After the end of World War I the assets of the North German Lloyd Line (Norddeutscher Lloyd) were taken as war reparations, leaving the company no choice but to hire vessels until new ships could be constructed. The Fulda was one of these newly constructed vessels used to replaced the hired vessels and rebuild their routes.

The Fulda was launched during August 1924 from the A.G. Weser, Bremen shipyard.

Her maiden voyage to East Asia commenced on December 14th 1924, working a route which had been established by the company during 1886. In July 1927 the Fulda was seized by Chinese revolutionaries at Shanghai but was released a week later.

The Fulda was converted to a freighter in 1935 with passenger accommodation considerably reduced to just twenty four. In July 1937 the vessel was again seized by the Chinese at Shanghai while resisting the Japanese invasion. Again the incarceration was brief, the ship being quickly released.

At the outbreak of World War II the Fulda took refuge at Dairen. From here the ship was sold to the Japanese on September 28th 1940 and renamed Teikoko Maru, later Teikei Maru and managed by Teikoku Sempaku K.K., Tokyo.

On December 30th 1944 an air attack by US warplanes on the Teikei Maru led to her being sunk south west of Cape Bolinau, Luzon at position 17.18N 119.25E.

General Details

Builder: A G Weser, Bremen
Launched: 1924
Length: 459 feet / 145.97m
Beam: 57.5 feet / 19.05m
Draught: 42 feet
Gross Weight: 9,492 tons
Deadweight: 16,750 tons
Engines: Two Sulzer (Ludwigshafen) 6ST68 engines of 3,000hp each
Auxiliary engines: 3 x 4SS34 providing 1,200hp.
Screws: 2
Service Speed: 12.5 knots
Passengers: 89 first, 159 third

Page added August 9th 2008.

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