furniture of many types, but also to equipment necessary for ship opera- 

 tion. Engine room, bridge, holds and storerooms offered special problems. 

 Replacement items came from all sections of the country: from Indiana, 

 Maryland, Minnesota and Massachusetts, to name only a few. The assem- 

 bly of the materials alone was a constant battle with time. 



The measure of the achievement is found in the ships today as they 

 welcome the traveler on business or pleasure. Whether they are old friends 

 or new, there will be much to delight them. A two-deck-high dining 

 room has a roll-back dome for open-air dining; a delightful lounge has 

 French windows opening on a sheltered palm court. There is a large tiled 

 outdoor swimming pool with spacious beach and sport deck adjoining, 

 and a gaily decorated club room. The tastefully furnished staterooms are 

 all outside, and have private baths. These are only a few of the features for 

 the pleasure and convenience of the traveling public. 



Both the Santa Paula and the Santa Rosa had distinguished war rec- 

 ords. More fortunate than their sisters, the Santa Lucia (rechristened the 

 U.S.S. Leedstown and assigned to naval duty), which went down in the 

 invasion at Casablanca, and the Santa Elena, which was sunk by enemy 

 action off Philippeville, Algeria, in 1943, neither the Santa Rosa nor the 

 Santa Paula was damaged during the war. 



The Santa Paula assumed her war role a week before Pearl Harbor on 

 a highly secret voyage to West Africa with 500 aviation technicians en 

 route to establish air-ferry bases. Under top secret orders, and maintaining 

 a two-way radio silence, she sailed as a neutral and arrived in Bathurst, 

 Gambia — U.S. flags painted on her side — December 9, unaware of the 

 declaration of war. Three weeks later, while the ship was lying at Tako- 

 radi, Gold Coast, the Berlin radio beamed a broadcast to Africa announc- 

 ing her location and giving a detailed account of the number of people 

 aboard and the nature of her voyage. A veteran of the North African 

 campaign, the Santa Paula had her narrowest escape in November, 1943, 

 while in the Mediterranean en route to Sicily. A few hours before the 

 Santa Elena was struck by a torpedo, she and the Santa Paula had ex- 

 changed convoy positions, the latter being only 400 yards astern of the 



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