SS Roma (1926)

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.

SS Roma
History
Italy
Name:
  • 1926–1939: SS Roma
  • 1939–1945: SS Aquila
Owner:
Port of registry: Genoa, Italy
Builder: Ansaldo Shipyards, Genoa, Italy
Launched: 26 February 1926
Completed: September 1926
In service: 21 September 1926
Fate: Scuttled, raise scrapped in 1951, completed in 1952
General characteristics
Type:
  • 1926–1939: Ocean liner
  • 1939–1945: Aircraft carrier
Tonnage: 32,583 GRT
Length: 215.25 m (706.2 ft)
Beam: 25.2 m (82.7 ft)
Draft: 9.2 m (30.2 ft)
Propulsion: 8 steam turbines geared 4 shafts, 4 screws
Speed: 20 knots

History

Following the end of World War I, many shipping companies were waiting to have enough money to build new liners. Navigazione Generale Italiana ordered two new 30,000 gross tons transatlantic ocean liners from Ansaldo shipyard. The first ship was launched in 1926 and christened Roma. She had an entirely steel hull. Her interior was decorated in Baroque style. The ship was 32,583 GRT with signal code letters ICEV.[1]

Unlike Roma's sister ship MS Augustus, Roma was powered by eight turbines connected in couples to four shafts. Steam for the turbines was provided by 9 double-ended and 4 single-ended boilers; all in all, the ship was able to boast a maximum speed of 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph).[1] Some of the machinery was sourced from the canceled Italian Navy Francesco Caracciolo-class battleship Cristoforo Columbo.[2] Roma could carry 1700 passengers (375 first, 300 second, 300 intermediate, 700 third class).

Her two funnels were repainted into the Italian Line's colors after her company merged with Lloyd Sabaudo and Cosulich Line to form the new Italian Line. In 1933 the intermediate class was replaced by the touristic one. The main deck was covered with teak.

On 30 January 1932, Roma rammed the American ocean liner President Roosevelt at New York, severely damaging President Roosevelt.[3] President Roosevelt was repaired and returned to service.

Conversion to aircraft carrier
Main article: Italian aircraft carrier Aquila

When World War II broke out, she was laid up and later taken over by the Italian Navy. She was then refitted and transformed into an aircraft carrier named Aquila. Her speed was increased to 30 knots after the refitting. She was taken over by the German occupation forces in 1943 but was partially scuttled by Italian co-belligerents two years later. After the end of the conflict, her wreckage was raised and towed to La Spezia, where she was scrapped in 1951–1952.

See also

References
  1. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1934–35 (PDF). New York: Lloyd's Register of Shipping. 1935. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
  2. Ordovini, Petronio; et al., p. 332
  3. "Casualty reports". The Times (46045). London. 1 February 1932. col F, p. 19.

Bibliography
  • Ordovini, Aldo F.; Petronio, Fulvio; et al. (2017). "Capital Ships of the Royal Italian Navy, 1860–1918: Part 4: Dreadnought Battleships". Warship International. LIV (4): 307–343. ISSN 0043-0374.
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