Containership “Axel Maersk” leaving Kobe, September 1979
Owner: A/S D/S Svendborg and D/S af 1912 A/S (A.P. Moller), Copenhagen,
Flag: Denmark
Builder: Blohm + Voss AG, Hamburg (Hull-892)
Gross tons: 29,903
Deadweight: 30,461
Length overall: 224.95 m
Max. draft: 11.21 m
Engines: 2 x General Electric MST-14 steam turbines, by A.G. Weser, Bremen
Service speed: 26 knots
Completed May 1976; 26,940 tons gross, 25,300 deadweight, 210.6o l.o.a.
1978: lengthened by adding one cargo hold (40' container module) forward of the superstructure; result as per this photo.
1984:Underwent (with 8 sister ships) major rebuilding at Hitachi Zosen's Innoshima yard, including lengthening to 239.28 m ; replacement of bows with those from her sister “Adrian Maersk” and replacement of her 2 steam turbines with a single B&W 8L90GBE diesel built by Hitachi Zosen, Sakurajima (Osaka); she & 2 sisters were also fitted with stern ro/ro ramps; renamed “Adrian Maersk” on completion in 1984 (new gross & deadweight tonnages 40,594 & 32,178 respectively)
1984: ownership transferred to Maersk Line Ltd, United States; chartered to US Military Sealift Command & renamed “SP5 Eric G Gibson”.
1996 June: renamed “Maersk Alaska” on completion of charter
2006: Sold to Ignazio Messina & Co., S.p.A., Genoa, renamed “Jolly Nero”
2013 May 7th: became out of control while departing Genoa port, struck the port's control tower, destroying it with the deaths of 9 people.
2015: renamed “Nero” & sold for scrapping at Bhavnagar, India