SS Ausonia (1909)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Tortona (1909–1911)
- Ausonia (1911–1918)
- Cairn-Thomson Line (1909–1911)
- Cunard Line (1911–1918)
Liverpool.jpg) SS Ausonia in 1911 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name |
|
| Owner |
|
| Port of registry | Liverpool |
| Builder | Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd. |
| Yard number | 837 |
| Laid down | 1909 |
| Launched | 18 August 1909 |
| Completed | September 1909 |
| Acquired | September 1909 |
| Maiden voyage | 22 October 1909 |
| In service | 22 October 1909 |
| Out of service | 30 May 1918 |
| Identification | Official number: 129735 |
| Fate | Torpedoed and sunk on 30 May 1918 |
| Notes | Call letters: HPTV |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Passenger ship |
| Tonnage | 7,907 GRT |
| Length | 137.3 m (450 ft 6 in) |
| Beam | 16.5 m (54 ft 2 in) |
| Depth | 8.9 m (29 ft 2 in) |
| Installed power | Twin triple expansion engines |
| Propulsion | 2 screw propellers |
| Speed | 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) |
| Capacity | 1,037 passengers (37 1st-class & 1,000 steerage) |
| Crew | 140 |
SS Ausonia was a British passenger ship that was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine SM U-62 620 nautical miles (1,150 km; 710 mi) west south west of the Fastnet Rock in the Atlantic Ocean on 30 May 1918 with the loss of 44 lives, while she was travelling from Liverpool, United Kingdom to New York City, United States with general cargo.[1]
Ausonia was launched as Tortona for the Cairn-Thomson Line at the Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd. shipyard in Wallsend, United Kingdom on 18 August 1909, and completed the following month. The ship was 137.3 metres (450 ft 6 in) long, had a beam of 16.5 metres (54 ft 2 in) and a depth of 8.9 metres (29 ft 2 in). She was assessed at 7,907 gross register tons (GRT) and had a pair of triple expansion engines producing 888 nominal horsepower, driving twin screw propellers. The ship could reach a maximum speed of 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) and had four masts and one funnel. As built, she had the capacity to carry 37 1st-class and 1,000 steerage passengers.[2]
Early career
For her maiden voyage she sailed from Middlesbrough on 22 October 1909, calling also at Quebec, en route to Montreal. Tortona departed Montreal on 20 November 1909 for Livorno with stops in Quebec, Naples and Genoa. She made her first crossing from Naples to Portland in March 1910, and went on to serve on the Naples – Quebec – Montreal and London – Quebec –Montreal routes.[3]
Tortona was purchased by the Cunard Line in 1911 for £120,000 and renamed Ausonia. She made her maiden voyage as a Cunard vessel on 16 May 1911 under the new London – Southampton – Quebec – Montreal route. A route she would serve until 1914, when she completed four voyages on the Glasgow – Moville – New York route, before resuming her previous Canadian route.[4]
