SS Kaiser Franz Joseph I

History
Name
  • Kaiser Franz Joseph I (1912-1918)
  • Generale A. Diaz (1918-1919)
  • Presidente Wilson (1919–1930)
  • Gange (1930–1936)
  • Marco Polo (1936–1944)
Operator
BuilderCantiere Navale Triestino
Launched9 September 1911
CompletedFebruary 1912
Maiden voyage25 May 1912
FateScuttled, raised, and scrapped in 1949
General characteristics
TypeOcean liner
Tonnage12,567 GRT
Length145.54 m (477 ft 6 in)
Beam18.35 m (60 ft 2 in)
Draft7.9 m (25 ft 11 in)
Propulsiontriple expansion steam engines, dual shaft, 2 Propeller
Speed19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph)
Capacity1,905 total passengers

SS Kaiser Franz Joseph I was an Austro-Hungarian passenger liner built by Cantiere Navale Triestino for the Cosulich Line. Launched in February 1912, she was put into service and embarked on her maiden voyage from Trieste to New York City. During World War I, she was laid up in Trieste but was commissioned by the Italian Navy after the war.

Renamed Presidente Wilson under the Cosulich Line, the ship was later sold to another Italian company before the outbreak of World War II. During the war, she was recommissioned by the navy and subsequently laid up in La Spezia in 1943. On 12 May 1944, as the Allies advanced through Italy, the ship was scuttled by the Germans to prevent capture. Her wreck was raised and scrapped in 1949.