Slowly, almost imperceptible, the U.S.S. Lafayette, the former French luxury liner Normandie, August 7 began to right itself in the Hudson River Pier, New York City. Where she rolled on her side after her superstructure became top heavy with tons of water poured into her to quench a gutting fire. Waterpours from her hull august 7, as salvage operations began to right the one-time queen of the seas. September 13, 1943. (Photo by Associated Press Photo). During World War II, Normandie was seized by U.S. authorities at New York and renamed USS Lafayette. In 1942, the liner caught fire while being converted to a troopship, capsized onto her port side and came to rest on the mud of the Hudson River at Pier 88