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One day after the launch of the United
States Line’s America,
German troops invaded Poland, this being
the start of World War Two. The war in
Europe forced the United States Line to
operate America on cruises out of
New York - Caribbean from the time of her
entering service, October 8th 1940.
Following the Japanese attacks on Pearl
Harbor December 7th 1941, US Authorities
requisitioned America to serve as
a troopship under the name West
Point. Although West
Point had a few close encounters
with bombers and submarines during the
war, she managed to survive unscathed.
America finally set out on her
intended route between New York, Le Havre
and Southampton December 14th 1946. By
1964, transatlantic travel by liner had
declined so dramatically the United
States Line was forced to take
America out of service. This led
to the Greek/Chandris Line buying her to
be operated on world cruises and to
transfer emigrants from Europe -
Australia under the name
Australis.
The American company Venture Cruises
bought Australis November 18th
1977 to be operated under her original
name America. With her interiors
being seriously run down at that time,
passengers on the first cruise demanded
to be returned to port. This led to
Venture Cruises being declared bankrupt
and America being returned to the
Chandris Line. The Chandris Line had
America undergo an extensive refit
before operating her on cruises out of
Barcelona under the name Italis.
The aging Italis was sold twice in
the 1980s to be used as a hotel or
prison. With both projects falling
through, the Chapeya Transport Company of
Thailand bought her in 1994 for
conversion to a floating hotel. Under the
name American Star, she set
out on tow from Greece bound for
Thailand. Her towlines snapped after
encountering heavy seas on that voyage
January 15. American Star
then drifted out of control for three
days before running aground on
Fuerteuentura/Canary Islands. The wreck
of American Star still lies
at that spot today.
Above & below, the wreck of
American Star at
Fuerteuentura/Canary Islands
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