On this date in 1942, the famed French liner Normandie caught fire in New York Harbor.
The ship, renamed USS Lafayette, had been undergoing conversion as a troopship. World War II was raging and transports were needed to carry troops. Other liners, like Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, and Île de France, had already started their wartime service.
Sparks from a welding torch ignited a stack of flammable life jackets nearby. The fire soon spread to Normandie’s ornate, heavily varnished woodwork. The ship’s state of the art fire suppression system had been deactivated. The Normandie was soon consumed by flames.
The FDNY fought hard to save the liner. They ultimately pumped 6,000 tons of water into the blazing ship, causing her to list heavily. She capsized the next day. One man, Frank "Trent" Trentacosta, died in the accident. Nearly 300 were treated for various fire-related injuries.
The Normandie, pride of the French Line, was gone.