SS Königin Luise (1896)

SS Königin Luise ("Queen Louise") was a Barbarossa-class ocean liner built in 1896 by Vulcan Shipbuilding Corp. of Stettin, Germany, for the North German Lloyd line of Bremen. She served on the company's Australian, Far East, and North Atlantic routes for nearly two decades.

During World War I, Königin Luise was one of only two ships of her class to avoid being interned in neutral ports, spending the war in German ports. After the war, Königin Luise was allocated as war reparations to the United Kingdom, sold to the Orient Steam Navigation Company in 1921 and renamed Omar. She was sold again in 1924 to the Byron SS Co of London and operated on the Piraeus – New York service until scrapped in 1935.

Königin Luise
Königin Luise was built by AG Vulcan for the North German Lloyd (NDL) line and completed 17 March 1896.

Along with her sister ships SS Friedrich der Grosse, SS Barbarossa and SS Bremen (1897), the Königin Luise worked Australian, Far East, and North Atlantic routes for NDL. On Australian and Far East voyages she used the Suez Canal, and was one of the largest ships regularly using the canal.

At the outbreak of World War I Königin Luise was in port in Germany, thus avoiding internment, and due to the Royal Navy blockade, she was laid up. Following the Armistice, she was allocated as war reparations to the UK, and was surrendered to the UK Shipping Controller on 10 April 1919. She was allocated to the Orient Steam Navigation Company.

In mid 1919, she departed from Devonport, England, carrying Australian troops returning home, including Victoria Cross winner James Park Woods. On 20 October 1919, British troops embarked her (now described as HT Konigin Luise) in India to travel to England. On 8 September 1920, during third London – Australia voyage, she collided at Lisbon with the British steamship Loughborough, which sank.

Omar
In January 1921 the ship was sold to the Orient Steam Navigation Company, which renamed her Omar.

Edison
The ship was again sold in July 1924 to Byron SS Co. of London, and renamed Edison. She worked the Piraeus – New York route until being scrapped in 1935 in Italy.