JUSTICA / STATENDAM

BUILT BY HARLAND AND WOLFF IN BELFAST AND WAS TO BE THE 'STATENDAM' FOR THE HOLLAND AMERICA LINE. THE FIRST WORLD WAR STOPPED WORK ON HER, SHE WAS LAUNCHED  IN 1914 BUT WORK  WAS CARRIED OUT VERY SLOWLY ON HER

 IN 1915 SHE WAS REQUISITION BY THE UK GOVERNMENT, AND FINALLY LAUNCHED AS 'JUSTICA' IN 1917.SHE WAS MEANT TO BE THE 'LUSITANIA' REPLACEMENT.

 IN 1918 SHE WAS TORPEDOED BY THE GERMAN SUBMARINE UB.46, BUT STAYED AFLOAT ONLY TO BE HIT TWICE MORE FROM TORPEDOS FROM THE UB.46.

HMS SONIA ( TUG ) TOOK HER IN TOW . SHE WAS HIT YET AGAIN BY A TORPEDO FROM THE UB.46, ALL THIS DESPITE HAVING ESCORTING DESTROYERS.THE NEXT DAY THE UB.124 ATTACKED HER AND SCORED TWO TORPEDO HITS ON HER, THE UB.46 HAVING SUSTAINED DAMAGE AND MADE AWAY. A FEW HOURS LATER  'JUSTICA'  KEELED OVER AND SANK. UB.124 WAS DEPTH CHARGED AND FORCED TO THE SURFACE, WHERE SHE WAS SUNK BY GUNFIRE FROM  THE ACCOMPANYING DESTROYERS 'PIGEON / MARNE / MILBROOK'. 'JUSTICA' HAD BEEN UNDER ATTACK FOR 18 HOURS IN DAYLIGHT WITH ACCOMPANYING DESTROYERS AND WAS STILL LOST DUE TO THE PERSISTENCE OF THE GERMAN U.BOATS.