# SS Ancona
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{{short description|Italian passenger steamer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}}
{{Infobox ship
|section1={{Infobox ship/image
|image= Front page of the The Evening World. November 10 1915.jpg
|image_caption= Front page of ''[The Evening World](/source/The_Evening_World)''. 10 November 1915
}}
|section2={{Infobox ship/career
|hide_header=
|country= [Italy](/source/Kingdom_of_Italy)
|flag={{shipboxflag|Kingdom of Italy|Italy|civil}}
|name=''Ancona''
|namesake=[Ancona](/source/Ancona)
|owner= Italia Società di Navigazione a Vapore
|operator=
|registry= [Genoa](/source/Port_of_Genoa)
|route= Genoa – [Naples](/source/Port_of_Naples) – [New York](/source/Port_of_New_York_and_New_Jersey) – [Philadelphia](/source/Port_of_Philadelphia)
|ordered=
|builder= [Workman, Clark & Co](/source/Workman%2C_Clark_and_Company), [Belfast](/source/Belfast)
|original_cost=
|yard_number= 270
|laid_down=
|launched= 19 December 1907
|sponsor= Violet Ardill
|completed= February 1908
|maiden_voyage= 26 March 1908
|acquired=
|in_service=
|out_of_service=
|identification= *Italian [official number](/source/official_number) 371
*[code letters](/source/code_letters) NCRM
*{{ICS|November}}{{ICS|Charlie}}{{ICS|Romeo}}{{ICS|Mike}}
*[wireless telegraphy](/source/wireless_telegraphy) [call sign](/source/Maritime_call_sign):
*1913: MOA
*1914: ITA
|fate= Sunk by torpedo, 8 November 1915
|notes=
}}
|section3={{Infobox ship/characteristics
|hide_header=
|header_caption=
|type= [Ocean liner](/source/Ocean_liner)
|tonnage= *1908: {{GRT|8885}}, {{NRT|6020}}
*1911: {{GRT|8210}}, {{NRT|5034}}
|displacement=
|length= {{cvt|482.3|ft|abbr=on}}
|beam= {{cvt|58.3|ft|abbr=on}}
|draught=
|depth= {{cvt|26.2|ft|abbr=on}}
|decks=
|power= 1,221 [nhp](/source/Horsepower)
|propulsion= *2 × [triple-expansion engines](/source/Marine_steam_engine)
*2 × [screws](/source/Propeller)
|speed= {{convert|17|kn|km/h}}
|capacity= 1908: 60 first class, 2,500 third class
|crew=
|armament=
|sensors=
|notes= [sister ship](/source/sister_ship)s: {{SS|Taormina|1908|2}}, {{SS|Verona|1908|2}}
}}
}}
thumb|alt=B&W picture of a ship|''Ancona'' sailing from New York for Italy
'''SS ''Ancona''''' was an [ocean liner](/source/ocean_liner), built in 1908 by [Workman, Clark and Company](/source/Workman%2C_Clark_and_Company) of [Belfast](/source/Belfast) for the Societa di Navigazione a Vapore Italia of [Genoa](/source/Genoa). She was an emigrant ship on a route between Italy and the United States. {{SMU|U-38}} sank her on 8 November 1915 off the coast of [Tunisia](/source/Tunisia).
==Design and construction==
In 1907 and 1908 shipyards in [Scotland](/source/Scotland) and Ireland built three [sister ship](/source/sister_ship)s for the Italia Società di Navigazione a Vapore's route between [Genoa](/source/Port_of_Genoa) and [Philadelphia](/source/Port_of_Philadelphia) via [Naples](/source/Port_of_Naples) and [New York](/source/Port_of_New_York_and_New_Jersey). The first was {{SS|Taormina|1908|2}}, which [D. and W. Henderson and Company](/source/D._and_W._Henderson_and_Company) in [Glasgow](/source/Glasgow) launched on 15 February 1907 and completed in 1908.[{{cite web |url= http://clydeships.co.uk/view.php?year_built=&builder=&ref=9469&vessel=TAORMINA |title=Taormina |work=Scottish Built Ships |publisher=Caledonian Maritime Research Trust |access-date=30 May 2021}}]
[Workman, Clark and Company](/source/Workman%2C_Clark_and_Company) in [Belfast](/source/Belfast) built the second and third sisters, ''Ancona'' and {{SS|Verona|1908|2}}. ''Ancona'' was launched on 19 December 1907,[''Marine Engineer'', vol. 30, p.272 (1908)] with Miss Violet Ardill of [Greystones](/source/Greystones) as her sponsor on behalf of the [Duke of Andría](/source/Duke_of_Andr%C3%ADa).[ She was completed in February 1908.][{{cite web |url= http://shippingandshipbuilding.uk/view.php?year_built=&builder=&ref=202463&vessel=ANCONA |title=Ancona |work=Shipping and Shipbuilding |publisher=Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust |access-date=26 May 2021}}] ''Verona'' was launched on 31 March 1908 and completed that May.[{{cite web |url= http://shippingandshipbuilding.uk/view.php?year_built=&builder=&ref=202519&vessel=VERONA |title=Verona |work=Shipping and Shipbuilding |publisher=Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust |access-date=26 May 2021}}] After successful [sea trial](/source/sea_trial)s, ''Ancona'' was commissioned in February 1908.[
As built, she had accommodation for about 60 passengers in first class state rooms in her promenade deck-house, and about 2,500 passengers in third class. To feed so many passengers, the space on her orlop deck was insulated and supplied with an acidic refrigeration system.][ In 1909 accommodation for first class passengers was expanded to 120. In September 1910 she was refitted to carry 60 first and 120 second class passengers.][{{cite web |url= http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/descriptions/ShipsA.shtml |last1=Swiggum |first1=Susan |last2=Kohli |first2=Marjorie |title=Ship Descriptions – A |work=TheShipsList |date=25 April 2008 |access-date=30 May 2021}}]
''Ancona''{{'}}s registered length was {{convert|482.3|ft}}, her [beam](/source/Beam_(nautical)) was {{convert|58.3|ft}} and her depth was {{convert|26.2|ft}}.[ As built, her [tonnage](/source/tonnage)s were {{GRT|8885}} and {{NRT|6020}}.][{{cite book |year=1908 |title=Lloyd's Register of Shipping |chapter=Steamships and Motorships |place=London |publisher=Lloyd's of London Press Ltd}}] After refitting, she was reassessed as {{GRT|8210}} and {{NRT|5034}}.[{{cite book |year=1911 |title=Lloyd's Register of Shipping |chapter=Steamships and Motorships |place=London |publisher=Lloyd's of London Press Ltd}}] She had a steel hull, and two [triple-expansion steam engine](/source/triple-expansion_steam_engine)s rated at a combined 1,221 [nhp](/source/nominal_horsepower). They had cylinders of {{convert|26|in|cm|adj=on}}, {{convert|43|in|cm|adj=on}}, and {{convert|71|in|cm|adj=on}} diameter with a {{convert|48|in|cm|adj=on}} [stroke](/source/stroke_(engine)) that drove two screw propellers, and gave her a speed of up to {{convert|17|kn|km/h}}.[
On 28 February 1908, after successful completion of her speed trials on the [Skelmorlie](/source/Skelmorlie) [measured mile](/source/Nautical_measured_mile), ''Ancona'', while coming up the Lough on her return trip from the [Clyde](/source/Firth_of_Clyde) to [Liverpool](/source/Port_of_Liverpool), hit in the stern and sank Harbour Commissioners' twin screw tug ''Musgrave''.][''Marine Engineer'', vol. 30, p.377 (1908)]
==Operational history==
Upon delivery ''Ancona'' sailed to Italy. She started her maiden voyage from Genoa on 26 March 1908 with 59 passengers in third class and 9 in first class and proceeded to [Naples](/source/Naples). After reaching Naples, the ship took 341 more passengers in third class and 23 in first class bringing the total number of people on board to 432. ''Ancona'' left Naples on 28 March and reached [New York](/source/New_York_City) on 10 April. On her return journey on 23 April, ''Ancona'' boarded 910 people in New York and 1,343 in [Philadelphia](/source/Philadelphia) for a total of 2,253 passengers heading to Italy.
''Ancona'' continued serving New York and Philadelphia from Italian ports of Genoa, [Palermo](/source/Palermo) and Naples throughout her career. Overall, she transported almost 100,000 people between the start of her service in 1908 and the outbreak of the [World War I](/source/World_War_I), most of them in third class.
By 1913 ''Ancona'' was equipped for [wireless telegraphy](/source/wireless_telegraphy). Her [call sign](/source/Maritime_call_sign) was originally MOA,{{sfn|The Marconi Press Agency Ltd|1913|p=267}} but in 1914 it was changed to ITA.{{sfn|The Marconi Press Agency Ltd|1914|p=421}}
When [World War I](/source/World_War_I) broke out in August 1914, Italy at first stayed neutral, but many Italians travelled from America back to their home country, many of them on ''Ancona''. After [Italy](/source/Kingdom_of_Italy)'s entry into the war in May 1915, there was another surge in the number of Italians returning home to take part in the hostilities. ''Ancona'' started her final eastward transatlantic voyage from New York for Naples on 16 October 1915 carrying 1,245 Italian reservists and about 5,000 tons of general cargo, including flour, beef and other provisions.[{{cite news |url= https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1915/10/17/101569881.html?pageNumber=16 |title=1,200 Italians sail for war |newspaper=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |date=17 October 1915 |page=16 |url-access=subscription |access-date=30 May 2021}}]
==Sinking==
{{Location map|Italy|label=|marksize=6|mark=Red_pog.svg|lat_dir=N|lat_deg=38|lat_min=14 |lat_sec=00|lon_dir=E|lon_deg=10|lon_min=08|lon_sec=00|position=right|width=177|float=right|caption=Wreck location}}
In November 1915 the [German](/source/Imperial_German_Navy) submarine {{SMU|U-38}}, commanded by [Kapitänleutnant](/source/Kapit%C3%A4nleutnant) [Max Valentiner](/source/Max_Valentiner), was raiding Allied shipping under the Austro-Hungarian flag as the [German Empire](/source/German_Empire) was not then at war with Italy.
''Ancona'' had sailed from Naples for [New York](/source/New_York_City) at 11.45 p.m. on Saturday, 6 November 1915, under command of Capt. Massardo. She called at [Messina](/source/Messina) on Sunday and embarked 130 more passengers, leaving again at 5 p.m. with a total of 446 aboard, of whom 163 were crew. On Monday, 8 November, when ''Ancona'' was off [Cape Carbonara](/source/Cape_Carbonara), [Sardinia](/source/Sardinia) ''U-38'' sighted her at {{coord|38|14|N|10|08|E|display=title,inline}}, gave chase and fired about 100 rounds at the liner. Later, at about 1 p.m., ''U-38'' torpedoed ''Ancona''. Her lifeboats were hurriedly launched, but as ''Ancona'' was still steaming slowly they capsized as soon as they reached the water. Several of ''Ancona''{{'}}s lifeboats were picked up by the [French](/source/French_Navy) [minelayer](/source/minelayer) ''Pluton'', which put out from [Bizerte](/source/Bizerte) to assist.[{{harvnb|Hocking|1991|p=}}{{page needed|date=May 2021}}]
The death-toll was heavy. ''Ancona'' was fully booked. According to Hocking, 194 people, of whom 11 were American citizens, were killed.