She was built at the Koninklijke Maatschappij De Schelde at Flushing, Netherlands on account of the Rotterdamsche Lloyd with building number 160. Negotiations between the company and the yard were going on for the building of a twin screw turbine ship when the First World War broke out and which caused a considerable delay in completing her not earlier as August 1919.
The Vlissingse Courant dated 30 December 1914 reported that the ship of the Insulinde-type was to be named Patria. The Middelburgsche Courant dated Friday 21 April 1919 reported that the mail- and passenger ship was to be launched Saturday 20 May. She measured 9,700 register tons. The same newspaper dated Saturday 20 May reported that due to a misunderstanding she received an account of the actual launching too late. While other newspapers all ready published the account were now just a few details supplied to the readers. The Patria was a twin screw steam ship with as dimensions in English feet 500 x 57 (maximum) x 38 (between hold and upper deck). The slip which now came available was to be used for building the new cruiser.
According to the Vlissingse Courant dated 24 July 1917 was she the following week to depart towards Rotterdam to be there docked. This news was confirmed by the Middelburgsche Courant dated 26 July 1917. She was still uncompleted and waiting for steam turbines of which the delivery was delayed due to the war. While she was still lying in salt water causing a declining condition decided to dock her at Rotterdam. She actually departed 30 July to Rotterdam.
The Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant evening edition dated 8 March 1919 said she had a displacement of 13,400 tons. Het nieuws van den dag voor Nederlandsch-Indië dated 12 September 1919 published an extensive account of the ship just after her arrival two days earlier at Batavia, Dutch East Indies. The ship was apparently exclusively timbered with mahogany and rosewood. The main negative remark was the missing of a good climate management something really needed on board of a ship sailing in tropic waters. According to the Vlissingse Courant dated 7 May 1920 was her displacement more as 13,000 tons while the engines provided 7,500 ihp. The total heating surface of the 14 steam boilers was 33,379 feet2 or 3,102M2.
The Patria in her 1928 appearance when the dummy funnel was removed.
She was a sister ship of the Insulinde. In her original appearance she was fitted out with two funnels although the aft funnel was a dummy. In 1928 she was partly rebuilt and the dummy funnel was then removed. Her company was caused by the world wide crises to lay her up in the reserve in 1932 and in August 1935 was she sold to the Soviet Union where she was taken into service as the Svir.
The Dutch newspaper Vlissingse Courant dated Thursday 23 May 1935 published a news item received from Rotterdam that the contract was signed selling her to the Soviet merchant fleet serving on the line Odessa-Mediterranean. The Russian chief inspector responsible for buying seagoing ships in the Netherlands captain Afanassieff was to become her new master. With a measurement of 9,688 Brt was she the last four years laid up.
In her appearance as the Svir
After the sell was she used the school ship Svir in the Baltic and sunk by German bombs at Leningrad on 30 April 1942. In 1946 salvaged and transported to Wismar. She was repaired/rebuild as the Soviet passenger ship Aleksandr Mozhaisky at the Dutch yard Wilton-Fijenoord at Schiedam and at the Mathias Thesen Werft at Wismar, in 1953 again taken into service and finally broken up in 1979 at Hong Kong. This information can be find at the website http://www.nautilia.gr/forum/showthread.php?94728-Aleksandr-Mozhayiskiy-Svir-Patria
Jürg Meister. Soviet warships of the second world war. London, 1977. Supplied the next figures. With a displacement of 9,860 gross registered, 11,016 tons standard and 11,946 tons full load were her dimensions 500 x 57 x 23½ ‘(or 152,4 x 17,38 x 7,12metres). The two turbines allowed a speed of 15 knots, Her crew numbered 350 men while her armament consisted of 4-45mm anti aircraft guns and some anti aircraft machineguns.
Jane’s Fighting ships 1944/1945 supplied different information.(1) Her dimensions were a displacement of 9,686 gross tons with as dimensions 480½ x 57¼ x 29’. The single reduction turbines allowed a speed of 15 knots. The armament consisted of 4-37mm guns.
The World’s Merchant Fleets for 1939 gives as dimensions 500’0”x 57’4”x 25’9’ and 9,922 tons displacement.
The site http://www.nedships.nl/Content/Liners/patria19.html gave her as dimensions 152,40 x 17,46 x 10,65 metres (hold) and a displacement of 9,891 BRT. She was fitted out with two Parsons steam turbines supplying 7,000 ahp allowing a speed of 15 knots. She had accommodation for 334 passengers. Her call sign was PNTG-PGRJ. According to the newspapers were there 4 classes for passengers, the 4th and most standard class apparently for soldiers.