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Swedish Lloyd

 

Rederiaktiebolaget Svenska Lloyd

 

 

This page is devoted to postcards and photographs of Swedish Lloyd, initially concentrating on the passenger services from Gothenburg to the UK. An alphabetical list of ships covered on this page is shown below. The Table beneath gives links to complete postcard history pages on selected individual ships. Below the table are official postcards of the fleet in alphabetical order.

 

 

Brief History of Swedish Lloyd:-

The origins of Swedish Lloyd date back to 1869, but it was only with the purchase of Thule Line in 1916 that they entered the North Sea passenger market. The Thule Steamship Co had been formed in Gothenburg in 1870. They traded between Gothenburg and Granton (near Edinburgh) in Scotland, chosen because the Wilson Line (Thomas Wilson & Son) was already dominant in Hull, and London was already served by the London Line of a different Wilson, J.W.Wilson (an Englishman based in Gothenburg). Thule's first passenger steamer was the Bele of 1879. In 1882, Thule acquired the London Line of J.W.Wilson, and amalgamated the fleets. Bele was transferred to the London route. In 1882, Thule added the new steamer Thorsten to the London route, followed by the Thule in 1892. At this point the Bele reverted to the Granton route. In 1898, the Balder was added to the Granton route, and in 1909, the first Saga entered service to London, displacing the Thorsten to the Granton route. From 1910, calls were made at Harwich on the way to London. Thule Line was itself absorbed by Swedish Lloyd in 1916, along with passenger ships Bele, Thorsten, Thule, Balder, and Saga (1).

 

The first Swedish Lloyd addition to the fleet was the first in Patricia 1919, although the ship had been built in 1901 for Vladivostok-Shanghai service. Patricia (1) inaugurated a new Newcastle-Gothenburg service with the Saga (1). Patricia (1) and Saga (1) were replaced in 1929, when the two turbines Suecia and Britannia were delivered for the London service. They maintained this service until 1966, despite two new diesel ferries delivered after the war, the Saga (2) and Patricia (2). These two impressive ferries were designed for summer service between Gothenburg-London only, with cruises being undertaken in winter. However, they proved too large even for peak summer service, and both were sold in 1956/57, leaving the route to the 1929 turbines until replaced by car ferry Saga (3) in 1966.

 

Swedish Lloyd had joined forces with other established operators to form the ELS consortium (ELS = Ellerman's Wilson Line, Swedish Lloyd and Stockholms Rederi "Svea"), and they initiated vehicle ferry services at the same time, with the ships Spero, Svea and Saga. Although new, and beautifully fitted out, these ships were very traditional in concept, and did not have full-height, through freight decks as designed. In contrast, the two new Tor Line ships Tor Anglia and Tor Hollandia followed the latest Scandinavian trends, with bright colours, full-height vehicle decks and high speeds (22 knots). The Tor Line marketing was aimed a new, younger clientele, and the reduced crossing times appealed to freight customers. The Tor Line service followed a triangular route pattern serving Immingham in the UK, Amsterdam in Holland, and Göteborg in Sweden. Additional freight-only services with dedicated ro-ro ferries were also soon introduced. Competition was fierce, and the three ELS members each dropped out of passenger services in turn, Swedish Lloyd's Tilbury-Göteborg service being the last closure in 1977, following the arrival of the much larger, and even faster, Tor Britannia and Tor Scandinavia, and transfer of the UK Tor Line terminal to Felixstowe in 1976.

 

 

Ships on This Page:-

Balder - 1916-30 (ex-Thule Line - later renamed Northumbria)

Bele - 1916-21 (ex-Thule Line)

Britannia - 1929-66

Hispania - 1968-72

Northumbria - 1930-43 (ex-Balder)

Patricia (1) - 1919-29

Patricia (2) - 1935-41

Patricia (3) - 1951-57

Patricia (4) - 1966-78

Saga (1) - 1916-29 (ex-Thule Line)

Saga (2) - 1946-56

Saga (3) - 1966-71

Saga (4) - 1972-78

Suecia - 1929-66

Thorsten - 1916-21 (ex-Thule Line)

Thule - 1916-25 (ex-Thule Line)

 

Swedish Lloyd Publicity

1951 Timetable Brochure

1969 Timetable Brochure

Mini Cruises Brochure c.1970

 

Brochure Archive:-

1951 Brochure - 6Mb PDF file

1951 Deckplan - Britannia/Suecia (1929) - 6Mb PDF file

1951 Deckplan - Saga (1946) - 6Mb PDF file

1951 Deckplan - Patricia (1951) - 9Mb PDF file

1969 Timetable Brochure - 6Mb PDF file

Mini Cruises Brochure c.1970 - 5Mb PDF file

 

Associated Pages:-

Chandris Line

Minoan Lines

Olau Lines

Stena Line

Stockholms Rederi AB Svea

Tor Line

Ferry Postcards

Simplon Postcards - Recent Updates

Simplon Postcards Home Page

 

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Table of Ship Histories

Name	Other names	Built
Patricia (3)	Ariadne, Bon Vivant, Ariane, Empress Katerina, Empress 65	1951
Patricia (4)	Stena Saga, Lion Queen, Crown Princess Victoria, Pacific Star, Sun Fiesta	1966
Saga (2)	Ville de Bordeaux, Nessebar	1946
Saga (3)	Stena Atlantica, Olau Finn, Folkliner, Festos, Captain Zaman I	1966
Saga (4)	Svea, Hispania, Saga, Knossos, Captain Zaman II	1966

 

 

 

 

 

 

Swedish Lloyd Fleet List

 

 

Bele

(Swedish Lloyd: 1916-21)

 

Bele was built as Thule Line's first passenger steamer in 1879, initially operating on the Gothenburg-Granton route. She was built in Sweden, one of the first large ships to be built there. She carried 30 1st lass passengers amidships, and 12 2nd class aft. Following the takeover of the London Line of J.W.Wilson in 1882, Bele transferred to the Gothenburg-London (Millwall Dock) route. In 1892 she was replaced by the new Thule, and returned to the Granton route. Thule Line passed to Swedish Lloyd in 1916. Bele was lost off the coast of Greenland in 1921.

 

 

Swedish Lloyd photograph of Bele.

 

 

 

 

 

Thorsten

(Swedish Lloyd: 1916-21)

 

Thorsten was a slightly enlarged version of Bele, with raised forecastle and bridge deck. She joined the newly-acquired London service of Thule Line in 1882, carrying55 passengers (40 First, 15 Second). In 1909, Thorsten was replaced by the Saga, and transferred to the Granton route. Thule Line passed to Swedish Lloyd in 1916, and Thorsten was sold in 1921, and scrapped four years later.

 

 

Postcard of Thorsten.

 

 

Swedish Lloyd photograph of Thorsten.

 

 

World Ship Society photograph of Thorsten.

 

 

Swedish Lloyd photograph of the Swedish Olymic team arriving in London in 1908 on the Thorsten.

 

 

 

 

 

Thule

(Swedish Lloyd: 1916-25)

 

Thule entered service on the London-Gothenburg route of Thule Line in 1892. From 1910, she also called at Harwich. Thule Line passed to Swedish Lloyd in 1916, and they modernised and extended her accommodation in 1920. In 1921, Thule transferred to the Newcastle service, which had started in 1920. In 1925 Thule was sold to Italian owners and renamed Franca Fassio for a Genoa-Barcelona service. She was lost to a British submarine in 1940.

 

 

Swedish Lloyd postcard of Thule.

 

 

Postcard of Thule.

 

 

World Ship Society photograph of Thule.

 

 

 

 

Balder (Swedish Lloyd: 1916-30)

Northumbria (Swedish Lloyd: 1930-43)

 

Balder was built in Port Glasgow for Thule Line in 1898. She could carry 109 passengers in three classes, and entered service on the Granton route. In 1910 she transferred to the Harwich/London route, and passed to Swedish Lloyd with the rest of the Thule Line fleet in 1916. In 1923 Balder transferred to the Newcastle route, and was given a major refit in 1930, reappearing with the name Nothumbria. She was laid up during the depression, but had returned to service before the war. She was seized by German forces in Norway in 1940, and was bombed and sunk during an Allied air raid in Gdynia in 1943.

 

 

Swedish Lloyd photograph of Balder.

 

 

Swedish Lloyd postcard of Northumbria.

 

 

Swedish Lloyd photograph of Northumbria.

 

 

 

 

 

Saga (1)

(Swedish Lloyd: 1916-29)

 

Saga was the last passenger ship delivered to Thule Line in 1909, built by Swan Hunter on the River Tyne. She was the largest ship in the fleet, at 2808grt the first to exceed 2000 tons. Saga began service on the Gothenburg-London route, and passed to Swedish Lloyd in 1916 with the rest of the Thule Line fleet. She was soon chartered to Moore-McCormack for a new New York-Rio de Janeiro service, returning to Sweden after the war in 1919, when she re-opened the Newcastle service. She soon reverted to the London service, but was sold to the French Line (CGT) in 1929 when the new turbines arrived. CGT renamed her Mayenne, and she was used on Mediterranean services until lost to Allied air attck off Palermo in 1940.

 

 

Swedish Lloyd postcard of Saga (1).

 

 

Swedish Lloyd postcard of Saga (1).

 

 

World Ship Society photograph of Saga (1).

 

 

Swedish Lloyd advertising postcard of Saga (1).

 

 

 

 

 

Patricia (1)

(Swedish Lloyd: 1919-29)

 

Patricia (1) had a varied career before purchase by Swedish Lloyd in 1919. She was built in Trieste in 1901 as the Mongolia for the Chinese Eastern Railway Co., Russia. Her sistership was the Manchuria. The sisters were used on a service between Vladivistok and Shanghai. In 1904 she was surrendered to the Japanese at Port Arthur, during the Russo-Japanese war, and became the Kanto Maru. In 1910, she was returned to the Russians, who sold her to the Government of Western Australia. They renamed her Western Australia for a service from Fremantle to Wyndham. She returned all the way to Liverpool for the modifications for this service. Despite being fast, she was not found to be suitable for Australian coastal service, and so in 1915 she was back again in the UK, acting as a transport and troopship during WW1. After the war, she was purchased by Swedish Lloyd for £40,000 and renamed Patricia, the first of four with this name. Patricia received a major refit before inaugurating a new Gothenburg-Newcastle service. She later transferred to the London service. In 1929, with the arrival of the new turbines Suecia and Britannia, Patricia was sold to the United Baltic Corporation as the Baltavia. Baltavia was sold for scrap in 1935

 

 

Modern postcard of Western Australia.

Scan: Michael Kenyon.

 

 

Swedish Lloyd postcard of Patricia (1).

 

 

Swedish Lloyd photograph of Patricia (1).

 

 

Swedish Lloyd postcard of Patricia (1).

 

 

World Ship Society photograph of Patricia (1)

 

 

W.H.Browning photographic postcard of Baltavia in United Baltic Corporation service.

 

 

 

 

 

Suecia (Swedish Lloyd: 1929-66)

Britannia (Swedish Lloyd: 1929-66)

 

Suecia and Britannia were built on the Tyne in 1929. They were powered by three Parsons geared tubines driving a single shaft. Gross tonnage was 4216, a substantial increase on earlier ships in the fleet, and carried 265 passengers (220 first, 45 second). The two ships allowed a thrice-weekly service each wat from Gothenburg to London, summer and winter. Passengers were landed at Tilbury, after which the ships proceeded to Millwall Dock to unload cargo. In 1937, Suecia and Britannia were converted to oil firing. In March 1937, Suecia was sunk when hit by the newly launched tanker Kollbjorg. She was raised, and re-entered service in June. In 1938, Britannia grounded near Southend in the Thames Estuary. Both ships were laid up throughout World War 2. In 1945 they were requisitioned by the UK Government as troop transports. they were released in 1946, and re-entered London service after a refit. In 1947 only, they both ran with white hulls. In 1950, the forecastles were extended to the bridge. In 1956, passenger accommodation was changed to 127 first, 124 second, plus 92 summer dormitory berths. In later years, the winter service was reduced to one sailing each way on Saturdays, the London-based ship then acting as a floating hotel until the following Saturday. In October 1966, both ships were sold to Hellenic Mediterranean Lines, and renamed Isthmia and Cynthia. They ran a Mediterranean service between Marseille-Genoa-Piraeus-Alexandria-Port Said-Beirut. Isthmia and Cynthia were broken up in 1972 and 1973.

 

 

Official Swedish Lloyd postcard, with original short forecastle.

 

 

Official Swedish Lloyd postcard, with original short forecastle.

 

 

Official Swedish Lloyd postcard, with original short forecastle.

 

 

Official Swedish Lloyd postcard, with original short forecastle.

 

 

Official Swedish Lloyd postcard, with original short forecastle.

 

 

Official Swedish Lloyd postcard, with original short forecastle.

 

 

Photograph of Suecia when sunk in 1937, after a collision with a newly-launched tanker.

She was repaired at the Eriksberg yard, whose floating dock is seen in the background.

 

 

Official Swedish Lloyd postcard, with later, post-1950, extended forecastle.

 

 

Official Swedish Lloyd postcard.

 

 

Official Swedish Lloyd postcard.

 

 

Official Swedish Lloyd postcard.

 

 

Hartmans postcard 67.

 

 

A-B postcard 27 of Suecia and Swedish American Line Gripsholm.

 

 

Deckplan of Britannia and Suecia from 1951 Swedish Lloyd brochure - Download larger file (600 KB)

Click to open larger image in new window

 

 

Official Hellenic Mediterranean Lines postcard of Isthmia.

 

 

 

 

 

Patricia (2)

(Swedish Lloyd: 1935-41)

 

Patricia (2) was built in 1926 as the Byron Line steamer Patris II. They sailed on a route Marseille-Genoa-Piraeus-Alexandria-Cyprus-Beirut, similar to that which fleetmates Suecia and Britannia later sailed for Hellenic Mediterranean Lines. In 1935, Patris II was sold to Swedush Lloyd, and was renamed Patricia (2). After rebuilding by Eriksbergs of Gothenburg, she entered service on Gothenburg-London summer service. She was laid up at the start of World War 2, and sold to the Swedish Government in 1940. In 1941 she was converted into a submarine depot ship. She was scrapped in 1971.

 

 

Swedish Lloyd postcard of Patricia (2).

 

 

Swedish Lloyd photograph of Patricia (2).

 

 

Photograph of Patricia (2).

 

 

Photograph of Patricia in naval service.

 

 

Postcard of Patricia in naval service.

 

 

 

 

 

Saga (2)

(Swedish Lloyd: 1946-56)

 

Saga (the second of this name) was ordered from Gotaverken (Gothenburg) who subcontracted the hull construction to Lindholmes. She was launched without machinery in 1940, but laid up until after the war. Saga was not completed until May 1946, when she entered service with Swedish Lloyd between Gothenburg and London. Saga was 420ft long, 6458grt, and carried 340 passengers (160 first, 80 second, 100 third). Four Gotaverken diesels were geared to a single screw, and a combined 6700bhp gave a speed of 18.5 knots. Saga was designed for winter cruising, undertaking voyages in her first year to Norway and the Canaries. Saga was sold to CGT (French Line) in 1956, becoming the Ville de Bordeaux.

 

A complete history of this ship as available on this link.

 

 

Swedish Lloyd photograph of Saga being launched in 1940.

 

 

Swedish Lloyd photograph of Saga after my launch in 1940.

She was not completed until 1946.

 

Official Swedish Lloyd postcard of Saga, posted on September 14th in her delivery year of 1946.

 

 

Official Swedish Lloyd postcard of Saga, posted from Gothenburg on 15th July, 1948.

 

 

Official Swedish Lloyd postcard of Saga.

 

 

Official Swedish Lloyd postcard of Saga.

(variation on the card above).

 

 

Jolin & Wilkenson (Gothenburg) postcard 325 of Saga.

 

 

Pressbyran (Gothenburg) postcard 7749 of Saga.

This uses the same photo as the card above, but with the landing gangway touched out.

 

 

Bridge postcard S.20364 of Saga.

 

 

Postcard of Saga at Gothenburg.

 

 

C.A.Traff (Gothenburg) postcard 5518 of Saga at Gothenburg.

 

 

Deckplan of Saga from 1951 Swedish Lloyd brochure - Download larger file (600 KB)

Click to open larger image in new window

 

 

 

 

 

Patricia (3)

(Swedish Lloyd: 1951-57)

 

The third Patricia was built by Swan Hunter, Newcastle in 1951 for Swedish Lloyd for use on the London (Tilbury)-Gothenburg services, plus winter Caribbean cruising from New York. However, she proved to be too large for the route, and was sold to Hamburg America Line in 1957 as the Ariadne.

 

A complete history of this ship as available on this link.

 

 

Swedish Lloyd deck plan of Patricia

Scan: Roger Dunford

Click to open larger image in new window

 

 

A Swedish Lloyd official card of Patricia. Printed in Sweden.

 

 

A Swedish Lloyd official card of Patricia. Printed in Sweden.

 

 

A Bridge House card, serial no.S20528, of Patricia. Printed in England.

 

 

Jolln A.Wilkersen postcard of Patricia at Gothenburg.

 

 

Jolln A.Wilkersen postcard of Patricia at Gothenburg with the Stockholm (4) of Swedish America.

 

 

Swedish Lloyd official art postcard of Patricia for when cruising.

 

 

Swedish Lloyd official postcard the Smorgasbord.

 

 

Swedish Lloyd poster of Patricia.

Photographed and scanned: Carl De Boulloche.

 

 

Swedish Lloyd deck plan of Patricia - Download larger file (800 KB)

Click to open larger image in new window

 

 

 

 

 

Saga (3)

(Swedish Lloyd: 1966-71)

 

The third Saga was built in 1966 for Swedish Lloyd. She was one of three sisterships, the others being Swedish Lloyd's Patricia, and Svea Lines' Svea, which became the Knossos of Minoan Lines in 1978. She was used on the Swedish Lloyd Tilbury-Gothenburg service until 1971, when she was sold to Stena Line, and served under the names Stena Atlantica.

 

A complete history of this ship as available on this link.

 

 

Swedish Lloyd postcard of Saga (3).

 

 

Swedish Lloyd postcard of Saga (3).

 

 

Swedish Lloyd postcard of Saga (3).

 

 

Swedish Lloyd postcard of Saga (3) and Hispania (rear).

 

 

 

 

 

Patricia

(Swedish Lloyd: 1966-78)

 

Patricia was built in 1966 for Swedish Lloyd. She was one of three sisterships, the others being Swedish Lloyd's Saga, and Svea Lines' Svea, both of which later served with Minoan Lines. Patricia was used on the Swedish Lloyd Southampton-Bilbao service until 1978, when she was sold to Stena Line.

 

A complete history of this ship as available on this link.

 

 

J.Arthur Dixon postcard SS.7355 of Patricia.

 

 

Salmon postcard 1-58-03-11/5970 of Patricia.

 

 

FAGA Series postcard 34A of Patricia.

 

 

A.Duncan photograph postcard of Patricia.

 

 

Photograph of Patricia leaving Southampton for Bilbao on 15th April 1976, by Ian Boyle.

 

 

Photograph of Patricia leaving Southampton for Bilbao on 15th April 1976, by Ian Boyle.

 

 

 

 

 

Hispania - Saga (4)

(Swedish Lloyd: 1968-78)

 

Hispania was built in 1966 as the Svea for Stockholms Rederi A/B Svea. She was used on the pioneer North Sea 'England-Sweden Line' car-ferry service from Hull to Gothenburg, in collaboration with the Wilson Line's Spero. This service was not a success, and Svea was sold to Swedish Lloyd in 1968. Swedish Lloyd owned her two sisterships Saga on Tilbury-Gothenburg service, and Patricia on the Southampton-Bilbao service. Svea was renamed Hispania, and began service between Southampton-Bilbao. In 1970 she was transferred to the Tilbury-Gothenburg route, and was renamed Saga in 1972. She was bought by Minoan Lines in 1978 and renamed Knossos. Her sistership Saga also joined Minoan Lines in 1985 as the Festos. Knossos remains in Mediterranean service as the Captain Zaman II of Diler Lines.

 

A complete history of this ship as available on this link.

 

 

Swedish Lloyd official postcard of Hispania.

 

 

Swedish Lloyd official postcard of Saga.

 

 

Swedish Lloyd postcard of Saga (3) and Hispania (rear).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Swedish Lloyd Publicity

 

1951 Timetable Brochure

 

In 1951, the second new post war vessel Patricia (3) joined the fleet, following the Saga (2) of 1946. The 1929 Britannia and Suecia remained in the fleet, running the winter services when the newer ships were used for cruising. They also ran duplicate services in each direction on Saturdays in summer. The cover shown below links to a 6Mb PDF file which opens in a new window, and shows all pages plus large deckplans of each of the ships. The new ships were too large for the available traffic, and were sold in 1956 and 1957, leaving the 1929 pair to run on until 1966 when they were replaced with new car ferries.

 

 

1951 Timetable Brochure

Opens 6Mb PDF file in new window

 

 

 

 

 

1969 Timetable Brochure

 

This is the 1969 Swedish Lloyd brochure showing the fleet of three car ferries Saga (3), Patricia (4) and Hispania that existed between 1968 and 1971. Saga (3) was sold in 1971 and Hispania was then renamed Saga (4). In 1969 the Tilbury-Gothenburg service was operated by Saga (3) alone, with Patricia (4) and Hispania on the Spanish route.

 

 

1969 Timetable Brochure - Page 1

Opens 6Mb PDF file in new window

 

 

1969 Timetable Brochure - Page 2

Opens 6Mb PDF file in new window

 

 

 

 

 

Mini Cruises Brochure c.1970

 

This is an undated Swedish Lloyd mini cruise brochure, issued between 1968 and 1972 when the Spanish route was operated by Patricia (4) and Hispania.

 

 

Mini Cruises Brochure

Opens 6Mb PDF file in new window

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chandris Line - Minoan Lines - Olau Lines

Stena Line - Stockholms Rederi AB Svea

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