RATAJ (5290557) Briefly, she was built at Helsingors in 1906 as the QUEEN ALEXANDRA and later became the WEICHSEL. In 1946 she became the RATAJ for the Polish Government (Polish Steamship Co.). She was 1340 gross tons and in 1968 was converted for use as a storeship. I have a note that she was eventually broken up in 1975, by then 69 years old.
George Robinson provided some additional details on Riversea International:
built Helsingørs Jernsk. & Msk. (yard no. 110) as QUEEN ALEXANDRA for A/S Alf. Christensen, Copenhagen;
1913 WEICHSEL, Hamburg-Danzig GmbH; 1946 RATAJ; Reduced to storage hulk MP-ZPS-5 in 1968; Broken up at Ghent in 1976
No, I've no photos of my own of her, but I do have this Evening Gazette cutting from 10 May 1963!
And I do have photos in my collection!
- World Ship Photo Library
- Dave Hocquard
- As MP-ZPS-5 In the Kiel Canal on 13/12/1975, under tow to the breakers
Photo by Gerhard Fiebiger (Malcolm Cranfield collection)