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DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
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WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Photo #  NH 76127:  S.S. Malolo off San Pedro, California, circa the later 1920s


Online Library of Selected Images:
-- CIVILIAN SHIPS --

S.S. Malolo (American Passenger Liner, 1927).
Renamed Matsonia in 1937.
Later renamed Atlantic (Panamanian) and Vasilissa Friederiki (Greek)

S.S. Malolo, a 17,226 gross ton passenger liner built at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was completed in late 1927 after a delay caused by a very serious collision while running trials. For the next decade she was employed by the Matson Navigation Company between the U.S. West Coast and Honolulu, Hawaii. Though renamed Matsonia in 1937, when Matson sold the previous ship of that name, there was no change in her activities until early 1942 when she began service as a War Shipping Administration troopship, under the Matson Company's management. During the rest of World War II she played an important role in Pacific conflict's logistics effort, making trips to Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere in the southern Pacific, as well as to Hawaii, Guam and, after the war ended, to Japan.

Matsonia completed her wartime work in April 1946 and soon resumed her commercial voyages between San Francisco, California, and Honolulu. In 1948 she was sold and renamed, becoming the Panamanian-registered Atlantic. From 1949 until late 1954 she carried passengers from U.S. and Canada ports to the Mediterranean, England and France. Sold to Greek interests in 1955, she was renamed Vasilissa Friederiki (Queen Frederica) but generally continued trade between North America and Europe. From the later 1960s into the mid-1970s the ship was mainly employed on cruise service in the Mediterranean. Laid up after 1973, she was scrapped in 1977.

This page features the only views we have concerning the passenger steamship Malolo, which was renamed Matsonia in 1937.


If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."

Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.

Photo #: NH 76127

S.S. Malolo
(American Passenger Liner, 1927)

Underway off San Pedro, California, circa the later 1920s.
This ship was renamed Matsonia in 1937.
A motor launch from USS Medusa (AR-1) is passing by in the foreground.

Donation of Lieutenant Gustave Freret, USN (Retired), 1972.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 79KB; 740 x 605 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 89859

S.S. Matsonia
(American Passenger Liner, 1927)

Off San Francisco, California, circa 1943, while employed as a troopship.
Built under the name Malolo for the Matson Line's Hawaiian Islands service, this ship was renamed Matsonia in 1937. In 1948 she was renamed Atlantic under the Panamanian flag, and later became the Greek liner Queen Frederica. She was scrapped in 1977.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 70KB; 740 x 605 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 99795

S.S. Matsonia
(American Passenger Liner, 1927)

Halftone reproduction of a photograph taken during World War II, while the ship was employed as a troop transport.

Copied from the book "Troopships of World War II", by Roland W. Charles.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 61KB; 740 x 410 pixels

 


S.S. Matsonia is seen in the background of the following photographs of another ship:

Photo #: NH 99667

USS Black Hawk
(AD-9)

Plan view, taken from off the starboard bow while she was at San Francisco Bay, California, 3 March 1943.
White outlines mark recent alterations, among them new gun installations at the bow.
The transport S.S. Matsonia is in the background.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 106KB; 740 x 565 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 99668

USS Black Hawk
(AD-9)

Plan view, taken from off the starboard side amidships, while she was at San Francisco Bay, California, 3 March 1943.
White outlines mark recent alterations, among them 20mm anti-aircraft machine guns installed atop the midships deckhouse.
The transport S.S. Matsonia is in the background.
Note life rafts on Black Hawk, and white life ring with the ship's name painted on it and line coiled inside (in the boat in the lower left).

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 113KB; 740 x 550 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 99669

USS Black Hawk
(AD-9)

Plan view, taken from off the starboard side amidships, looking aft, while she was at San Francisco Bay, California, 3 March 1943.
White outlines mark recent alterations, among them 20mm anti-aircraft machine guns installed atop the midships deckhouse.
The transport S.S. Matsonia is in the background.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 97KB; 740 x 555 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 99670

USS Black Hawk
(AD-9)

Plan view, taken from off the starboard side aft, while she was at San Francisco Bay, California, 3 March 1943.
White outlines mark recent alterations, among them new after gun installations, and smoke generator tanks on the quarters with a trash incinerator between them.
The transport S.S. Matsonia is in the background.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 102KB; 740 x 555 pixels

 


If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."


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Page made 12 December 2004