TSMS Lakonia

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An early photo of Johan van Oldenbarnevelt
History
Netherlands
Name	Johan van Oldenbarnevelt
Owner	Netherland Line
Operator	Netherland Line 1930–39 Holland America Line 1939–45 Netherland Line 1946–63
Port of registry	Amsterdam (1930–39) Batavia (1940–43) Willemstad (1944 onward)
Route	Amsterdam – Dutch East Indies (1930–39) Batavia – New York (1939–41)
Builder	NSM, Amsterdam
Yard number	194
Launched	3 August 1929
Completed	13 March 1930
Decommissioned	3 February 1963
Refit	1941 as troop ship 1946 as ocean liner 1951 1958 1963 as cruise ship
Identification	Code letters PGHB (until 1933) Call sign PFEB (1934 onward)
Fate	Sold to the Shipping Investment Corporation and renamed TSMS Lakonia
Greece
Name	Lakonia
Owner	Shipping Investment Corporation
Operator	Greek Line
Port of registry	Greece
Acquired	8 March 1963
Fate	Damaged by fire at sea 22–24 December 1963 and sank while under tow 29 December 1963
General characteristics
Type	Ocean liner
Tonnage	19,040 GRT
Length	586.2 ft (178.7 m)
Beam	74.8 ft (22.8 m)
Depth	36.1 ft (11.0 m)
Decks	4
Installed power	1,555 NHP
Propulsion	Twin Sulzer diesel engines, Two propellers
Speed	19 kn (35 km/h; 22 mph)
Capacity	As built: 770 passengers: 366 first class 280 second class 64 third class 60 fourth class cargo: 9,000 tons
Notes	sister ship: Marnix van St. Aldegonde

TSMS Lakonia was an ocean liner that was launched in 1929 for Netherland Line as the ocean liner Johan van Oldenbarnevelt. In 1962 she became the Greek Line cruise ship TSMS Lakonia. On 22 December 1963 she caught fire at sea and on 29 December she sank. 128 people were killed in the disaster.

In the 1930s Johan van Oldenbarnevelt's regular route was between Amsterdam and the Dutch East Indies. She served in the Second World War as an Allied troop ship. She was refitted several times and latterly became a cruise ship.

In 1962 Netherland Line sold her to a Greek company, the Shipping Investment Corporation, who renamed her Lakonia and for whom the Greek Line managed her for cruising. From April 1963 Greek Line operated her on cruises from Southampton.

On 22 December 1963 fire broke out on the ship when she was about 200 miles (320 km) north of Madeira during a Christmas cruise. As the fire spread, alarms sounded too softly to be heard by most people aboard. Evacuation was hampered by the overcrowding of lifeboats and the loss of several boats to fire. Some deaths were caused by the fire itself, others by accidents when abandoning ship, and others by exposure or drowning in the sea.

Lakonia's crew successfully launched just over half of her lifeboats. Some passengers were able to reach the water via gangways and rope ladders. Two ships alerted by distress signals managed to save most of the others.

On 24 December ocean tugs took Lakonia in tow and tried to tow her to Gibraltar. But the ship had developed a list and on 29 December she sank in the Atlantic.

A board of inquiry determined the fire to be due to faulty electrical wiring and strongly criticised the maintenance of equipment, thoroughness of lifeboat drills, and the standard of supervision. Eight of the ship's officers were charged with negligence.