| History | |
|---|---|
 Italy | |
| Name | SSDuca d'Aosta |
| Namesake | one of theDukes of Aosta |
| Owner | Navigazione Generale Italiana |
| Port of registry | Genoa |
| Route |
|
| Builder | |
| Launched | 29 September 1908 |
| Maiden voyage | Genoa–Naples–New York, 9 November 1909 |
| Fate | Scrapped, February 1929 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 7,804 GRT |
| Length | 475 ft (145 m) |
| Beam | 53.3 ft (16.2 m) |
| Propulsion | |
| Speed | 16knots (30 km/h) |
| Capacity |
|
| Notes | twofunnels, fourmasts |
SSDuca d'Aosta was an Italianocean liner forNavigazione Generale Italiana named after one of theDukes of Aosta. Launched in 1908, she sailed between Italy and New York and South America for most of her career. DuringWorld War I she was employed as atroopship carrying United States troops to France as part of theUnited States NavyCruiser and Transport Force. She was scrapped in 1929.
Duca d'Aosta, was built byCantieri Navale Siciliani ofPalermo, withsteam engines provided by N. Odero & Co. ofSestri Ponente. Launched on 29 September 1908 forNavigazione Generale Italiana, she sailed on her maiden voyage fromGenoa toNaples andNew York on 9 November 1909. She continued on this service until 20 November 1912, when she was switched to an Italy–South American route. On 7 July 1914,Duca d'Aosta resumed Genoa–New York service.[1]
In May 1918,Duca d'Aosta waschartered as aUnited States troop transport and attached to theUnited States NavyCruiser and Transport Force, and sailed on a total of five roundtrips before theArmistice.[2]
Sailing in her first troopship convoy at 18:30 on 10 May,Duca d'Aosta departed fromNewport News,Virginia, with U.S. Navy transportsLenape,Pastores,Wilhelmina,Princess Matoika,Antigone, andSusquehanna, and the British steamerKursk. The group rendezvoused with a similar group that leftNew York the same day, consisting ofPresident Lincoln,Covington,Rijndam, British troopshipDwinsk, and Italian steamersCaserta andDante Alighieri.[3][4] AmericancruiserFrederick served as escort for the assembled ships, which were the 35th U.S. convoy of the war.[3] On 20 May, the convoy sighted and fired on a "submarine" that turned out to be a bucket; the next day escortFrederick left the convoy after being relieved by nine destroyers. Three days later the convoy sighted land at 06:30 and anchored atBrest that afternoon.[5]Duca d'Aosta safely arrived back in the U.S. on 5 June.[3] Fate, however, was not as kind to former convoy matesPresident Lincoln andDwinsk. On their return journeys they were sunk by German submarinesU-90 andU-151, respectively.[6][7]
Duca d'Aosta 's next convoy left Newport News on 23 June and consisted of the Italian steamersCaserta,Re d'Italia, the FrenchPatria, and American transportsPocahontas andSusquehanna. Accompanied byMontana,South Dakota,Huntington,Gregory, andFairfax, the convoy reached France on 5 July.Duca d'Aosta returned to Virginia on 19 July withPocahontas.[8]
Duca d'Aosta sailed again for France on 26 July withPocahontas,Susquehanna, andCaserta from Newport News, and met up with U.S. Navy transportsFinland,Kroonland and the ItalianTaormina that had sailed at the same time from New York.[9] CruisersPueblo andHuntington, and destroyersRathburne andColhoun ushered the transports to France, where they arrived on 7 August.[10]Duca d'Aosta arrived back in the United States on 18 August.[9]
The Italian liner began her next crossing on 30 August when she sailed from Newport News withUSS America andCaserta to join the New York contingent ofKroonlandSusquehanna,Harrisburg andPlattsburg.Duca d'Aosta 's convoy was escorted byFrederick andColhoun.[10][11]
Duca d'Aosta embarked from Genoa, Italy on March 29, 1919, carrying troops from the332nd Infantry. She arrived in New York, New York on April 14, 1919.[12]
Beginning what would be her last wartime troop transport crossing,Duca d'Aosta sailed with Navy transportsMartha Washington andAeolus from Newport News on 21 October.Pocahontas andBrazilian steamerSobral, sailing from New York, and U.S. Navy escortsNew Hampshire,Charleston,South Dakota,Talbot, andRadford filled out the convoy, which arrived on 4 November.Duca d'Aosta returned to the U.S. on 17 November, six days after the Armistice.[13]
After her release from the U.S. charter,Duca d'Aosta once again resumed sailing the Genoa–New York service in 1918, which she continued through June 1921. Returned to South American routes at that time, she continued in that service through February 1929 at which time she was scrapped.[1]