The Fleets
This page is about Koninklijke West-Indische Maildienst / Royal West Indian Mail Service.
Commenced services from Amsterdam to Dutch Guiana and the West Indies in 1883. In 1888 services were extended to New York The Koninklijke West-Indische Maildienst was taken over in 1912 by Koninklijke Nederlandsche Stoomboot Maatschappij (KNSM) but their ships and crews were kept seperate until 1927 when KWIM was officially liquidated.
Many thanks to Ted Finch for his assistance in collecting this data. The following list was extracted from various sources. This is not an all inclusive list but should only be used as a guide.
Routes
- 1883 Amsterdam - Paramaribo - Demarara - Trinidad - Curacao (later extended to other Caribbean and North Coast of South America ports.)
- 1888 Amsterdam - Surinam - Demarara - Trinidad - Curacao - Port-au-Prince - New York.
- 1905 Paramaribo-New York
- 1912 Netherlands-Barbados-Venezuela-Colombia-Colon
- 1913 Netherlands-Barbados-Venezuela-Curacao-Colombia-Colon
- 1913 Paramaribo-Venezuela-Haïti-New York
- 1920 Curacao-Maracaibo
- 1920 Curacao-Dominican Republic
Ships
| Name | Built | Additional Information | GRT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colombia | 1915 | 1916 sold to Pacific Mail SS Co., New York. | 5,644 |
| Commewijne | 1907 | ex- St. Thomas, 1913 purchased from East Asiatic Line, Copenhagen renamed Commewijne, 1927 sold to Koninklijke Nederlandsche Stoomboot Mij. (KNSM), 1932 sold to Italy renamed Progresso. | 2,482 |
| Coppename | 1908 | 1908 transferred from N.V. Stoomvart Mij. Coppename, Paramaribo, 1913 sold to Tropical Fruit SS Co., Belize (United Fruit Company). | 3,192 |
| Cottica | 1927 | owned by KNSM, 1958 scrapped. | 3,800 |
| Crijnssen | 1918 | 1927 sold to Koninklijke Nederlandsche Stoomboot Mij. (KNSM), 1942 torpedoed and sunk in Caribbean. | 4,321 |
| Curaçao | 1899 | 1901 sold to Government of Surinam, Paramaribo. | 729 |
| Ecuador | 1915 | 1916 sold to Pacific Mail SS Co., New York. | 5,544 |
| Jan van Nassau | 1913 | 1918-1919 US Government requisition, 1927 sold to Koninklijke Nederlandsche Stoomboot Mij. (KNSM), 1928 sold to Chile renamed Concepcion. | 3,330 |
| Lodewijk van Nassau | 1913 | 1916 mined and sunk off Galloper Lightship, North Sea on voyage Valparaiso - Rotterdam; loss of 5 lives. | 3,396 |
| Marowijne | 1908 | 1908 transferred from N.V. Stoomvart Mij. Marowijne, Paramaribo, 1912 sold to Tropical Fruit SS Co., Belize (United Fruit Company). | 3,192 |
| Nickerie | 1907 | ex- St. Jan, 1913 purchased from East Asiatic Line, Copenhagen renamed Nickerie, 1927 sold to Koninklijke Nederlandsche Stoomboot Mij. (KNSM),1932 sold to Italy renamed Risveglio. | 2,487 |
| Oranje Nassau (1) | 1884 | 1906 stranded Curaçao and abandoned. | 1,304 |
| Oranje Nassau (2) | 1911 | 1927 sold to Koninklijke Nederlandsche Stoomboot Mij. (KNSM), 1939 sold to Greece renamed Corinthia. | 3,721 |
| Prins der Nederlanden | 1902 | 1918-1919 US Government requisition, 1927 sold to Koninklijke Nederlandsche Stoomboot Mij. (KNSM) and scrapped. | 2,287 |
| Prins Frederik Hendrik (1) | 1888 | 1903 wrecked Margarita Island Venezuela. | 1,642 |
| Prins Frederik Hendrik (2) | 1904 | 1918-1919 US Government requisition, 1927 sold to Koninklijke Nederlandsche Stoomboot Mij. (KNSM), 1931 sold to France renamed La Mecque. | 2,164 |
| Prins Maurits (1) | 1884 | 1899 wrecked Venezuela. | 1,310 |
| Prins Maurits (2) | 1900 | 1915 sank in hurricane off Cape Hatteras; loss of 49 lives. | 2,121 |
| Prins Willem I (1) | 1884 | 1889 sunk in collision with sailing vessel in English Channel. | 1,310 |
| Prins Willem I (2) | 1890 | 1900 wrecked Mariguana Island, Haiti. | 1,933 |
| Prins Willem I (3) | 1901 | 1918-1919 US Government requisition, 1920 sold to Eastern Steam Nav. Co., Bombay renamed Ahmedi. | 2,121 |
| Prins Willem II | 1890 | 1910 went missing on voyage Amsterdam to Paramaribo; loss of 73 lives. | 1,933 |
| Prins Willem III | 1890 | 1913 sold to Greece renamed Elpiniki. | 1,951 |
| Prins Willem IV | 1894 | 1913 sold to Persian Gulf S.N. Co., Bombay renamed Sardar. | 2,047 |
| Prins Willem V | 1897 | 1915 sold to French Line (CGT) renamed La Dives. | 2,108 |
| Saramacca | 1908 | 1912 sold to Tropical Fruit SS Co., Belize (United Fruit Company) | 3,284 |
| Stuyvesant | 1918 | owned by KNSM, 1950 sold to Panama renamed Aeolia. | 4,285 |
| Stuyvesant | 1918 | 1927 sold to Koninklijke Nederlandsche Stoomboot Mij. (KNSM), 1950 sold to Panama renamed Aeolia. | 4,249 |
| Suriname | 1908 | 1913 sold to Tropical Fruit SS Co., Belize (United Fruit Company). | 3,275 |
| Van Rensselaer | 1920 | 1927 sold to Koninklijke Nederlandsche Stoomboot Mij. (KNSM), 1940 mined and beached at Ymuiden, subsequently destroyed by German aircraft. | 4,299 |
| Venezuela (1) | 1915 | 1916 sold to Pacific Mail SS Co., New York. | 5,641 |
| Venezuela (2) | 1906 | ex- Adolph Woermann (Woermann Line), 1918 The Shipping Controller, London, 1921 to David SS Co., London renamed Westminster Abbey, 1921 purchased by KWIM renamed Venezuela, 1927 sold to Koninklijke Nederlandsche Stoomboot Mij. (KNSM), 1938 scrapped. | 6,335 |