One of the Mysteries of WW2 the Fire on the Normandie

[timetraveller]

At the outbreak of the War the Grand French Liner "Normandie " was half way across the Atlantic whilst heading towards New York .
After arriving in New York she was mothballed and only looked after a skelton crew then apprantly when the French Vichy Goverment came to Power , Roosevelt order the Liner under US Control ,.

At this point the Liner was being re fitted as a troop carrier and also renamed the Layfette [ sp ] At near completetion was supposed to head to the UK with 10,000 Soldiers and the Ship went on Fire and due to damage listed and sat her side in the Harbour ..

http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/5114/normandiecapsizedlife.th.jpg (http://img94.imageshack.us/i/normandiecapsizedlife.jpg/)

When the fire happend many suspected German Sabatours because of previous Incidents during ww1 and prior to the fire itself one of the biggest Spy rings was busted and many were arrested and sentence ..

Years later American Mobster Lucky Luciano claimed in a book that he wrote he gave the order to Burn the Ship to show of his Power and Influence...

[Gus]

I don't remember where I heard it from but the story I recall is that FDNY firefighters were battling the fire from dockside pouring tons of water into the ship. At least one U.S. Navy officer witnessed this and, realizing the inevitable, asked to go aboard to open sea-cocks so the ship could settle evenly to the bottom (only a few feet). The fire department officer in charge refused and eventually the water built up inside the hull until the ship first listed, then rolled onto her side.

I don't know if this story is true or not but either way it does not exclude either sabotage or mob involvement as the cause of the fire.

[skipperbob]

Most reliable sources put the start of the fire due to welding setting off some paint on the other side of a bulkhead. It was not that bad a fire and should have been contained but the FDNY was not use to fires on board a large ship like this and indeed they poured so much water into the ship it capsized. As usual - carlessness and ignorance = disaster.

[baboon6]

I don't remember where I heard it from but the story I recall is that FDNY firefighters were battling the fire from dockside pouring tons of water into the ship. At least one U.S. Navy officer witnessed this and, realizing the inevitable, asked to go aboard to open sea-cocks so the ship could settle evenly to the bottom (only a few feet). The fire department officer in charge refused and eventually the water built up inside the hull until the ship first listed, then rolled onto her side.

I don't know if this story is true or not but either way it does not exclude either sabotage or mob involvement as the cause of the fire.

A documentary I saw, one of the episodes of Speed Machines, reckons that it was the ship's chief designer, Vladimir Yourkevitch, who was present at the time, who made this suggestion.

[Connaught Ranger]

Years later American Mobster Lucky Luciano claimed in a book that he wrote he gave the order to Burn the Ship to show of his Power and Influence...

That has to be the most stupid explanation offered ever for sinking a ship.
In 1942 when the "Normandie" sunk was "Lucky" not in prison?

Only to be released, under controlled conditions in late 1944 to try and get the Sicilian Mafia to aid an Allied landing in Sicily.

[LineDoggie]

That has to be the most stupid explanation offered ever for sinking a ship.
In 1942 when the "Normandie" sunk was "Lucky" not in prison?

Only to be released, under controlled conditions in late 1944 to try and get the Sicilian Mafia to aid an Allied landing in Sicily. Lucky still ran many things from Dannemora. His subordinate Vito Genovese visited regularly, among others. And he was treated more like Paul Sorvino did in goodfellas than some simple yardbird.

Lucky could have ordered the Burning as he still controlled the docks through Albert Anastasia. Question would really be what was in it for him to do so?

[A_V_8_R]

I remember reading a very comprehensive article on this. Fire started from a welder operating to close to a pile of kapok life vests laying on one of the decks.