HMS Princess Beatrix

The Prinses Beatrix in 1948
History
Netherlands
Name	MS Prinses Beatrix
Namesake	Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands
Owner	Stoomvaart Maatschappij Zeeland
Ordered	December 1937
Builder	De Schelde, Vlissingen
Yard number	210
Laid down	7 May 1938
Launched	25 March 1939
In service	3 July 1939
Out of service	1 September 1939
Fate	Requisitioned by the Ministry of War Transport, 15 May 1940
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Princess Beatrix
Acquired	15 May 1940
Commissioned	22 January 1941
Decommissioned	16 February 1946
Honours and awards	Battle honours : Norway Dieppe North Africa Sicily Salerno Mediterranean Anzio Southern France
Fate	Returned to the Netherlands, 13 April 1946
Netherlands
Name	MS Prinses Beatrix
Acquired	13 April 1946
In service	31 May 1948
Out of service	1968
Fate	Scrapped in Antwerp, 1968
General characteristics (as built)[1]
Tonnage	4,135 GRT 2,100 NRT
Length	380 ft (120 m) o/a 351 ft (107 m) p/p
Beam	47 ft (14 m)
Draught	13 ft 6 in (4.11 m)
Decks	5
Propulsion	2 × Sulzer diesel engines, 12,500 shp (9,321 kW)
Speed	24.5 knots (45.4 km/h; 28.2 mph)
Capacity	1,800 passengers
Crew	58
Armament	As HMS "Princess Beatrix" : 2 × 12-pounder (76 mm) guns 2 × 2-pounder (40 mm) machine guns 4 × 20 mm Hotchkiss machine guns 2 × .303 calibre machine guns

HMS Princess Beatrix was a commando troop ship of the Royal Navy during the Second World War. Built as a civilian passenger liner in 1939, she was named the MS Prinses Beatrix, after Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, and operated by Stoomvaart Maatschappij Zeeland (SMZ) (The Zealand Steamship Company) between Flushing and Harwich, along with her sister ship, MS Koningin Emma. After fleeing to Britain after the German invasion in 1940, she was requisitioned by the British Ministry of War Transport, renamed HMS Princess Beatrix and converted to a troopship at Harland and Wolff's yard in Belfast. During the war her main role was transporting British Commandos, and she participated in the Lofoten Islands Raid and the Dieppe Raid. She had the advantage of a high speed that allowed hit and run operations. Later designated as a landing ship, infantry (medium) she took part in the landings in North Africa, Sicily, Salerno, Anzio, and southern France. In 1946 Princess Beatrix was returned to her owners and continued to operate as ferry from Hook of Holland until 1969, when she was scrapped in Antwerp, Belgium.