Lazarettschiffe Monte Rosa
 as required by the Hague Convention on hospital ships North of Gibralter. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
History | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dec 4, 1930 Launched. Mar 21, 1931 Commissioned. Mar 21, 1931 (??) Maiden voyage Hamburg-La Plata, SouthAmerica. Jan 11, 1940 The Monte Rosa was commissioned into service in thekriegsmarine as garrison ship for Luft I, in Kiel. 1942 Monte Rosa served as a transport ship for the Kriegsmarinebetween Denmark and Norway. Oct, 1943 – Apr, 1944 Monte Rosa served as a repair ship during therepairs of the battleship Tirpitz in Norway. 1944 Monte Rosa served again as a troop transport ship, until itstruck a mine. Fall, 1944 Monte Rosa served as a VTS (VTS =Verwundeten-Transportschiffe/Transport ships for woundedand sick soldiers during large evacuations). Jan 15, 1945 Monte Rosa was converted by MAUREB(Naval Equipment and Repair Store) in Swinemünde into aLazarettschiffe. Feb 16, 1945 Monte Rosa struck another mine, this time off Hela.Serious damage was inflicted aft, causing the ship to list and its engineroom to flood. It was taken in tow to Gotenhafen where she was repairedwith whatever materials were available. She then took on over 5,000refugees and wounded and was again taken in tow, this time toCopenhagen. May, 1945 Taken to Kiel. Aug 1, 1945 Decommissioned. Nov 18, 1945 Taken as a British war prize and fitted out as a trooptransport ship. 1946 Renamed as the British troop transport ship EmpireWindrush. 1950 Ship was refit, now 14,651 GRT. Mar 28, 1954 While sailing in the Mediterranean near CapeCaxine off the Algerian coast (from Yokohama to England), the EmpireWindrush (ex-Monte Rosa) experienced an explosion in its engine room whichcaused a fire, killing four. The passengers and crew abandoned theship. Mar 29, 1945 The ship sank while being towed by the BritishDestroyer Saintes.  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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