SS Kaiser Franz Joseph I

History
Name
  • Kaiser Franz Joseph I (1912-1918)
  • Generale A. Diaz (1918-1919)
  • Presidente Wilson (1919–1930)
  • Gange (1930–1936)
  • Marco Polo (1936–1944)
Operator
BuilderCantiere Navale Triestino
Launched9 September 1911[1]
CompletedFebruary 1912
Maiden voyage25 May 1912[1]
FateScuttled, raised, and scrapped in 1949
General characteristics [2]
TypeOcean liner
Tonnage12,567 GRT
Length145.54 m (477 ft 6 in)
Beam18.35 m (60 ft 2 in)
Draft7.9 m (25 ft 11 in)
Propulsiontriple expansion steam engines, dual shaft, 2 Propeller
Speed19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph)
Capacity1,905 total passengers

The SS Kaiser Franz Joseph I was an Austro-Hungarian passenger liner built by Cantiere Navale Triestino for the Cosulich Line.[1] After her launching in February 1912 she was put into service and embarked on her maiden voyage from Trieste to New York City. During WWI she was laid up in Trieste but was commissioned by the Italian Navy after the war. The Kaiser Franz Joseph I, now the Presidente Wilson of the Cosulich Line was sold to another Italian company until WWII began. During The war, she was recommissioned by the navy and later laid up in La Spezia in 1943. On 12 May 1944, as the Allies advanced on Italy, the ship was scuttled by the Germans to prevent capture. Her wreck was raised and scrapped in 1949.[3]

  1. ^ a b c d e "SHIP DESCRIPTIONS - K - ship list". Ship List.
  2. ^ "Kaiser Franz Josef I SS (1912~1919) Marco Polo SS (+1944)". Wrecksite.eu.
  3. ^ "The ship Kaiser Franz Josef I". Internet Archive, Wayback Machine. Archived from the original on 17 February 2015.