In Winter 1943 Gottlieb Duttweiler and the Migros-Genossenschafts-Bund, Zürich, withdrew from the shipping company Maritime Suisse S.A. originally planned to establish the Merchant Marine of Switzerland during World War II.

The shipping company Reederei Zürich AG was founded on 26 July 1951, and immediately two fast freighters were ordered from the shipyard H. C. Stülcken, Hamburg: Adele, named after Duttweiler's wife Adele Duttweiler, and Amelia,[6] named after Göner's wife Amelia Göhner.

DM without the main engines which were ordered separately from Gebrüder Sulzer, Winterthur, for a total price of 3,75 Mio.

Adele was delivered to the owners on 11 September 1952,[8] and she was registered as official Number 047, call sign HBFL, under Swiss flag with the charter name "SUNADELE".

On completion of the charter on 4 February 1966, the vessel resumed its name Adele until she was sold to Transpacific Carriers Corpopration Piraeus respectively Hellenic Lines Ltd at a reported price of US$630,000 on 26 November 1966.

[9] SUNADELE and her sister vessel SUNAMELIA sailed usually in a triangular trade in the Atlantic, between Northern Europe, United Kingdom, Caribbean Sea, Central America and Canada/USA.

From the mines of Mackenzie, on Demerara River in Guyana,[12] the tween deck cargo vessels mainly carried bauxite to the aluminium plant in Port Alfred, Canada.

In Europe usually the ships called at Antwerp, Hamburg, Rotterdam, and in the U.K. at Avonmouth, Cardiff, Liverpool, London and Glasgow.

However, no refrigeration plant was fitted, hence the carriage of any fruit had been restricted to short sea trade, such as from Spain or Canary Islands to North Europe.

[5] The particularly elaborate arrangement for the purifying and heating of the heavy oil used in the main engine was a feature of the machinery installation.

The ship was powered by an eight-cylinder two-stroke diesel engine of the type Sulzer 8SD72-CRDA, which was built under license by Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico in Trieste.

The engine's normal service rating was 5,600 hp at 125 rpm, driving a Karl Zeise right-hand four-bladed propeller of 4.8 metres (15.7 ft) im diameter.

The main engine was generally of standard Sulzer design of the crosshead type, with an independent scavenge pump to each cylinder.

On the starboard side of the engine-room were three AEG 160 kW 120-volt generators, each driven by a Sulzer four-stroke Diesel engine.

However, no air condition was fitted in the entire passenger and crew accommodations, but individual electric fans only, in addition to the central ventilation system.