Ordered in 1938 to replace the aging ships on the Dutch East Indies route, her keel was laid in 1939 at De Schelde shipyard in Flushing, Netherlands, for Rotterdam - sche Lloyd Interrupted by World War II and two bombing raids, the liner finally departed for her maiden voyage on 2 December 1947, as ‘Willem Ruys’. This book presents an overview of the development and operational use of the ‘Willem-Ruys’ with many photos and illustrations.