The SS Transylvania was a British passenger liner constructed in 1914 at the Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company yard in Greenock, Scotland. She was part of the Anchor Line, a subsidiary of Cunard Line since 1911, and served as a sister ship to SS Tuscania. The vessel measured approximately 167.11 meters (548 feet 3 inches) in length and had a gross register tonnage of 14,348 GRT. Powered by two Parsons turbines and six Scotch steam boilers, the Transylvania was capable of reaching a speed of 17.5 knots (32.4 km/h; 20.1 mph). Originally designed to carry 1,379 passengers, the ship was requisitioned during World War I for troop transport, with her capacity adjusted to accommodate 200 officers and 2,860 troops, along with crew. She was taken into service as a troopship from May 1915, operating under the Admiralty’s command, and was involved in transporting Allied troops to various destinations. On 3 May 1917, while sailing from Marseille to Alexandria with a full complement of troops and escorted by Japanese destroyers Matsu and Sakaki, the Transylvania was struck by a torpedo from the German U-boat SM U-63, commanded by Otto Schultze. The attack occurred near Cape Vado in the Gulf of Genoa, approximately 2.5 miles south of Savona. The initial torpedo hit the port engine room, causing catastrophic damage. A second torpedo struck shortly thereafter, leading to the immediate sinking of the vessel. The attack resulted in the loss of 412 lives, including ten crew members, 29 army officers, and 373 soldiers. Victims' bodies were recovered and buried in Italy, France, Monaco, and Spain, with a notable number interred in the Savona Town Cemetery, which holds 85 Commonwealth burials and the Savona Memorial commemorating additional casualties. Among those killed was Major Richard Worsley, a cricketer. The wreck of the Transylvania was discovered off Bergeggi in 2011 at a depth of around 630 meters. The sinking of the Transylvania remains a significant maritime incident of WWI, exemplifying the dangers faced by troopships during wartime.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.