SS Giulio Cesare

SS Giulio Cesare
History
Name:	SS Giulio Cesare
Namesake:	Julius Caesar
Owner:	Italia Line (Navigazione Generale Italiana)
Port of registry:	Italy
Route:	Italy-South America & Cruising
Ordered:	1920
Builder:	Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Ltd, Newcastle-on-Tyne, United Kingdom.
Launched:	7 February 1920
Completed:	March 1922
Maiden voyage:	1923
Homeport:	Genoa
Fate:	Destroyed by Allied Air Attack whilst laid-up in Trieste 1944
General characteristics
Class & type:	Ocean liner
Tonnage:	22,576 grt
Length:	636 feet
Beam:	76.15 feet
Depth:	66.3 feet
Decks:	4
Installed power:	four sets of geared steam turbines manufactured by Wallsend Slipway six boilers D.E. & four boilers S.E. creating 220lb of steam pressure by Wallsend Slipway & Engineering Company Ltd. Newcastle-on-Tyne 21,800 shaft horse power
Propulsion:	Quadruple screw
Speed:	20 knots
Capacity:	Total passengers: First Class: 244 Second Class: 306 Tourist Class:1800
Notes:	Paintwork: White hull and upper works Boot-topping green Funnels white with red and black tops and narrow green band

SS Giulio Cesare was initially a liner of the Navigazione Generale Italiana, which was later operated by the Italian Line. The ship was used to transport first class, second class, and tourist-class passengers.

Features

A feature of this ship was the Club situated on the boat-deck, with a bar. The ship also featured a saloon dining room, galleries, a ballroom, and other function rooms. Second class was situated amidships. Talkie apparatus were also fitted to the ship and a long-distance wireless telephone was also available. The tourist class accommodation was situated astern and also had several public rooms. The tourist passengers shared an open air swimming pool with the 2nd class passengers.

Service history

The ship was used on Genoa-Naples-South America voyages but also served North American ports. Until 1925 the SS Giulio Cesare and the SS Duilio were the two largest ships in the Italian merchant fleet.

In November 1933, she was reconditioned and made ready to serve on the Mediterranean-South Africa Service. In 1935, she collided with the German steamship Barenfels in the harbour of Gibraltar. This collision was deemed to be the fault of the German steamship and the captain and crew were detained along with the ship.

In 1942, during the Second World War, SS Giulio Cesare was chartered to the International Red Cross for a time before being laid-up in the port of Trieste. The SS Giulio Cesare was sunk there in 1944, when, along with the SS Duilio, she was attacked by Allied aircraft.

Gallery

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  First Class Outward Ticket Series B for S.S. Giulio Cesare sailing on 7 July 1923 from New York to Naples, Italy

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  The saloon on the ship

External links

• Grace's Guide – Swan Hunter 1920