On October 20th 1945 plans had already been underway for the 'restoration' of the AMERICA. In the haste of converting the liner into a troopship the saving of most of her furnishings were not undertaken. Bronze from her Promenade windows and fittings were scrapped for their bronze along with art works that were carelessly lost. Needless to say her reconversion was a costly effort in fact some $800,000 was spent on her fittings alone. The total reconversion to the SS AMERICA cost around $6,883,424. During the reconversion the AMERICA lost cabin space as the pre war passenger capacity was 1,202 however now she could only hold 1,049.

USS Westpoint undergoing changes to return her to the SS America 1946 photo courtesy of Bill Lee	Bow shot prior to relaunching as the SS America 1946 courtesy of Bill Lee

Looking like new in her new paint SS AMERICA left Newport News on 9th November 1946 for a 770 mile trip to New York. The AMERICA and the QUEEN ELIZABETH both 1940 liners, whose careers had been interupted by the war, arrived in New York on the same day, November 11th 1946. The ships were welcomed by a flotilla of craft and the Navy, remembering their own, put on a display of escort destroyers, a blimp and 30 aircraft. 1,000 people watched AMERICA pull along side pier 61 in a tricky manouvere bought on by strong tides and winds. With the help of 6 tugs the AMERICA finally docked at 10:40am

SS America postcard - author / date unknown	SS America been assisted by tug boat - author / date unknown

After a gracious visit by Margaret Truman, AMERICA sailed at 4:00 p.m, on November 14, 1946 for Cobh, Southampton and Le Havre. For AMERICA, it was more than just a return to commercial service, but fulfilment of her destiny as a crack North Atlantic liner.

She proved an Atlantic greyhound from the start and dropped anchor at Cobh on the 19th, doing Ambrose Light-Daunt Rock Lightship in four days, 22 hours and 22 minutes at an average 24,54-knots. She arrived at Southampton very late on the 20th, disembarking passengers the next day and postponing her official welcome until the homeward call on the 21st.

Weather-wise, AMERICA'S maiden westbound crossing was, in the words of Comodore Manning, "The worst trip in years''. Fierce winds resulted in the Southampton pilot being disembarked at Cobh. The Cobh pilot, Christopher Ahearn, could not be landed and had to make his 7th unexpected Atlantic crossing. He simply phoned his wife from the ship - to - shore phone and told her he would not be home tonight.

After being delayed at Southampton for nine hours by fog, AMERICA reached New York on December 22, 1946, having steamed Cobh to Ambrose in five days and six hours, Upon her next sailing on the 27th, her French port of call was changed to Cherbourg during the winter, but really occasioned by poor conditions at Le Havre.

The AMERICA'S first North Atlantic winter season was a hard one. En route to Southampton on January 5, 1947, her speed was suddenly cut from 23 to 19 knots for no apparent reason, At Cherbourg the unusual cause was discovered by Chief Engineer Patrick Brennan. ''When we opened up one of the oil filters about half a ton of herring poured out. Both Port and starboard condersors were crammed full of the fish. It took us five hours to shovel them out through the manholes and inspection plates and dump them over the ship's side''.

The return crossing proved the stormiest. After what Commodore Manning called the worst weather in his 34 years at sea (50 to 6O-foot waves, 60 mph winds), AMERICA docked at Pier 61 two and a half days late at 10:45 p.m. The Passengers praised the ship's performance and some said they con tinued dancing in the Ball Room through it all - even Commodore Manning could not believe that one!

The liner was again tested by those dreaded initials ''WNA'' (Winter North Atlantic) when easterly gales and 40- foot seas made her 46 hours late arriving at Southampton on March 7, 1947. The AMERICA was drydocked for inspection at Newport News from April 6th to May 5th and found to be in excellent condition, although one hull plate, damaged after hitting a quay, was replaced. She resumed sailings in the month of May

The AMERICA generally had a trouble free career, until September 1963, when strikes and industrial action hit hard. The America, under a racial discrimination claim from her workers was forced into layup. The layup lasted until resuming trips in February 1964. However even this trip was in jeopardy as the tug boats were now striking due to industrial action. Without a blink of an eye Captain Fender, despite 25mph winds nosed the AMERICA from her pier unaided.

Over the next few years UNITED STATES LINES started running into difficulties financially and it would appear that AMERICA'S October 9-27 1963 voyage would indeed be her last. With no ceremony, she left Pier 86 on the 9th with only 439 passengers and returned to New York at 8:00 a.m. on the 27th with 801 aboard. Reflecting the prevailing gloom, a crew member told the Herald ''As an American and an engineer I just cant see the AMERICA being sold.'' After discharging 457 of her crew, she left New York for the last time under U.S. colors at 6:00 p.m. for Newport News.

It was not until November 4, 1964, that United States Lines requested permission from the Maritime Administration to sell her to Okeania S.A., a subsidiary of Chandris, for use as passenger and emigrant vessel. U.S. Lines cited ''substantial net losses for several years'' and that ''no prospects exist for years
improving such results.''

It was said she was losing U.S. Lines as much as $1.5 million a year despite some $3 million in subsidies. Maritime Administration approval came the next day, when it was revealed she had been sold for $4,250,000 with the understanding she not compete with U.S. flag liners from American ports for five years and be made available for war emergency use under the U.S. flag or that of Greece as part of NATO,

After workmen removed her bridge baseboards (one of which is now at The Mariners' Museum), painted out all but the "A'' of her name on the bows and lowered the Stars and Stripes, AMERICA was handed over to Okeania S.A. on November 16, 1964. The national colors on her funnels disappeared under a coat of Chandris blue and black.

Two days later, under a new name and foreign flag, the former SS AMERICA left Newport News forever

Anually AMERICA made 15 - 18 round trip voyages, and amongst the reasons for AMERICA'S success was her ideal size and of course her speed and she was known as a 'happy' ship without faults or quirks.

The very last photo of AMERICA or the very first photo of AUSTRALIS - you decide :) Photo by Alexander Crosby Brown, a local marine historian who also was involved in creating the lithograph of AMERICA leaving the yard to enter service in July of 1940. The ship is seen leaving New York still with AMERICAS colours but with the CHANDRIS blue and black funnels - Supplied courtesy of Bill Lee

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