Surviving the end of the war in Europe, she struck a mine in the Scheldt on 26 August 1945 and was beached.

Previously Stoomvaart Maatschappij Nederland (SMN) had ordered a comparable ocean liner, Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft from the French shipyard Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire.

The price offered was so advantageous that it fell outside the contractual limits up to which the Nederlandsche Scheepsbouw Maatschappij (NSM) was the preferred supplier for SMN.

Christiaan Huygens was built as yard number 186[3] by the Nederlandsche Scheepsbouw Maatschappij, Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands.

On 11 December 1927 she was towed from the NSM yard to the drydock Hendrik Dok of Amsterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij, where the propellers were added.

[5] On 25 January Christiaan Huygens left IJmuiden for her technical trials on the North Sea.

Later on the 26th, a second 'official' trial run was made with about two hundred technicians, prominent people from the shipbuilding industry and journalists.

Having delivered months ahead of schedule, Mr. D. Goedkoop CEO of the NSM yard created a laugh by remarking that: The most difficult part of building a ship is getting a contract that has a solid name under it.

The ship was powered by two ten-cylinder single cycle single-acting two-stroke diesel engines,[3] They were rated at 2,490 nhp,[8] 5,800 bhp.

Each engine drove a single screw propeller, giving the ship a speed of 16 knots (30 km/h).

[10] Christiaan Huygens left Amsterdam on her maiden voyage on 28 February, bound for Batavia, Netherlands East Indies.

[3] On 13 August 1933, the Norwegian cargo ship Fernglen ran aground south of Cape Guardafui, Italian Somaliland.

[11] With the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, Christiaan Huygens' route was altered, running between Genoa, Italy and Batavia.

[3] Carrying 1,290 troops, Christiaan Huygens sailed from Fremantle, Western Australia on 22 September with Convoy US 5, arriving at Suez, Egypt on 12 October.

[24] Having called at Cape Town, South Africa, the convoy reached Durban on 13 February.

The convoy's destination was changed, first to Batavia, then to Colombo and finally to Bombay as the Japanese advanced across south east Asia.

[29] Christiaan Huygens was a member of Convoy WS 27, which left Liverpool, England on 24 February 1943 and arrived at Freetown on 8 March.

[30] She subsequently sailed to Aden, from where she left on 30 March with Convoy MC 6, which arrived at Durban on 13 April.

[32] Her movements are unknown until 11 July when Christiaan Huygens sailed from Port Said with Convoy MWF 36 in support of Operation Husky.

[36] Carrying general cargo and troops, she sailed from New York on 29 December as a member of Convoy UT 6, arriving at the Clyde on 8 January 1944.

[39] Carrying 2,967 troops, she returned with Convoy MKF 28, which had left Port Said on 20 January and arrived at the Clyde on 2 February.

[40] Carrying 2,637 troops, she left the Clyde on 29 March with Convoy KMF 30, arriving at Port Said on 12 April.

[49] From there, she sailed to Aden, from where she left on 28 November as a member of Convoy ABF 6, which arrived at Bombay on 4 December.