
Literature & History
The diplomatic ship between Hansa’s warships
About this catalogueHansa Modelle 1969 German catalogueBetween the cruisers in Hansa’s 1969 catalogue sits a very different vessel. No. S160 is labelled “Diplomaten-Schiff Gripsholm”, with GRIPSHOLM and SVERIGE written prominently along its side. Those large markings had a serious purpose on the real ship. A US State Department telegram from June 1942 describes Gripsholm as a Swedish vessel chartered to transport Japanese nationals to Lourenço Marques and bring Americans back to New York. The instructions specify…

