An item dated Buenos Aires 14 July reported that according to tidings received from Santiago de Chile the Chilean cabinet decided to buy the Dutch motor ship Socrates for the purpose of coastal shipping. She was one of the newest ships of the Dutch shipping company K.N.S.M. with a gross tonnage of 3,169 tons, build in 1938 and before the outbreak of the Second World War used on the line Amsterdam-Colon (Panama Canal).
Note
1. Roger Jordan. The World Merchant Fleets 1939. Build in 1938 at the shipyard Van der Giessen&Zonen’s Scheepswerven NV at Krimpen of 3.169 gross register tons, a deadweight of 4,670 tons with the dimensions 374’6”x 49’7”x 22’7” and as speed 13,5 knots.
The newspaper Limburger Koerier dated 21 January 1937 reported that the shipyard of the N.V. C. v.d. Giessen en Zonen’s scheepswerven at Krimpen aan den IJssel received orders from the Kon. Ned. Stoomboot Maatschappij of Amsterdam to built two motor freighters for the Levant shipping to be named Pericles and Socrates with a loading capacity of 4,980 tons and accommodation for 12 passengers. The newspaper Leeuwarder koerier dated 20 January confirmed this item adding that the 3,100 ahp engines were manufactured by the Dutch firm Stork at Hengelo allowing a speed of 13 miles. The dimensions were 350’x 49’3’x 31’6”.
The newspaper Algemeen Handelsblad dated 8 August 1937 published an item dated Rotterdam 7 August reported the launching of the tanker Cambria and that the keel was laid down for the Socrates on the now available slipway.
The newspaper De Tijd dated Sunday 27 March 1938 reported her launching on Saturday around 12.30 o’clock Her sister ship the Pericles was on 15 January. Both ships were build for the K.N.S.M. and probably to serve in the West Indies line.
The newspaper Algemeen Handelsblad dated 29 June reported that this newly built passenger ship and freighter of 3,100 gross register tons had her technical trial a day earlier on the North Sea. On 4 July was the official trial planned and from there she was to go directly to Amsterdam to depart from here on 6 July for her maiden voyage via Hamburg to Chile. The newspaper Het Vaderland dated 2 July added that the trial was successful . She was to leave Amsterdam on the 6th towards Hamburg, from there the 9th back to Amsterdam and the 15th from Amsterdam towards Chile.
