SATURNIA Sayings, LUXURY AND FORGETTING early twentieth century the need to connect Europe with America had become a thriving business that did not hesitate to join various shipping companies.
One Cusulich Line was founded in 1903 by Fratelli Cosulich with the name of Unione di Navigazione Austrian line to Trieste-New York-not forget that in those years and since the fourteenth century, belonged to Trieste Austro-Hungarian Empire. It also offers South America, and temporarily to other parts of the Americas, but due to low profitability was quickly canceled.
World War I paralyzed the great ocean voyages, and after the conflict ended Trieste became Italian hands. Thus began a new era for the company under the flag of Italy which included changing its name because it would be renamed Cosulich Societa Triestina di Navigazione, resuming the service from Trieste to New York and also to South America.
In 1932 it was decided to merge some Italian shipping, specifically Navigazione Generale Italiana Lloyd Sabaudo, Flotte TiUnite the Italian state and the very Cosulich Line, although the latter maintained a certain autonomy, allowing it to form the Italian Società per Azione di Navigazione.
now stood in the Cosulich two ships built between 1927 and 1928, and SATURNIA VULCANIA able to cover the Trieste-New York line in just seven days. Passed for two of the most luxurious ocean liners of the time. Shortly afterwards came into service two new partners, the NEPTUNIA of 19,475 tonnes and 19,507 tonnes OCEANIA from Trieste to South America to join.
The SATURNIA was laid down in the spring of 1925 in the shipyard Cantiere Navali of Trieste. She was launched on 29 December of that year and sponsored po Giovanna di Savoia, youngest daughter of King Victor Emmanuel III. It was small in size, length 192.02 meters, 24.38 meters wide, 8.8 meters in depth and original tonnage was 23,940 t. His nine decks were topped by a large fireplace lower taper in the middle of the boat between two masts, and many wore both motor lifeboats as rowing. Your town gave him a beautiful print with a bow fishing line and a cruiser stern, all the steel that ensures resistance and elasticity at a time. Inside of its warehouses, silos were built ten dividing the cross-town and did almost unsinkable.
His drive was configured for a power plant consisting of two diesel engines, internal combustion type Burmeister & Wain Sant'Adrea factories built by the firm Triestino, which moved two propellers at speeds capable of achieving speed of 19 knots, becoming the first ocean liner with an Italian-made motor.
had a capacity to accommodate 2,357 passengers divided into four categories: 249 passengers in first class, 267 second, 309 in economic and 1,532 third. They all emphasized the good taste in decor and amenities such as running water in all classes. At first, some cabins have a balcony which was a novelty, also had a large indoor pool Pompeian style. The hall of Louis XIV, very Versailles, did not leave anyone indifferent to her paintings, mirrors and its admirable decorated glass ceiling of 285 m², the restaurant could correctly mix classic style with modern looking imitating friezes from the Parthenon. The ballroom was decorated with a Tuscan style of the fifteenth century, the library, reading room and the Writing decorated air reminded the far eastern China. No wonder he was considered, along with its twin VULCANIA, one of the most luxurious vessels that plied the seas in those days.
It sailed for her maiden voyage on September 21, 1927 under the command of Captain Robert Stuparich, coming from Trieste to Naples, Marseilles, Canary Islands, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires. Soon after the February 1, 1928 to begin its route to New York. From 1932 alternated the two services.
The SATURNIA was closely related to the Army: Inside the fascist plans configuration called "Italian Colonial Empire," in May 1935 the liner was moved by the Italian government to move troops into their territories of East Africa in the Red Sea, or what is the same as Eritrea, in order to start the occupation of neighboring Ethiopia. But after that year, entered drydock in Monfalcone shipyard to undergo some reforms. As a result the tonnage was increased to 24,470 t. Noteworthy is the change in its engine replaced by a Fiat than 28,000 hp., Which made him get a speed of 22 knots.
In 1937, the Cosulich Line was finally absorbed by the Società di Navigazione Italiana, Società per Azione former di Navigazione, thus swelling the fleet in highlighting the REX, the Conte di Savoia, the Augustus, Rome, the OCANIA, the Conte Rosso, the Conte Verde, the BIANCAMANO CONTE (1 ) or GIULIO CESARE among others of equal importance.
returned to visit the Eritrean ports: in 1942, after the occupation of Eritrea by the British (which did away with the imperialist projects of Fascist Italy), the SATURNIA was chartered by the Red Cross repatriation of Italians who were there.
Once this mission continued its path across the Atlantic, increasingly dangerous due to acts of war that succeeded in its waters, and being in the port of New York was seized by the United States Army in October 1943. During 1944 was used as a troop transport between America and Europe later that same year, the SATURNIA was transformed into a hospital ship, for whose construction was brought to the shipyard Todd-Erie Basin in Brooklyn where he stayed from January to June 1945 . There you were abolished all the luxuries and the interior was painted with dull gray color military. Several doctors personally oversaw the installation of sanitary facilities in the very yards. Was willing to capacity had for 1,600 patients and a crew of 500 personnel including 60 nurses. Available operating rooms, laboratories, radiographers, pharmacy and, of course, rooms for patients. February 13 was renamed FRANCES Y. Slang in honor of one of the four nurses who came to Normandy four days after the historic landing and, after a few months fell in the service, the first American nurse who died in Europe. Between June and November, the hospital ship was to complete five round trips to Europe, a nine-day each to collect wounded American soldiers and return them to their homes.
With the return of peace, FRANCES Y. services Slang as a hospital ship will no longer be necessary, so that in January 1946, again will be missions such as troop transport, to be renamed USAT SATURNIA. From January to June 1946 he traveled between New York and Sauthampton for the repatriation of Americans. Finally, in November of that year, the SATURNIA be returned to the Italian Government, after which he underwent major reforms and rebuilt to accommodate 240 passengers in first class, 270 second and 860 in economy class, taking the total tonnage to be 24,346 t.
The January 20, 1947 again started his work as a transatlantic sailing from Genoa to New York, with the corresponding scales in the usual ports, and remained so until October 1955, he began a new route that took him from the Mediterranean to some ports in the United States and Canada.
The March 7, 1965 sailed from Trieste on a journey that would lead to the ports of Venice, Patras, Naples, Palermo, Gibraltar, Lisbon, Halifax, New York and Boston to return with a stopover in Lisbon, Gibraltar, Naples, Palermo, Patras, Venice and Trieste. Important trip, he was the last, from that moment would be replaced by much more Cristoforo Colombo modern. The company decided it was not operating and, consequently, was sent to La Spezia to be broken down in flames, leaving behind the history of thousands of passengers carried in pursuit of their dreams, humble seekers of future immigrants, and also the personalities from all fields. And even here the SATURNIA wrote, with fine print, a page of history that has gone unnoticed: his passenger was a girl, still unknown, he traveled to Europe where his art would be duly appreciated. The halls of the liner before us witnessed the voice, shortly after, and forever encandilaría anyone who would listen. Those who applauded the happy songs that she performed almost for fun, were the first to fall given before the vast Maria Callas.
Finally, in April 1966, the torch would end one of the most luxurious ships to sail the seas in the first half of the twentieth century. His tired boilers, fed for more forty years of tireless and dedicated service, gave up his last breath to sign the sky maritime history of his century ... That Lete no hits.
The images that accompany this article were captured in a of the few occasions that the SATURNIA visited the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
© Coral González
