Normandie, Feb. 9, 1942. When the U.S. entered World War II, the great French liner Normandie, which had been laid up temporarily in New York since 1939 because of the war, was taken over for conversion to a troop ship at Pier 88 on the Hudson River and renamed U.S.S. Lafayette. During the conversion, kapok life jackets brought aboard the ship caught fire from a workman's torch, and the fire quickly spread. The water pumped aboard the burning ship by New York City fireboats and harbor tugs, estimated at 800,000 gallons, caused the ship to roll over onto her port side. Although the great liner was salvaged at the pier, she never was returned to service and was scrapped. American taxpayers paid $24,000,000 in compensation to the French government for the liner.

http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-18742349.html

http://www.ssnormandie.wanadoo.co.uk/Ship's%20History.htm

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I'm fascinated by the Normandie and have a copy of Frank O Braynard's 'Pictorial History Of The Normandie'. It was an amazing piece of 1930s design and her sad end - although fortunately without loss of life - was considered a National tragedy for France.

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"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson