View source for TSMS Lakonia

{{Short description|Dutch-built ocean liner that caught fire and sank in 1963}}
{{For|other ships with a similar name|SS Laconia}}
{{more citations needed|date=December 2010}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin |display title=TSMS ''Lakonia''}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=JVO sea.JPG
|Ship caption=An early photo of ''Johan van Oldenbarnevelt''
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship name=''Johan van Oldenbarnevelt''
|Ship namesake[[Johan van Oldenbarnevelt]]
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Netherlands}}
|Ship country=[[Netherlands]]
|Ship owner=[[Netherland Line]]
|Ship operator=*Netherland Line 1930–39
* Holland America Line 1939–45
* Netherland Line 1946–63
|Ship registry=*Amsterdam (1930–39)
* Batavia (1940–43)
* Willemstad (1944 onward)
|Ship route=*Amsterdam – [[Dutch East Indies]] (1930–39)
* [[Batavia, Dutch East Indies|Batavia]] – New York (1939–41)
|Ship ordered=
|Ship builder=[[Nederlandsche Scheepsbouw Maatschappij|NSM]], Amsterdam
|Ship original cost=
|Ship yard number=194
|Ship way number=
|Ship laid down=
|Ship launched=3 August 1929
|Ship completed=13 March 1930
|Ship refit=*1941 as troop ship
* 1946 as ocean liner
* 1951
* 1958
* 1963 as cruise ship
|Ship acquired=
|Ship maiden voyage=
|Ship decommissioned=3 February 1963
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship identification=*[[Code letters]] PGHB (until 1933)
* {{ICS|Papa}}{{ICS|Golf}}{{ICS|Hotel}}{{ICS|Bravo}}
* [[Maritime call sign|Call sign]] PFEB (1934 onward)
* {{ICS|Papa}}{{ICS|Foxtrot}}{{ICS|Echo}}{{ICS|Bravo}}
|Ship fate=Sold to the Shipping Investment Corporation and renamed TSMS ''Lakonia''
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=title
|Ship name=''Lakonia''
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Greece}}
|Ship country=[[Greece]]
|Ship owner=Shipping Investment Corporation
|Ship operator=[[Greek Line]]
|Ship registry=Greece
|Ship route=
|Ship ordered=
|Ship builder=
|Ship original cost=
|Ship christened=
|Ship acquired=8 March 1963
|Ship maiden voyage=
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship identification=
|Ship fate=Damaged by fire at sea 22–24 December 1963 and sank while under tow 29 December 1963
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship type=[[Ocean liner]]
|Ship tonnage={{GRT|19040}}
|Ship displacement=
|Ship length={{cvt|586.2|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{cvt|74.8|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship height=
|Ship draught=
|Ship depth={{cvt|36.1|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship decks=4
|Ship deck clearance=
|Ship ice class=
|Ship power=1,555 [[Horsepower#Nominal horsepower|NHP]]
|Ship propulsion=*Twin [[Sulzer (manufacturer)|Sulzer]] diesel engines,
* Two propellers
|Ship speed={{cvt|19|kn|abbr=on}}
|Ship capacity=*As built:
* '''770 passengers:'''
* 366 first class
* 280 second class
* 64 third class
* 60 fourth class
* '''cargo:'''
* 9,000 tons
|Ship crew=
|Ship notes=*[[sister ship]]:
* ''Marnix van St. Aldegonde''
}}
|}

'''TSMS ''Lakonia''''' was an [[ocean liner]] that was launched in 1929 for [[Netherland Line]] as the [[ocean liner]] '''''Johan van Oldenbarnevelt'''''. In 1962 she became the [[Greek Line]] [[cruise ship]] TSMS ''Lakonia''. On 22 December 1963 she caught fire at sea and on 29 December she sank. 128 people were killed in the disaster.

In the 1930s ''Johan van Oldenbarnevelt''{{'}}s regular route was between [[Port of Amsterdam|Amsterdam]] and the [[Dutch East Indies]]. She served in the [[World War II|Second World War]] as an Allied [[Troopship|troop ship]]. She was refitted several times and latterly became a [[cruise ship]].

In 1962 Netherland Line sold her to a Greek company, the Shipping Investment Corporation, who renamed her '''''Lakonia''''' and for whom the Greek Line managed her for cruising. From April 1963 Greek Line operated her on cruises from [[Port of Southampton|Southampton]].

On 22 December 1963 fire broke out on the ship when she was about {{convert| 200|mi | km }} north of Madeira during a Christmas cruise. As the fire spread, alarms sounded too softly to be heard by most people aboard. Evacuation was hampered by the overcrowding of lifeboats and the loss of several boats to fire. Some deaths were caused by the fire itself, others by accidents when abandoning ship, and others by [[Hypothermia|exposure]] or drowning in the sea.

''Lakonia''{{'}}s crew successfully launched just over half of her lifeboats. Some passengers were able to reach the water via gangways and rope ladders. Two ships alerted by distress signals managed to save most of the others.

On 24 December ocean tugs took ''Lakonia'' in tow and tried to tow her to Gibraltar. But the ship had developed a list and on 29 December she sank in the Atlantic.

A board of inquiry determined the fire to be due to faulty electrical wiring and strongly criticised the maintenance of equipment, thoroughness of [[Muster drill|lifeboat drills]], and the standard of supervision. Eight of the ship's officers were charged with negligence.

==Building==
[[Nederlandsche Scheepsbouw Maatschappij]] built ''Johan van Oldenbarnevelt'' in [[Amsterdam]]. Her [[yard number]] was 194. She was launched on 3 August 1929 and completed on 13 March 1930.<ref>{{cite ship register |register=MSI |id=5607090 |shipname=Johan van Oldenbarnevelt |accessdate=16 October 2020}}</ref> The same shipyard built a [[sister ship]], ''Marnix van St. Aldegonde'', which was launched in December 1929 and completed in September 1930.<ref>{{cite ship register |register=MSI |id=5607151 |shipname=Marnix van St. Aldegonde |accessdate=16 October 2020}}</ref> Both ships were built for Netherland Line to operate scheduled passenger and cargo services between Amsterdam and the Dutch East Indies.

''Johan van Oldenbarnevelt'' was named after a [[Johan van Oldenbarnevelt|Dutch soldier and statesman of the same name]] who was beheaded in 1619.

''Johan van Oldenbarnevelt'' was a [[motor ship]] with two [[Sulzer (manufacturer)|Sulzer]] [[marine diesel engine]]s driving her two propellers. Between them the engines developed 1,555 [[Horsepower#Nominal horsepower|NHP]] and gave her a cruising speed of {{convert|19|kn|km/h}}. The ship was {{cvt|586.2|ft|m|abbr=on}} long, had a beam of {{cvt|74.8|ft|m|abbr=on}} and her tonnage was {{GRT|19040}}.<ref name=LR33>{{cite book |url= https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/33/33b0454.pdf |year=1933 |title=Lloyd's Register, Steamers & Motorships |place=London |publisher=[[Lloyd's Register]] |accessdate=15 October 2020}}</ref>

''Johan van Oldenbarnevelt'' was the 89th ship built for the Netherland Line. When she was launched she was the largest ship yet built in the Netherlands. The artist [[Carel Adolph Lion Cachet]] and sculptor Lambertus Zijl decorated her interior with [[teak]], [[marble]], and many [[statue]]s, [[mosaic]]s, [[tapestry|tapestries]] and [[chandelier]]s.

As built, she had berths for 770 passengers: 366 in first class, 280 in second, 64 in third and 60 in fourth class. She had berths for 360 crew. She had four decks<ref name=LR33/> and could carry 9,000 tons of [[cargo]].

Until 1933 the ship's [[code letters]] were PGHB.<ref name=LR33/> In 1934 they were superseded by the [[maritime call sign]] PFEB.<ref>{{cite book |url= https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/34/34b0431.pdf |year=1934 |title=Lloyd's Register, Steamers & Motorships |place=London |publisher=[[Lloyd's Register]] |accessdate=15 October 2020}}</ref> Until 1939 she was registered in Amsterdam.<ref name=LR40>{{cite book |url= https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/40/40a0485.pdf |year=1940 |title=Lloyd's Register, Steamers & Motorships |place=London |publisher=[[Lloyd's Register]] |accessdate=15 October 2020}}</ref>

==''Johan van Oldenbarnevelt''==
[[File:8th Div Troops.jpg|thumb|right|Members of 'C' Company, 2/30th Battalion disembark at Singapore, from ''Johan Van Oldenbarnevelt'' (HMT FF), part of Convoy US11B, 15 August 1941.]]

===World War II service===
When the Second World War broke out in 1939, [[Holland America Line]] [[Chartering (shipping)|chartered]] ''Johan van Oldenbarnevelt'', re-registered her in [[Batavia, Dutch East Indies|Batavia]] in the Dutch East Indies<ref name=LR40/> and used her as a cargo ship between Batavia and [[New York City]].

On 20 January 1941 she was requisitioned to be an Allied troop ship, and was converted by [[Harland and Wolff]] to carry up to 4,000 troops. [[Orient Steam Navigation Company|Orient Line]] managed her. In 1943 she was re-registered in [[Willemstad]], [[Curaçao]].<ref>{{cite book |url= https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/43/43b0504.pdf |year=1943 |title=Lloyd's Register, Steamers & Motorships |place=London |publisher=[[Lloyd's Register]] |accessdate=15 October 2020}}</ref> After servicing [[British Raj|India]], [[Singapore]] and [[Penang]], she finally returned to her home port of Amsterdam on 13 February 1946.

Her sister ship, ''Marnix van St. Aldegonde'', also served as a troop ship. [[Nazi Germany|German]] aircraft sank her by torpedo off the [[French Algeria|Algerian]] coast, but all 3,000 troops and crew were saved by rescue ships.

===Post-war service===
[[File:Van Oldenbarneveldt (het schip), Bestanddeelnr 902-5790 (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|''Johan van Oldenbarnevelt'' arriving in Amsterdam, 15 February 1948]]
After ''Johan van Oldenbarnevelt'' was released from government service, Netherland Line had her refitted and in 1946 returned her to service on the Amsterdam – Batavia route. From 1945 until 1949 [[Indonesian National Revolution|Indonesians fought for their independence from the Netherlands]]. For several years the ship ferried Dutch troops returning home from Indonesia.

By 1950 Indonesia was independent and the ship was withdrawn from the East Indies service. She was transferred to the Amsterdam – [[Australia]] service and began her first voyage to Australia on 2 September 1950. She serviced Australia and [[New Zealand]] for the next twelve and a half years, with occasional service to [[Canada]] and the [[United States]].

The Australia run was an instant success, and 1951, ''Johan van Oldenbarnevelt'' was put into dry-dock in Amsterdam for refitting. She was refitted as a one-class ship with berths for 1,414 passengers. Her lounges were restored to their original and additional passenger facilities were installed. Eight [[Lifeboat (shipboard)|lifeboat]]s were added, bringing her total number of boats to 24.

On 23 January 1952 she left for Australia but was forced to return to Amsterdam after four small fires were discovered aboard. The fires were quickly extinguished. [[Arson]] was suspected, but no suspects were ever arrested.

In 1958 ''Johan van Oldenbarnevelt'' was refitted again, reducing her berths to 1,210. The Amsterdam Dry Dock Company completed the refit in three months at a cost of A$800,000.{{clarify|reason=Her Dutch owners probably paid her Dutch refitters in Dutch guilders, not Australian dollars!|date=October 2020}} Three luxury suites were added, as well as a [[nightclub]], [[movie theater|cinema]], gift shop, promenade lounge and second [[swimming pool]]. All public rooms were refinished and restored. Her main [[Mast (sailing)|mast]] was moved to atop the [[bridge (ship)|bridge]], and her decks were extended aft. Her funnels were raised, given rounded tops and painted yellow and black. Her black [[hull (watercraft)|hull]] was re-painted grey.

On 2 April 1959 the ship was assigned to her new port, [[Port of Southampton|Southampton]], England.{{clarify|reason=What does "assigned" mean? Was the ship registered in Southampton or only based there?|date=October 2020}} She offered round-the-world service, making stops in Australia, New Zealand, [[Bermuda]] and New York City. She was now a cruise ship instead of an ocean liner.

''Johan van Oldenbarnevelt'' left on her last round-the-world voyage for the Netherland Line on 30 June 1962. She arrived in Sydney, Australia on 3 February 1963 and was decommissioned by the Netherland Line that day, ending a 33-year career for that shipping line. She then sailed for [[Genoa]], [[Italy]], and arrived on 7 March 1963.

==TSMS ''Lakonia''==
On 8 March 1963 ''Johan van Oldenbarnevelt'' was sold to a Greek company, the Shipping Investment Corporation. Her decks and public rooms were renamed and the aft swimming pool was enlarged. 12 extra cabins were added, and [[air conditioning]] was installed throughout the ship. Her hull was painted white, and her tonnage increased to {{GRT|20314}}. She was renamed [[Ship prefix#Generic (merchant navy) prefixes|TSMS]] ''Lakonia''.

Ormos Shipping Company, also known as the [[Greek Line]], operated ''Lakonia'' offering cruises from Southampton to the [[Canary Islands]]. She left Southampton on her first voyage as ''Lakonia'' on 24 April 1963. She proved very popular, and Greek Line planned 27 cruises for 1964. From 9–13 December 1963 she underwent another minor upgrade. A new pneumatic [[fuel injection]] system was installed. Cabins were redecorated, and the kitchen and pantry were completely remodelled.

''Lakonia'' was fitted with a number of safety features. She carried 24 lifeboats capable of holding 1,455 people. She had an automatic [[fire alarm]] system and two fire stations with specialist firefighting equipment. She had [[lifejacket]]s for every person aboard and an extra 400 stowed on deck.

===Fire===
[[File:burning1.JPG|thumb|Aerial photo of ''Lakonia'' burning]]
''Lakonia'' left Southampton on 19 December 1963 for an 11-day Christmas cruise of the Canary Islands. Her first scheduled stop was to be the island of [[Madeira]]. She carried 646 passengers and 376 crew: a total of 1,022 people. All but 21 of the passengers were [[United Kingdom|British]] citizens. Most of her crew were Greek or German. The captain of ''Lakonia'' was 53-year-old Mathios Zarbis.

The crew had conducted a boat drill a week before, and the ship passed a safety inspection by the British [[Department for Transport|Ministry of Transport]] 24 hours before sailing. She carried a Greek certificate of seaworthiness. Passengers took part in a boat drill on 20 December, but one passenger noted that he was the only one at his lifeboat Station.<ref>{{cite journal |url= http://project-purley.net/Q0603.pdf |last=Conquest |first=Sylvia |title=Purley W.I. |journal=Purley Parish News |date=March 2006 |pages=17–18}}</ref>

On 22 December, at around 11:00&nbsp;p.m., a [[Chief Steward|steward]] noticed thick smoke seeping under the door of the ship's hairdressing salon. Upon opening the door, he found the room completely ablaze, and the fire rushed into the hallway toward the state rooms. He and another steward tried to fight the flames with fire extinguishers, but the fire spread too fast to be contained. One of the men ran to notify the ship's [[purser]], Antonio Bogetti.

Fire alarms sounded, but too softly to be heard by most passengers. "The fire alarm bell was so weak that it sounded like someone calling the waiter to ask for tea," one survivor later told reporters. An alarm went off on the bridge, showing the fire's location. The ship was about 
{{convert| 200|mi | km }} north of Madeira at {{coord|35|15|N|15|15|W||display=inline,title|name=}}.<ref name=keatinge>{{Cite journal |last=Keatinge |first=WR |title=Death after Shipwreck |journal=[[The BMJ|British Medical Journal]] |volume=2 |issue=5477 |pages=1537–1540 |date=December 1965 |doi=10.1136/bmj.2.5477.1537 |pmc=1847266 |pmid=5850474}}</ref><sup id="inlinea" class="reference">[[#notea|[A]]]</sup><ref>{{cite book |title=Marine Fire Prevention, Firefighting and Fire Safety |publisher=Diane Publishing |year=1994 |pages=46 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=4Fp2NzVifn0C |isbn=978-0-7881-0478-7}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Stilgoe |first=John R |title=Lifeboat |publisher=University of Virginia Press |year=2003 |place=Charlottesville |page=3 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=KvB6NPbSByAC |isbn=978-0-8139-2221-8}}</ref>

At the time the fire was discovered, most of the passengers were in the ship's [[ballroom]], called the Lakonia Room, dancing at the "Tropical Tramps' Ball." Passengers began to notice the smell of smoke, but most dismissed it as strong [[cigar]] smoke. Captain Zarbis, who had been notified of the fire, tried to make an announcement on the ship's [[public address system]], but the fire had disabled it. As smoke began to fill the ballroom at about 11:30, the band stopped playing and [[cruise director]] George Herbert ushered the frightened passengers to the boat deck. The upper deck was ablaze within 10 minutes.

Many of the passengers who had been asleep in their cabins found themselves unable to escape the fire. Some passengers were told to go to the main dining room to await instructions, but most ignored this order, since the dining room lay directly in the path of the fire.

At 11:30&nbsp;p.m., the ship's chief radio officer Antonios Kalogridis sent out the first distress call: "Fire spreading up. Prepare evacuation on ship." At midnight, a second distress call was sent out: "We are leaving the ship. Please immediately give us assistance. Please help us." Kalogridis sent out the last call at 12:22&nbsp;a.m., just before the radio room caught fire: "SOS from ''Lakonia'', last time. I cannot stay anymore in the radio station. We are leaving the ship. Please immediate assistance. Please help."

A six-man fire crew tried to fight the blaze, but the fire spread too quickly to be contained. [[Boiler]]s began to explode, filling the rooms and hallways with thick, black smoke, and the suffocating passengers were forced on deck.

===Evacuation===
The ship's purser gave the order to abandon ship shortly before 1:00&nbsp;a.m. Dazed passengers made their way to the lifeboats, some in their pajamas and others still wearing their jewelry and evening wear.

A few crew members went below decks to try to save passengers from their burning cabins. The ship's swimming pool attendant and a steward lowered themselves over the side of the ship, by rope, to pull trapped people from portholes.

<!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: [[File:burning3.JPG|thumb|''Lakonia'' develops a starboard list. {{puic|Burning3.JPG|2009 June 9}} {{Deletable image-caption|date=May 2012}}]] -->
Evacuation of the ship was very difficult. Some lifeboats burned before they could be lowered. Two of the lifeboats were swamped, spilling their occupants into the sea; one when it was lowered only by one end, and the other when its davits broke off. Chains had rusted in many of the davits, making boats difficult or impossible to move. Only just over half of the lifeboats made it safely away from ''Lakonia'', and some of them less than half full. Several people who dove overboard struck the side of the ship on the way down, killing them before they hit the water.

Passengers were angered when the radio operator left the ship in a launch, with a nurse and two musicians. Kalogridis later testified that he had left to rescue people from the water. He stated that he did not return to the ship because the current pushed the launch away.<sup id="inlineb" class="reference">[[#noteb|[B]]]</sup> Passengers also claimed that some of the crewmen took advantage of the chaos to [[looting|loot]] state rooms.

When all of the boats were away, there were still people in the water and over 100 people left aboard the burning ship. ''Lakonia'' continued to burn fiercely and was rocked by violent explosions. Those who remained aboard flocked to the glass-enclosed Agora Shopping Centre at the stern of the ship. After several hours, the flames closed in on them, and they were forced to descend ropes and rope ladders into the ocean. The port and starboard gangways were lowered as well, and people walked down the gangways single file into the sea.

===Rescue===
At 3:30&nbsp;a.m., four hours after the first distress call, the {{convert|495|ft|m|adj=on}} [[Argentina|Argentine]] passenger ship ''Salta'' arrived on the scene. ''Salta'', commanded by Captain José Barrere, had been on her way from [[Genoa]], Italy to [[Buenos Aires]]. The {{convert|440|ft|m|adj=on}} British cargo ship ''Montcalm'' arrived half an hour later at 4:00&nbsp;a.m. The majority of the survivors were saved by these two ships. ''Salta'' rescued 475 people and took aboard most of ''Lakonia'''s lifeboats.

In the hours that followed, the [[Belgium|Belgian]] ship ''[[:fr:Charlesville (paquebot)|Charlesville]]'', the USA freighter ''Rio Grande'', the British passenger ship ''Stratheden'' and the [[Panama]]nian freighter ''Mehdi'' all arrived to join the rescue. Each rescue ship launched boats to pluck survivors from the water. The [[United States Air Force]] sent four [[Douglas C-54 Skymaster|C-54 aircraft]] from the [[Lajes Field]] in the [[Azores]]. The planes dropped flares, lifejackets, life rafts and survival kits to people in the water. An [[Royal Air Force|RAF]] [[Avro Shackleton]] from Gibraltar criss-crossed the area, pinpointing boats and survivors and guiding rescuers to them.

<!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: [[File:burning4.JPG|thumb|The scorched ''Lakonia'' under tow {{puic|Burning4.JPG|2009 June 9}} {{Deletable image-caption|date=May 2012}}]] -->
The rescue was hindered by the fact that ''Lakonia'' drifted for several miles during the evacuation. People in the water were dispersed over a {{cvt|2|to|3|mi|km|adj=on}} area. Also, rescue ships were reluctant to get too near ''Lakonia'' because of the risk that her 500 tons of [[Heavy fuel oil|fuel oil]] could explode.

''Charlesville'' sent a lifeboat shortly after daybreak to rescue Captain Zarbis, who was spotted pacing the decks of his still-burning ship. Zarbis was the last person to leave ''Lakonia'' alive.

Most of the survivors were taken to Madeira. Others, including Captain Zarbis, were taken to [[Casablanca]].

===Aftermath===
The disaster killed a total of 128 people. 95 were passengers and 33 were crew. Only 53 people were killed in the actual fire. The rest died from [[hypothermia|exposure]], [[drowning]] and injuries sustained while diving overboard. Most of the dead were buried in a Gibraltar cemetery after an autopsy which was carried out in a cavern workshop of 1st Fortress Squadron, [[Royal Engineers]].

One passenger who jumped from the ship cut her throat on her life jacket. After being rescued by ''Montcalm'', her injuries were treated by another passenger, Alan Leigh. Largely due to this incident, cruise ship passengers are now instructed how to hold their jackets if jumping from a height.

Crewmen from the [[Royal Navy]] aircraft carrier {{HMS|Centaur|R06|6}} boarded ''Lakonia'' on 24 December, once the flames had died down.<ref>{{cite journal |url= http://project-purley.net/Q0605.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1pq-NbksunouX74XZXKi5r0c-4GQoQP1-Mv_YNTL0EXwIYbUMNopkNLHI |last=Burgess |first=Bill |title=Recollections of the Lakonia Disaster |journal=Purley Parish News |pages=10–13}}</ref> Most of the bodies were recovered by the crew of ''Centaur''. By this time ''Lakonia'' was a charred, smoking hulk. Her superstructure had partially collapsed amidships, and the bridge and aft decks had caved in. There were holes blasted near her bow, and she was listing 10 degrees to [[starboard]].

The [[Norway|Norwegian]] [[tugboat]] ''Herkules'' secured a tow line to ''Lakonia'' at 5:30&nbsp;p.m. on 24 December. ''Herkules'', along with the Portuguese tugboat ''Praia da Adraga'' and two other tugs, set off for the British base at [[Gibraltar]] with ''Lakonia'' in tow. Her list grew more severe each day, and at about 2:00&nbsp;p.m. on 29 December, ''Lakonia'' rolled onto her starboard side. She sank stern-first in only three minutes. The ship went down {{cvt|230|nmi|km|lk=in}} southwest of [[Lisbon]], [[Portugal]], {{cvt|250|nmi|km}} west of Gibraltar.

The only colour photographs taken of the ''Lakonia'' disaster ran in ''[[Life (magazine)|Life]]'' magazine on 3 January 1964.<ref name="Marchbanks">{{cite book |last=Marchbanks |first=David |year=1964 |title=The Painted Ship: An Account of the Fire at Sea Aboard the Greek Liner Lakonia |place=London |publisher=Secker & Warburg}}</ref> ''Life''{{'}}s photographic coverage of the event marked only the second time in history that a publication was able to offer hour-by-hour photographic coverage of a disaster at sea.<ref name="Marchbanks"/> The first such coverage appeared on 6 August 1956, when ''Life'' ran a series of photos of the Italian liner {{SS|Andrea Doria||2}} sinking. The only person known to have taken photos aboard the ship during the fire was Ian Harris from Finchley, London, who was travelling with his wife, Rita Harris. These photos appeared in ''Life'', edition dated 3 January 1964.<ref>{{cite magazine |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=TlQEAAAAMBAJ&q=harris&pg=PA13 |title=The Lakonia burns at sea |magazine=Life |date=3 January 1964 |pages=13–21}}</ref> Rita Harris recounted the events on 2 July 1964 on ''[[Woman's Hour]]'' on the [[BBC Light Programme]].<ref>{{cite web |url= https://aarkangel.wordpress.com/2016/12/20/a-survivors-story-lakonia-3/ |last=Gee |first=Adam |title=A Survivor's Story (Lakonia 3) |publisher=Wordpress |date=20 December 2016}}</ref>

Survivors include British educator Sir [[Ivor Jennings]] with wife and daughter, architect [[Owen Luder]] and wife Doris, and [[Henry Wilson, Baron Wilson of Langside]].

===Investigation===
The [[Ministry of Shipping and Island Policy (Greece)|Greek Merchant Marine Ministry]] conducted a two-year investigation into ''Lakonia'' disaster. The board of inquiry maintained that ''Lakonia'' should not have passed safety inspections before sailing. Lifeboat davits were rusted and lockers containing lifesaving equipment failed to open. The drain holes in many of the lifeboats lacked stoppers, so that passengers had to constantly bail water.

The crew had conducted a lifeboat drill a week before the voyage, but only five of the boats had been lowered. The board argued that all of the boats should have been tested.

Charges of looting were dropped after extensive questioning. The crew maintained that they had only broken into cabins to search for lifejackets.

The board of inquiry made a number of other charges. The order to abandon ship was given too late. Operations on deck were not supervised by responsible officers. The crew, except for a few acts of self-sacrifice, failed to rescue sleeping passengers from their cabins below decks.

Eight of ''Lakonia'''s officers were charged with [[negligence]]. Captain Zarbis, his first officer and the ship's security officer were charged with gross negligence. The other five men were charged with simple negligence.

The cause of the fire was ultimately determined to be a [[short circuit]] of faulty [[electrical wiring]].

==See also==
* [[List of maritime disasters]]

==Notes==
{{refbegin}}
<ol class="references" style="list-style-type:upper-alpha;">
<li id="notea">'''[[#inlinea|^]]''' The reported position is about 200 [[statute mile]]s from the main island of Madeira: about 175 [[nautical mile]]s; roughly NNE (028°T).</li>
<li id="noteb">'''[[#inlineb|^]]''' This is a puzzling explanation to offer, as the effect of any current would be the same on both vessels.  Whatever the strength and direction of current, it would have no tendency to separate launch and ship.</li>
</ol>
{{refend}}

==Citations==
{{reflist}}

==References==
* {{cite journal |last=Burca |first=Richard |title=A Holiday I'll Never Forget |journal=[[Reader's Digest]] |date=June 1964 |pages=64–68}}

==External links==
* {{cite web |url= http://www.ssmaritime.com/jvoch1.htm |last=Goossens |first=Reuben |title=MS Johan van Oldenbarnevelt |website=ssMaritime}} – history and pictures
* {{cite web |url= https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2285289/ |title=Lakonia The Facts |publisher=IMDb}} – [[ITV Granada|Granada Television]] ''[[World In Action]]'' episode

{{1963 shipwrecks}}
{{Holland America Ships}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lakonia}}
[[Category:1929 ships]]
[[Category:International maritime incidents]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1963]]
[[Category:Ocean liners]]
[[Category:Passenger ships of Greece]]
[[Category:Passenger ships of the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Ship fires]]
[[Category:Ships built by Nederlandsche Scheepsbouw Maatschappij]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean]]
[[Category:Troop ships of the Netherlands]]
[[Category:World War II merchant ships of the Netherlands]]