RFA Maine (1924)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other ships with the same name, see RFA Maine.
For other ships named Leonardo da Vinci, see SS Leonardo da Vinci. For other ships named Empire Clyde, see SS Empire Clyde.

RFA Maine c. 1943
History
Name
  • SS Leonardo da Vinci (1925-43)
  • SS Empire Clyde (1943-47)
  • RFA Empire Clyde (1947-48)
  • RFA Maine (1948-54)
NamesakeLeonardo da Vinci
Owner
  • Società di Navigazione Transatlantica Italiana (1925-37
  • Lloyd Triestine (1937-41)
  • Ministry of War Transport (1941-45)
  • Ministry of Transport (1945-48)
  • Admiralty (1948-54)
Operator
  • Società di Navigazione Transatlantica Italiana (1925-37
  • Lloyd Triestine (1937-41)
  • City Line (1941-48)
  • Royal Fleet Auxiliary (1948-54)
Port of registry
  • Italy Genoa (1925-41)
  • United Kingdom Mombasa (1941-43)
  • United Kingdom London (1943-48)
  • United Kingdom Royal Fleet Auxiliary (1948-54)
Builder
Muggiano, Italy
Launched28 December 1924
Acquiredby capture, 1941
Commissioned1947, as RFA Empire Clyde
Decommissioned1954
Identification
  • Code Letters NVJA (1925-34)
  • Code Letters IBPS (1934-41)
  • Code Letters VRTV (1941-43)
  • Code Letters GCFB (1943-54)
  • Italian
    Official Number
    1306 (1924-41)
  • United Kingdom
    Official Number
    159356 (1941-54)
Honours and
awards		Korea (1950)
FateScrapped, 1954
General characteristics
Type
Tonnage
Length427 ft 1 in (130.18 m)
Beam52 ft 5 in (15.98 m)
Depth36 ft 0 in (10.97 m)
Installed power6 steam turbines
Propulsion2 Screw propellors

RFA Maine was a 7,432 GRT

Admiralty and she entered service with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary as RFA Maine. She served during the Korean War
and was scrapped in 1954.

Description

The ship was built by SA Ansaldo, La Spezia, Italy.[1] She was launched on 28 December 1924.[2]

The ship was 427 feet 1 inch (130.18 m) long, with a beam of 52 feet 5 inches (15.98 m) and a depth of 36 feet 0 inches (10.97 m). She had a GRT of 7,432 and a NRT of 4,096. She was propelled by six

steam turbines, double reduction geared, driving twin screw propellers. The turbines were built by Ansaldo Sampierdarena.[1]

History

Leonardo da Vinci was built for Società di Navigazione Transatlantica Italiana. Her port of registry was

The Birth of Venus by Botticelli,[6] the three Davids, sculptures by Donatello, Michelangelo and Verrocchio. Another sculpture was Virgin and Child by Jacopo della Quercia.[7] Leonardo da Vinci departed London on 12 April 1930 to return the artworks to Italy.[8]

During the

Official Number 159356 were allocated. She was placed under the management of the City Line.[13]

Leonardo da Vinci was a member of Convoy HX 255, which departed New York on 2 September 1943 and arrived at Liverpool on 16 September. She was carrying general cargo and was bound for Glasgow.[14] Later in 1943, Leonardo da Vinci was renamed Empire Clyde in line with the 'Empire' naming practice for captured vessels.[11] Her Code Letters were changed to GCFB and her port of registry was changed to London.[15] She was converted to a hospital ship for the British Army.[2][11]

In 1947 she was commissioned as RFA Empire Clyde, with a

Sasebo harbour, Japan. USS Ajax was damaged. Maine treated casualties from these ships. For her service, Maine was awarded a Korean War battle honour.[2] Maine was scrapped at Hong Kong in April 1954.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c "LLOYD'S REGISTER, STEAMERS & MOTORSHIPS" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
  2. ^ a b c d "RFA Maine4". Historical RFA. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
  3. ^ "LLOYD'S REGISTER, NAVIRES A VAPEUR ET A MOTEURS" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
  4. ^ "The Leonardo da Vinci". The Times. No. 45381. London. 9 December 1929. col F, p. 12.
  5. ^ "The Treasure Ship". The Times. No. 45835. London. 13 December 1929. col G, p. 15.
  6. ^ "The Leonardo da Vinci". The Times. No. 45384. London. 12 December 1929. col E, p. 16.
  7. ^ "Italian Sculpture". The Times. No. 45401. London. 3 January 1930. col F, p. 7.
  8. ^ "The Italian Art Treasures". The Times. No. 45487. London. 14 April 1930. col B, p. 9.
  9. ^ "Italo-Abyssinian Dispute". The Times. No. 46997. London. 25 February 1935. col D, p. 11.
  10. ^ "Casualty Reports". The Times. No. 47002. London. 2 March 1935. col F, p. 23.
  11. ^ a b c d "EMPIRE - C". Mariners. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
  12. ^ "Lloyd Triestino / Società di Navigazione Lloyd Triestino / Società Anonima di Navigazione Lloyd Triestino / (from 1936) Lloyd Triestino di Navigazione SpA". The Ships List. Archived from the original on 1 May 2010. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
  13. ^ "LLOYD'S REGISTER, NAVIRES A VAPEUR ET A MOTEURS" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
  14. ^ "Convoy HX 255". Warsailors. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
  15. ^ "LLOYD'S REGISTER, NAVIRES A VAPEUR ET A MOTEURS" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 25 April 2010.

External links

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