SS Italia (1904)

Last updated
SS Italia (1904).jpg
Italia in civilian colours
History
Flag of France.svg France
NameItalia
Namesake Italy
OwnerC Marsaillaise de Nav à Vap
OperatorFraissinet & Cie
Port of registry Marseille
BuilderCie Française de Nav et de Construction Nav, Nantes
Completed1904
Identification
Fatesunk by torpedo, 1917
General characteristics
Typepassenger ship
Tonnage1,305  GRT, 485  NRT
Length260.7 ft (79.5 m)
Beam28.5 ft (8.7 m)
Depth16.2 ft (4.9 m)
Decks1
Installed power305 NHP
Propulsion
Speed16 knots (30 km/h)

SS Italia was a French passenger steamship that was built as a civilian ship in 1904, requisitioned by the French Navy in the First World War as an armed boarding steamer, and sunk by an Austro-Hungarian Navy U-boat in 1917.

Contents

Building

The Compagnie Française de Navigation et de Construction Naval built Italia in Nantes, completing her in 1904. Her registered length was 260.7 ft (79.5 m), her beam was 28.5 ft (8.7 m), her depth was 16.2 ft (4.9 m) and her tonnages were 1,305  GRT and 485  NRT. She had two screws, each driven by a three-cylinder triple-expansion engine. Between them her twin engines were rated at 305 NHP [1] and gave her a speed of 16 knots (30 km/h). [2]

Italia's owner was the Compagnie Marseillaise de Navigation à Vapeur, and her managers were Fraissinet et Compagnie. They registered her at Marseille. Her code letters were JPKF. [1] By 1914 Italia was equipped for wireless telegraphy. Her call sign was FRI. [3]

First World War

In the First World War the French Navy requisitioned Italia and had her converted into an armed boarding steamer. On 30 May 1917 the Austro-Hungarian U-boat U-4 sank her by torpedo in the Mediterranean Sea, south of the Strait of Otranto and 46 miles southeast of Santa Maria di Leuca, Italy. [4]

Related Research Articles

SS <i>Ceramic</i>

SS Ceramic was a steam ocean liner built in Belfast for White Star Line in 1912–13 and operated on the Liverpool – Australia route. Ceramic was the largest ship serving the route until P&O introduced RMS Mooltan in 1923.

SS <i>Newfoundland</i>

SS Newfoundland was a wooden-hulled brigantine and steamship that was built in 1872 and wrecked in 1916. She was a cargo ship, and for part of her career she was a sealing ship. In 1916 she was renamed Samuel Blandford.

SS <i>Akaroa</i> (1914)

SS Akaroa was a UK steam ocean liner and refrigerated cargo ship. She was launched in 1914 in Ireland as Euripides for Aberdeen Line. When new, she was the largest ship in the Aberdeen Line fleet.

SS <i>Athinai</i> (1908)

SS Athinai was a Greek passenger steamship that was built in England in 1908 and sank in the North Atlantic in 1915. She was built to be a transatlantic ocean liner, but she served also as a troop ship.

USS <i>Caesar</i> (AC-16) Collier of the United States Navy

USS Caesar (AC-16) was a collier that was built in England in 1896 and scrapped in Japan in 1935. She was launched as Kingtor for a British shipping company, served in the United States Navy as Caesar from 1898 to 1923, and then was sold to a Canadian shipping company who renamed her Mogul.

<i>A. Sibiryakov</i> (icebreaker)

Alexander Sibiryakov was a steamship that was built in Scotland in 1909 as Bellaventure, and was originally a seal hunting ship in Newfoundland. In 1917 the Russian government bought her to be an icebreaker. She served the RSFSR and Soviet Union until 1942, when she was sunk by enemy action. The ship gave notable service in the Russian Arctic during the 1930s.

SS Montrose was a British merchant steamship that was built in 1897 and wrecked in 1914. She was built as a cargo liner for Elder, Dempster & Company. In 1903 the Canadian Pacific Railway bought her and had her converted into a passenger liner.

SS <i>Taormina</i> (1908)

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 <i>Ancona</i> Italian passenger steamer

SS Ancona was an ocean liner, built in 1908 by Workman, Clark and Company of Belfast for the Societa di Navigazione a Vaporetti Italia of Genoa. She was an emigrant ship on a route between Italy and the United States. SM U-38 sank her on 8 November 1915 off the coast of Tunisia.

TSS <i>The Queen</i>

The Queen was an English Channel passenger ferry that was built in 1903 and sunk in 1916. She was the South Eastern and Chatham Railway (SECR)'s first steam turbine ship.

SS <i>Polar Chief</i> British merchant steamship

SS Polar Chief was a merchant steamship that was built in England in 1897 and scrapped in Scotland in 1952. In her 55-year career she had previously been called Montcalm, RFA Crenella, Crenella, Rey Alfonso, Anglo-Norse and Empire Chief. Early in the First World War she spent eight months pretending to be the battleship HMS Audacious.

SS <i>Erinpura</i>

SS Erinpura was an E-class ocean liner of the British India Steam Navigation Company, built in 1911. She was the first British India ship built for Eastern service to be fitted with radio. She served in both World Wars. Enemy action in 1943 sank her in the Mediterranean Sea with great loss of life.

SS <i>Themistocles</i> (1911)

SS Themistocles was a UK steam ocean liner and refrigerated cargo ship. She was launched in 1910 in Ireland and scrapped in 1947 in Scotland. She was built for Aberdeen Line, White Star Line managed her for a few years, and she spent the latter part of her career with Shaw, Savill & Albion Line.

SS <i>Gallia</i>

SS Gallia was a transatlantic ocean liner of the Compagnie de Navigation Sud-Atlantique built in 1913. Gallia was the Roman name for the province of Gaul.

SS <i>Orteric</i> (1910)

SS Orteric was a Bank Line cargo and passenger steamship that was built in Scotland in 1910–11 and sunk by a U-boat in the Mediterranean Sea in 1915. In 1911 she took 960 Spanish and 565 Portuguese migrants to Hawaii to work on the sugar plantations.

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 Sagamore was a transatlantic cargo liner that was built in Ireland in 1892 for George Warren's White Diamond Steam Ship Company. In 1913 she was modified to carry passengers as well as cargo. In 1917 a German U-boat sank her, causing the death of 52 members of her crew.

SS <i>Demosthenes</i> (1911)

SS Demosthenes was a UK steam ocean liner and refrigerated cargo ship. She was launched in 1911 in Ireland for Aberdeen Line and scrapped in 1931 in England. In the First World War she was an Allied troop ship.

SS Themistocles was a Greek passenger steamship that was built in England in 1907 as Moraitis, renamed Themistocles in 1908, and scrapped in Italy in 1933. She was built to be a transatlantic ocean liner, but she served also as a troop ship.

SS <i>Byron</i> (1914)

SS Byron was a transatlantic ocean liner that was built in England in 1914 and scrapped in Italy in 1937. She was launched as Vasilefs Constantinos, named after Constantine I of Greece. In 1919 she was renamed Megali Hellas, the Greek name for the Ancient Greek settlements in Sicily and southern Italy. In 1923 she was renamed Byron, in recognition of the role of Lord Byron (1788–1824) in the Greek War of Independence (1821–29).

References

  1. 1 2 Lloyd's Register, 1914.
  2. Allen, Tony; Vleggeert, Nico; Lettens, Jan. "SS Italia (+1917)". Wrecksite. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  3. The Marconi Press Agency Ltd 1914, p. 360.
  4. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Italia". uboat.net. Retrieved 24 June 2022.

Bibliography

Coordinates: 39°45′N19°00′E / 39.750°N 19.000°E / 39.750; 19.000