German merchant ships Berlin, Stuttgart and General Osorio converted into hospital ships in 1939

The American naval attaché at Berlin, Germany referred to the American consul at Hamburg, Germany when he wrote on 30 August 1939 No. R-536 that the merchant ships Berlin, Stuttgart and General Osorio were converted into hospital ships departing for the Baltic on 25 August.(1)

The Berlin of 15,286 BRT of the North German Lloyd suffered from a boiler explosion. Her speed was 16.0 knots. The Stuttgart of 13,387 BRT belonged to the K.D.F. and had the same speed. The motor ship General Osorio of 11,590 BRT belonged to the Hamburg-Südamerika Dampfschiff Gesellschaft and had a speed of 15,0 knots.

Note

1. On 1 September invaded Germany Poland.

Source

National Archives USA. Record Group 38: Records of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. Series: Secret Naval Attaches Reports. selected naval attaché reports relating to the world crisis, 1937-1943. Probability of an Outbreak of War (pt.). Berlin. Roll M975-003.