![]() SS Florida after colliding with RMS Republic in 1909. | |
History | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Name |
|
Namesake | |
Owner |
|
Port of registry | ![]() |
Builder | Societa Esercizio Bacini |
Yard number | 35 |
Laid down | 1905 |
Launched | 22 June 1905 |
Maiden voyage | 18 September 1905 |
Out of service | 12 December 1917 |
Identification |
|
Fate | Sank after colliding with SS Caprera on 12 December 1917 |
General characteristics | |
Type | Passenger ship |
Tonnage | 5,018 GRT |
Length | 116.1 metres (380 ft 11 in) |
Beam | 14.3 metres (46 ft 11 in) |
Installed power | Twin triple expansion engines |
Propulsion | 2 screw propellers |
Speed | 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) |
Capacity | 1,625 Passengers (25 1st-class & 1,600 steerage) |
Notes | Two masts & two funnels |
SS Florida was an Italian ocean liner, built in 1905 for Lloyd Italiano, which operated between Italy and both North and South America. In 1909 she collided with, and sank, White Star Line's Republic off the American coast. Later, as Cavour with Transatlantica Italiana, she was sunk by collision with the Italian auxiliary cruiser Caprera off the Spanish Mediterranean coast on 12 December 1917, without loss of life. [1]
Florida was launched for Lloyd Italiano of Genoa, Italy at the Società Esercizio Bacini shipyard in Riva Trigoso, near Genoa, on 22 June 1905, and completed in September of that year. The ship was 116.1 metres (380 ft 11 in) long and had a beam of 14.3 metres (46 ft 11 in). She was assessed at 5,018 GRT and had a pair of triple expansion engines driving twin screw propellers. The ship could reach a maximum speed of 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) and had two masts and two funnels. As built, she had the capacity to carry 25 1st-class and 1,600 steerage passengers. [2] She had a sister ship, Virginia.
For her maiden voyage she sailed from Genoa on 18 September 1905, calling also at Naples, en route to Buenos Aires. Florida's next voyage was to inaugurate Lloyd Italiano's Genoa–Palermo–New York route, which she served until 1911. [3]
In January 1909, Florida was on her usual route from Genoa and Palermo to New York, carrying 13 first class and 826 steerage passengers alongside her crew, under the command of 29-year-old Captain Angelo Ruspini. On the morning of 23 January, Florida entered a thick fog bank while 50 miles (80 km) off the island of Nantucket, Massachusetts, and consequently reduced her speed. At 5.47 am the British outbound RMS Republic of White Star Line suddenly emerged from the fog, in the path of Florida. Both ships took evasive action, but collision could not be averted. Florida's bow struck Republic amidships on her port side at about a right angle, level with her engine room. [1] Florida's bow was crushed in at least 10 metres (32 ft 10 in), back to her collision bulkhead, killing three of her crew. Two of Republic's passengers were killed by the impact, and two more died later from their injuries. [1] [4]
The ships separated and, due to her forward collision bulkhead being intact, Florida was in no danger of sinking and remained controllable. The ship stayed alongside the damaged Republic, which sent out a CQD distress signal with her newly installed Marconi wireless telegraph system, one of the first to do so. Together with the first rescue ship to arrive, United States revenue cutter Gresham, Florida took on nearly all of Republic's passengers, becoming dangerously overloaded. That evening the White Star liner Baltic arrived, having responded to the radio distress signal. All the surviving passengers, from both ships, were transferred to Baltic, while the crew of Florida covered the damaged bow with a sail and followed Baltic to New York. [2] Republic, on the other hand, could not be saved, and sank on 24 January without further loss of life. Florida was eventually assisted by two tugboats and arrived in New York on the morning of 26 January. Repairs were completed in just 24 days. [5]
Florida completed her final voyage to New York on 20 April 1911 and was sold later that year, with her sister-ship Virginia, to Società di Navigazione la Ligure Brasiliana and renamed Cavour. [3] Her new schedule brought her back to South America, first departing from Genoa on 15 January 1912 for Naples and Buenos Aires. In 1913 Hamburg America Line bought the Ligure Brasiliana business, including Cavour and Garibaldi (the former Virginia), and the following July changed its name to Transatlantica Italiana Società Anonima di Navigazione. [6]
After the outbreak of World War I, Cavour left Buenos Aires for the last time in October 1914. When Italy entered the war in May 1915, the Italian chairman of Transatlantica Italiana was able to acquire almost all of Hamburg-Amerika's shares and in 1916 resold them to a member of the Ansaldo group. It was under their service that on 12 December 1917, Cavour collided with the Italian auxiliary cruiser Caprera 2.5 nautical miles (4.6 km) off L'Ametlla de Mar, Catalonia, Spain. Cavour was lost in the incident, but all on board survived. [3] [7] [8]
The current condition of the wreck is unknown, but is believed to lie 52 m (171 ft) deep. [7]
RMS Republic was a steam-powered ocean liner built in 1903 by Harland and Wolff in Belfast, and lost at sea in a collision in 1909 while sailing for the White Star Line. The ship was equipped with a new Marconi wireless telegraphy transmitter, and issued a CQD distress call, resulting in the saving of around 1,500 lives. Known as the "Millionaires' Ship" because of the number of wealthy Americans who traveled by her, she was described as a "palatial liner" and was the flagship of White Star Line's Boston service. This was the first important marine rescue made possible by radio, and brought worldwide attention to this new technology.
SS Federico C. was a cruise ship that made headlines when its passengers were unloaded mid-way through their cruise and the vessel was put under arrest in Halifax Harbour. The ship then sank in international waters three months later. At the time of the sinking, It was owned by International Shipping Partners and insured for $20M while its scrap value was estimated at $5–6M.
SS Giulio Cesare was initially a liner of the Navigazione Generale Italiana, which was later operated by the Italian Line. The ship was used to transport first class, second class, and tourist-class passengers.
The SS König Albert was a German Barbarossa class ocean liner owned by the Norddeutscher Lloyd Line. Interned in Italy at the outbreak of World War I, she was seized by the Italian Government in 1915 and converted to a hospital ship. Sold into merchant service in 1920, she was used as a transport for the Italian Navy, before being scrapped in 1926.
Navigazione Generale Italiana (NGI) was an Italian shipping company.
SS Dante Alighieri was an Italian ocean liner for Transatlantica Italiana. From 1915 to 1927 the ship was in service between Italy and New York with calls at Lisbon, Gibraltar, Azores and Boston and between Italy and South America. In 1927, she was sold to Japanese firm Nippon Yusen Kaisha and renamed Asahi Maru. Operating as a hospital ship during early World War II, she later served as a transport. Asahi Maru was damaged in a collision in 1944 off the coast of Japan, beached and abandoned. The wreck was eventually scrapped in 1949.
SS Taormina was a transatlantic ocean liner that was launched in Scotland in 1907 for an Italian shipping line. She was owned successively by Italia Società di Navigazione a Vapore, Lloyd Italiano and Navigazione Generale Italiana (NGI). Taormina was briefly chartered as a troop ship for the US Armed Forces in 1918. She was scrapped in 1929.
SS Zeeland was a British and Belgian ocean liner of the International Mercantile Marine Co. (IMM). She was a sister ship to Vaderland and a near sister ship to Kroonland and Finland of the same company. Although her name was Dutch, it was changed during World War I to the less German-sounding SS Northland. She served for a time as a British troop ship under the name HMT Northland. Reverting to Zeeland after the war, the ship was renamed SS Minnesota late in her career. Zeeland sailed primarily for IMM's Red Star Line for most of her early career, but also sailed under charter for the White Star Line, the International Navigation Company, the American Line, and the Atlantic Transport Line, all IMM subsidiary lines. The pursers safe survived the scrapyard at Inverkeithing and after residing in a wardrobe for 80 years is currently on display in a local private home.
MS Augustus was a combined ocean liner and cruise ship built in 1927 for Navigazione Generale Italiana. The ship was later transferred to the new Italian Line after the merger of Navigazione Generale Italiana. During World War 2 the Roma was converted into an aircraft carrier and renamed as Falco. In 1944, both ships were taken over by the German troops but, on 25 September of that year she was scuttled. After the war she was raised and scrapped in 1946. Her sister ship was SS Roma.
SS Roma was an ocean liner built for the Italian shipping company Navigazione Generale Italiana of Genoa by Ansaldo shipyard in Sestri Ponente. She was the sister ship to MS Augustus. The ship was later transferred to the new Italian Line after the merger of Navigazione Generale Italiana. When Second World War broke out, she was acquired by the Navy for Conversion to aircraft carrier name Aquila. She was taken over by the German occupation forces in 1943 but was partially scuttled by Italians. She was raised and scrapped in 1951.
Sparviero was an Italian aircraft carrier designed and built during World War II of the Regia Marina. She was originally the ocean liner MS Augustus built in 1927 for Navigazione Generale Italiana, but was transferred to the new Italian Line after the merger of Navigazione Generale Italiana. The conversion was started in 1942 originally under the name Falco but was never completed, and the ship was never delivered to the Regia Marina. She began to be scrapped in 1946, a process completed by 1952.
RFA Maine was a 7,432 GRT hospital ship which was built in 1924 as the ocean liner Leonardo da Vinci by SA Ansaldo, La Spezia, Italy for the Società di Navigazione Transatlantica Italiana. In 1941, she was captured by the British at Kismayu, Italian Somaliland. Declared a prize of war, she was passed to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and renamed Empire Clyde, serving as a hospital ship for the British Army during the Second World War. In 1948, ownership was passed to the Admiralty and she entered service with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary as RFA Maine. She served during the Korean War and was scrapped in 1954.
SS Utopia was a transatlantic passenger steamship built in 1874 by Robert Duncan & Co of Glasgow. From 1874 to 1882 she operated on Anchor Line routes from Glasgow to New York City, from Glasgow to Bombay and from London to New York City. After 1882 she carried Italian immigrants to the United States.
SS Sud America was an Italian ocean liner. She was built by Wigham Richardson, in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, and launched in 1872. She was operated by Lavarello Fratelli Fu G. B from 1872 until 1883. Her second owner was another Italian shipping company, La Veloce Navigazione Italiana a Vapore S. A., from 1884, who renamed her SS Sud America I.
SS Verona was a transatlantic ocean liner that was built in Ireland in 1908 for an Italian shipping line. She was a troop ship in the Italo-Turkish War of 1911–12 and in the First World War in 1917–18. In 1918 a German submarine sank her in the Mediterranean with great loss of life.
SS Prinz Adalbert, was a German ocean liner of the Hamburg America Line (Hapag), ordered as one of five Prince-class vessels for their newly established service to the East Coast of South America. She was built by Bremer Vulkan Schiffbau & Machinen Fabrik, Bremen-Vegesack and launched on 21 August 1902. She sailed from Hamburg on her maiden voyage to Brazil on 20 January 1903, and three years later was in service between Genoa and Buenos Aires. Later the liner moved to North Atlantic services.
SS Bosnia was an Italian cargo liner built in the 1890s that was shelled and sunk by a German submarine in the Mediterranean during World War I.
The SS American was a steamship built by Harland and Wolff in Belfast, which entered service in 1895. the American was a combined cargo and passenger ship which was originally built for the West India and Pacific Steamship Company along with her sister ship the SS European. In 1904 she passed to the White Star Line and was renamed Cufic, the name she retained until she was sold to Italian ownership in 1924, after which she became known as Antartico then Maria Guilia until being scrapped in 1932.
MS Orazio was an Italian ocean liner of the interwar period, owned by Navigazione Generale Italiana and later the Italian Line. She was destroyed by a fire off Toulon in January 1940, with the loss of 108 lives; in terms of loss of life this is the fourth worst peacetime maritime disaster in Italian history, after those of Principessa Mafalda, Sirio, and Moby Prince. It was however quickly forgotten due to Italy entering World War II a few months later.