MS Tunis was a Danish motor ship in commercial service for Det Forenede Dampskibs Selskab (DFDS), Copenhagen, Denmark, as a cargo ship delivered to DFDS on 15 January 1936. Tunis was the first of four sister ships, two built in 1936 and two in 1938, that operated for DFDS. The ship's normal service was Copenhagen to the Mediterranean until war in Europe when all four of the ships were put into Atlantic service.
The United States seized Danish vessels in its ports in 1941 after Germany occupied Denmark on 9 April 1940. Tunis was seized in New York and delivered by the War Shipping Administration to the U.S. Navy under bareboat charter and commissioned USS Aquila (AK-47) for service in World War II. Aquila operated in the North Atlantic delivering general cargo and equipment to ships and stations in the war zone.
After Danish ships were returned to Denmark the ship resumed service from June 1946 to April 1966, largely on its prewar route of Denmark and the Mediterranean, but including some periods of service to Britain. In April 1966 Tunis was sold to Eletson Maritime Corp., Piraeus, Greece then registered in Greece as Maria T. The ship was sold in 1972 to Rigas Bros. & Dinos Mitropoulis, Piraeus and renamed Mathios operating until 1978. The ship was scrapped in 1978.
Construction
Tunis was constructed in 1935 by Helsingørs Jernskibs og Maskinbyggeri A/S, Elsinore, Denmark for Det Forenede Dampskibs Selskab (DFDS), Copenhagen, Denmark. The ship was the first of four almost identical ships built for DFDS. Tunis, hull 231 was followed by Marocco, hull 232, in 1936. In 1938 Algier, hull 251, and Sicilien, hull 252, were delivered. The later ships were nominally greater in capacity than the first two ships but with identical dimensions.
Laid down 10 August 1935 as yard hull number 231 the ship was launched 8 November 1935. Trials took place on 14 January 1936 with delivery to the company on 15 January. Tunis, signal OYJH, was a one deck vessel with a cruiser stern, , , registered length, beam and depth. Tunis was powered by a single 5 cylinder, 338 n.h.p. Burmeister & Wain 550-VF-90 type diesel engine driving one screw for a speed of .
Commercial service
Tunis was one of four similar cargo ships in commercial service for Det Forenede Dampskibs Selskab (DFDS), Copenhagen, operating between northwest Europe and the Mediterranean. On 18 January 1936 Tunis made a maiden voyage from Copenhagen to Antwerp. The ship then operated on a route from Copenhagen and Antwerp to the Mediterranean until beginning a Copenhagen to North America route in 1939/1940. The change was due to a surge in freight to North and South America at the start of war in Europe. All four of the new DFDS ships, Tunis, Marocco, Algier and Sicilien were put into Atlantic service. When Germany occupied Denmark on 9 April 1940 Tunis departed Copenhagen for New York arriving on 15 April 1930, days after the United States had declared seizure of Danish ships.
There was no Danish government in exile, the government completely subject to German influence, and Danish ships were thus considered by Britain and France to be enemy ships subject to seizure. Danish ships not seized by the belligerents sought refuge in neutral ports, particularly the United States. In New York a Danish Shipping Committee, without government powers, attempted to negotiate an "understanding" with representatives of the British and French governments without success. Under German pressure the Danish government ordered the ships in neutral ports to remain there and their crews to refuse any service including a law in Denmark prohibiting crews in neutral ports to sign on with other ships. The shortage of ships and crews among the Allied belligerents and neutral United States led to the United States seizing Danish ships on 30 March 1941. Denmark officially protested the seizure as against international law and demanding immediate return to no avail. In 1958 the United States offered Denmark $5,396,202 in settlement of claims for use and loss of all forty vessels including Tunis.
Tunis was one of forty Danish merchant vessels, totaling , seized by the United States Coast Guard and then requisitioned for use or transfer of title under the Ship Requisition Act. Most of the Danish ships were delivered to the War Shipping Administration (WSA), registered in Panama for diplomatic reasons, and operated under new names by commercial companies as WSA agents. Tunis was delivered to WSA in New York on 21 July 1941 and simultaneously chartered to Marine Operating Company, Inc. for operation. On 11 August 1941 WSA delivered the ship under Executive Order to the Navy under bareboat charter for operation as an transport.