The Achille Lauro Incident
In
October 1985, four heavily armed Palestinian terrorists hijacked the Italian
cruise ship Achille Lauro. They demand that Israel free fifty Palestinian
prisoners. To back up their threats, they kill and throw overboard Leon Klinghoffer,
a 69-year-old disabled American tourist.
But
before this drama unfolded in the sea off of Egypt, the Achille Lauro was
formerly known as the William Ruys. The ship was built for Royal Rotterdam
Lloyd intended for service between the Netherlands and Indonesia.
Her
keel was laid in 1939 at the Koninklijke Maatschappij de Schelde, in Flushing. She weighed 23,114 grt. and was over 192 meters long. She could carry 275 first class and 770
touris class passengers. Powered by engines capable of delivering 32,000 bhp,
her twin screws could carry her to a top speed of 22 knots.
Before
she could enter service, World War II broke out and work on the ship was
suspended until 1947. By this time, the Netherlands was preoccupied with
Indonesia’s fight for independence and William Ruys began life as a troop
transport ship. My father, Reindert Jansen, traveled aboard her, to Indonesia,
as part of the 3rd Hulpverbandplaats of the 3rd Infantry Brigade.
Eventually she was sold to
Italy’s Lauro Lines in 1964 and renamed the Achille Lauro after the Mayor of
Naples. She was completely refurbished with accommodations for 152 first class
and 1,155 tourist class passengers sailing between Europe and Australia until
1973. She then became a Mediterranean cruise ship. In 1981, while cruising near
the Canary Islands, a fire killed two people on board. She was then leased to
the Chandris Lines after being seized by creditors.
Then on October 7, 1985, with most of her passengers on
shore, Palestinian Terrorists seized her and after two days, surrendered at
Port Said. But they never stood trial. While being transported to safety, a
U.S. aircraft forced down the Egyptian plane carrying the terrorists. Landing
in Italy, they were turned over to Italian authorities to be tried for murder.
However, Prime Minister Bettino Craxi
released the terrorists causing outrage in the U.S. and Italy. Eventually he
was forced to resign.
The Achille Lauro continued in service until 1994. While off the coast of Africa on December 2nd, she caught fire and sank. Two passengers died but all the rest of the passengers and crew survived by being taken aboard the tanker Hawaiian King.