An item dated Washington 10 June reported that the USA cabinet allowed the Swiss cabinet to charter the two Danish ships Hans Maersk (1) and Olof Maersk (2). Both ships were earlier used to transport sugar from the Antilles to the USA. While in Swiss service were the ships to transport also petrol and gasoline via Cette although the Allies were lacking treaties not obliged to permit this.
Notes
1. The website http://7seasvessels.com/?p=34487 mentioned a Hans Maersk completed in March 1916 with a gross tonnage of 1,963 tons at the shipyard of Vuijk, Capelle (yard number 440) for the shipping company of A.P. Moller of Copenhagen, Denmark. In 1956 she became the Constantine C. of C.D. Calafatis Brothers, in 1958 the Potho of N.J. Nomikos and finally met her fate on 15 March 1962 when she was wrecked off Siralom seven nautical miles south of Ancona. The Dutch newspaper Algemeen Handelsblad dated 15 September 1916 reported that she was indeed build at the shipyard of the firm A. Vuyk&Zonen te Capelle a/d IJssel for A.P. Moller. She was fitted out with engines at Amsterdam but when completed not allowed to depart. However she was now permitted to depart but with the obligations during three voyages to enter Dutch ports. Yesterday [14 September] she departed from IJmuiden towards Huelva, Spain for a cargo of iron ore for Amsterdam. Another Dutch newspaper Rotterdamsch Nieuwsblad dated 16 September confirmed in an item dated IJmuiden 14 September that after a successful trial on the North Sea Channel and her transfer to the shipping company that she was not allowed to depart from the Dutch cabinet. This same newspaper published an item dated IJmuiden 25 April reporting her arrival there coming from Rotterdam while being towed by three tugs to receive her engines at Amsterdam. In her edition of 17 September 1915 she reported her successful launching of this general cargo ship fitted out with four loading heads, five winches, steam anchor capstan and steam steering mechanism. Her dimensions were 280 x 40 x 22.6 (hold) feet and a deadweight of 3,200 tons. The triple expansion engines supplied 1,000 ihp with cylinders with a diameter of 19” x 31” x 51” and a stroke of 33”and two boilers with as dimensions 15’x 10’6”. After her launching was the keel laid down of her sister ship.
2. The website http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/submar/u140.htm mentioned that the German submarine U-9 visited her on 19 July but allow her to continue her passage while she was neutral and proved that she was the Danish steamship Olaf Maersk loaded with petroleum and gasoline for Switzerland.
