Foto boven: Het vrachtschip m.s. “Alhena”, na WO-II hersteld en afgebouwd door de RDM.

Loa = 145,39 m, Lll = 137,33 m, B = 18,35 m, H = 8,22 m, d = 7,86 m. 
Gt: 7.289 ton, Nt: 4.262 ton, Dwt: 9.407 ton en 55 passagiers. 
2 tew 8 cilinder Stork dieselmotor, 4.400 pk, snelheid: 13,5 kn. 
Gebouwd bij Nederlandse Scheepsbouw Mij te Amsterdam (bouwnummer 279) als m.s. “Algol” voor VNCG te Rotterdam. 
Imo nr: 5011080, bouwjaar: 1942, roepnaam: PCLQ. 
Op 28-06-1940 werd het schip gedoopt en te water gelaten door mevr. Goudriaan en ze werd uiteindelijk op 26-04-1947 opgeleverd. 
Op 27-10-1941 door de Duitsers van de werf gevorderd. 
In 1943 als “Sperrbrecher 29” naar de Deutsche Kriegsmarine. 
In mei 1945 werd ze, zwaar beschadigd door een luchtaanval, in Wilhelmshafen teruggevonden. 

Omschrijving:
19-10-1945: Door zeesleper “Zwarte Zee” te Rotterdam afgeleverd voor herstel bij Rotterdamsche Droogdok Mij. 
26-04-1947: Als “Alhena” aan VNGC te Rotterdam opgeleverd. Haar roepnaam bleef PCLQ. 

24-11-1964: 25.000e schip te Rotterdam in 1964. 
Op 08-12-1964 is, ter hoogte van Seinpost Hoek van Holland, de “Alhena” in aanvaring gekomen met de Noorse tanker “Sigvik”. De voorsteven van de “Alhena” was ’total loss’ en deze werd bij de RDM of de NW hersteld. 
07-03-1968: als “Alda” naar Alda Shipping Co., Limassol, Cyprus. 
1971: als “Alda” naar Ilena Shipping Co. Ltd, Famagusta, Cyrpus. 
Op 15-07-1973 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, aangekomen voor sloop bij Nan Feng Steel Enterprise Co. Ltd. Op 10-08-1973 aanvang van de sloop. 

Citaten:
– Daily Collection of Maritime Press Clippings, Monday 01-10-2012: 
… … Photo 2 made by Harry Stott instantly strikes the Rotterdam Shipping Club as the Van Nievelt & Goudriaan ship “Alhena”. This is the story of a modest but interesting freighter – a vessel with quite a history! Construction began in Amsterdam in September 1939 as “Algol”. She was launched in June 1940, one month after the Germans occupied the Netherlands. Further construction was deliberately slowed down and the Germans seized the vessel by October 1941. It took till 1943 before they moved her from the yard. Originally she supplied the German troops which had occupied the British Channel Islands. But this become impossible after February 1944 when the Allies obtained air superiority. The lack of supplies eventually caused famine on the Channel Islands till the surrender of the German troops in 1945. She was then renamed “Sperrbrechter 29”. Such vessels preceded German convoys along the mine-infested coastal areas. A very hazardous practice! To increase buoyancy, the holds were filled to capacity with empty drums. 
The “Algol” survived, with 25 hits by mines, and was recovered heavily damaged at Wilhelmshafen. She was towed to Rotterdam by the Dutch tug “Zwarte Zee” where she arrived on 19th. Oct. 1945. Repairs were carried out but shortage of materials caused further delays and she was finally delivered to VNG on April 26th. 1947, 6 years behind schedule, she plied the regular VNG routes from North West Europe to South America. In Jan. 1959 she grounded in the river Scheldt and was heavily damaged. After repairs she resumed service and become the 25.000nd. vessel to arrive in Rotterdam on Nov. 25, 1964. One month later her arrival in Rotterdam was less glorious when she collided head-on with the Norwegian tanker “Sigvik” just passing Hook of Holland. Further repairs followed and eventually she was sold to the Greeks in March 1968. Renamed “Alda” she served for another 6 years until she was laid up in Chalkis in April 1972. Eventually she was scrapped in Kaohsiung in July 1973. … …

Bronnen:
– www.kombuispraat.com (Tina) 
– Rob van den Broek, ’s Hertogenbosch. 
– Daily Collection of Maritime Press Clippings, Monday 01-10-2012.