SS Batavier V ( 1902 ) SS " Batavier V " was a steam packet for the Batavier Line that sailed between Rotterdam and London for most of her career . The ship was built in 1897 by the Gourlay Brothers of Dundee . The Dutch ship could carry a limited amount of freight and up to 428 passengers . She was rebuilt in 1909 which increased her length by over . During World War I , the Batavier Line attempted to maintain service , but in March 1915 , " Batavier V " was seized as a prize by German submarine and sailed into Zeebrugge in German - occupied Belgium . The ship was released by a German prize court in September . In May 1916 , " Batavier V " struck a mine laid by German submarine off the British coast and sank with the loss of four lives . Career . " Batavier V " and sister ship were built for William Müller and Company by the Gourlay Brothers of Dundee , Scotland . The ship was launched on 28 November 1902 . She was long ( between perpendiculars ) and abeam . " Batavier V " was powered by a single 3 - cylinder , triple - expansion steam engine of that moved her at a speed of up to . She could carry a maximum of 428 passengers : 75 in first class , 28 in second , and up to 325 in steerage . She was listed at . Upon completion in February 1903 , she joined " Batavier I " , , , and " Batavier IV " in packet service between Rotterdam and London . In Rotterdam , the ships docked at the Willemsplein ; in London , the ships docked at the Customs House and Wool Quays near the Tower Bridge . The Batavier Line service between Rotterdam and London was offered daily except Sundays , with each ship making multiple round trips per week . After the outbreak of World War I in August 1914 , the Batavier Line continued service on the Rotterdam – London route . " Batavier V " was frequently stopped by German warships , examined and allowed to proceed . On 17 March 1915 , however , " Batavier V " left Rotterdam and proceeded to the Hook of Holland , passing there in the early morning hours of 18 March . At about 05 : 00 , southwest of the Maas Lightship , German submarine hailed " Batavier V " . " Kapitänleutnant " Georg - Günther von Forstner , " U - 28 " s commanding officer , made clear his intent to seize " Batavier V " and sail it to German - occupied Zeebrugge . While the captains of the two vessels argued the legalities of seizing a vessel flagged under a neutral country , lookouts on the submarine spotted another Dutch steamer , " Zaanstroom " . " U - 28 " left an officer and a sailor on board " Batavier V " , and proceeded to stop and similarly seize " Zaanstroom " . " U - 28 " and a pilot boat , " W2 " , led both of the Dutch ships through minefields and into Zeebrugge . According to " Popular Mechanics " , one of " Batavier V " s passengers was a photographer who was able to snap pictures of the ship ' s encounter with the U - boat . In April , the International News Service copyrighted eight images from the photographer , and deposited them with the Library of Congress . According to " Popular Mechanics " , which published one of the photos in its July 1915 edition , the photographs give a sense of the " enormous size and power of the latest German submarines " . At Zeebrugge , " Batavier V " s Dutch crew , and all the Dutch citizens , women , and children among the ship ' s passengers were released ; fourteen Belgian men of fighting age and two priests were taken prisoner by the Germans . " Batavier V " s cargo of fresh meat and " Zaanstroom " s of fresh eggs were confiscated and unloaded by German personnel . The women and children were fed what one woman called " unpalatable black bread " before being sent to Ghent and on to Terneuzen in the Netherlands . The Dutch government requested explanation from Germany over the seizure of the neutral vessels and their cargoes . " Batavier V " was released by a German prize court in September . " Batavier V " resumed Rotterdam – London passenger service after her release from German control at Zeebrugge . On 16 May 1916 , while outbound from London for Rotterdam , " Batavier V " struck a mine near the north buoy at Inner Gabbard . The mine had been recently planted by the German coastal minelaying submarine . According to one witness , the ship ' s decks were awash within three minutes of the explosion , which blew the rear cargo hold hatch and sent a great deal of cargo flying through the air . " Batavier V " sank within twenty minutes , taking with her three members of the crew and one American passenger .