on board and the ship and ship’s company were at risk.
The Captain still had to get the ship back on station to receive the boats coming back, which
he managed to do.

1943:

Returned to British waters for the training of commandos.

June 6, 1944:

Landing with American troops at Omaha Beach, Normandy with a total of eight crossings.

July 9, 1944:

To the South of France disembarking French Foreign Legion troops.

Oct. 1, 1944:
After transporting more than 20,000 officers and soldiers HMS Prins Albert went back to
the U.K. for repairs at the dry dock in Penarth.

Jan. 1, 1945:
After repairs it was off to the Far East with landings at Ramree Island just off the coast
of Burma.

May 1945:
At the end of the Landings in Burma, participated in the attack of Rangoon (Operation
Dracula).

1946:
Returned from the Far East.
Apr. 26, 1946:
Ministry of War Transport (MOWT) delivered to Antwerp the Prins Albert, which had
a long and successful war career, and deserved as a result the nickname of "Lucky Albert "
despite her adventures she was never touched.

June 1, 1947:
Resumption normal service at the line Oostende -Dover.
1968:
Removed from service and laid up.
1970:
Scrapped.


The information on this page was provided by Arne Pyson.


Builder's Data
Page published Aug. 3, 2008