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 Gallia in 1913 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 France | |
| Name | Gallia |
| Namesake | Gallia |
| Owner | Cie de Navigation Sud-Atlantique |
| Operator | Cie de Navigation Sud-Atlantique |
| Port of registry | Bordeaux |
| Route | Bordeaux –Buenos Aires |
| Builder | Société Nouvelle des Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée |
| Yard number | 1056 |
| Completed | 1913 |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | Sunk 4 October 1916 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Ocean liner |
| Tonnage | 14,966 GRT, 5,895 NRT |
| Length | 574.2 ft (175.0 m) |
| Beam | 62.8 ft (19.1 m) |
| Depth | 36.9 ft (11.2 m) |
| Installed power | 26,000 hp |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 18 knots (33 km/h) |
| Capacity | 1,000 passengers |
| Troops | 6,000 |
| Armament |
|
| Notes | sister ships:Lutetia,Massilia |
SSGallia was atransatlanticocean liner of theCompagnie de Navigation Sud-Atlantique built in 1913. Gallia was theRoman name for the province ofGaul.
In theFirst World WarGallia was converted into first anarmed merchant cruiser and then atroop ship. In 1916 she wastorpedoed and sunk by theGermanU-BoatSM U-35 in theMediterranean Sea with great loss of life.
TheSociété Nouvelle des Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée builtGallia atLa Seyne-sur-Mer as one of a set of three liners for Compagnie de Navigation Sud-Atlantique's mail and passenger service between France and South America. The same shipyard also built hersister shipMassilia.Chantiers de l'Atlantique builtLutetia, the other member of the trio.
Gallia's registered length was 574.2 ft (175.0 m), her beam was 62.8 ft (19.1 m) and her depth was 36.9 ft (11.2 m). Hertonnages were 14,966 GRT and 5,895 NRT.[1] She was equipped forwireless telegraphy, operated by the Compagnie générale radiotélégraphique (CGR).[2]
Gallia sailed betweenBordeaux andRio de Janeiro in 10 days, and between Bordeaux andBuenos Aires in 13 days.
When the First World War broke outGallia was converted into an armed merchant cruiser. Her primary armament was five 140 mm (5.5 in) guns and her secondary armament was four47 mm guns.[3]
In 1915Gallia was refitted as a troopship.
On 3 October 1916Gallia leftToulon unescorted forThessaloniki inGreece carrying 1,650 French soldiers, 350 Serbian soldiers and 350 crew and a cargo ofartillery and ammunition. The next day theGerman submarineSM U-35, commanded byLothar von Arnauld de la Perière, torpedoed her southwest ofSardinia.[4] (Arnauld de la Perière would receivePour le Mérite on 11 October 1916).
Ammunition aboardGallia exploded and the ship sank in 15 minutes.[4] Because of the rapid sinking, panic broke out on board resulting inlifeboats capsizing, and thousands of soldiers jumping overboard. The ship's wireless was disabled by the explosions, preventing the sending of a distress signal. The next day theFrench Navy-protected cruiserChâteaurenault rescued 1,200 survivors.[5]
The exact number of casualties needs to be ascertained but it was over 1000.[4] A list of missing personnel was published on 31 October 1917 by the Tribunal Civil of Toulon. It gave the names of 44 sailors and 553 soldiers. Several individual soldiers known by their family members to have died were not on the list. The names of the Serbian soldiers were also not included.[citation needed]
The sinking was one of the greatest losses of life in a maritime disaster involving a single French ship and the second deadliest maritime disaster in theFirst World War, even worse than that ofRMS Lusitania.
38°27′N07°30′E / 38.450°N 7.500°E /38.450; 7.500
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in October 1916 | |
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| Shipwrecks |
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| Other incidents |
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