The SS Ancona was an ocean liner constructed in 1908 by Workman, Clark and Company in Belfast for the Societa di Navigazione a Vapore Italia of Genoa. Designed primarily as an emigrant vessel, she featured significant passenger capacity, with accommodations initially for about 60 first-class passengers and approximately 2,500 in third class. Her interior was equipped with insulated spaces and an acidic refrigeration system to serve the needs of her large emigrant clientele. In 1909, her first-class capacity was expanded to 120, and by September 1910, she was refitted to carry 60 first-class and 120 second-class passengers, reflecting her evolving service needs. Measuring 482.3 feet (147.0 meters) in length, with a beam of 58.3 feet (17.8 meters) and a depth of 26.2 feet (8.0 meters), the Ancona had a steel hull and was powered by two triple-expansion steam engines rated at 1,221 nhp. These engines, with cylinders of up to 71 inches (180 cm) in diameter, drove two screw propellers, enabling her to reach speeds of up to 17 knots. Her gross register tonnage was initially 8,885 GRT, later reassessed to 8,210 GRT after refitting. Launched on December 19, 1907, and completed by February 1908, Ancona's early career included a notable incident when she sank the Harbour Commissioners' twin screw tug Musgrave after speed trials on February 28, 1908. Her maiden voyage commenced on March 26, 1908, from Genoa to Naples, and then to New York, marking her role as an important transatlantic emigrant vessel. She regularly serviced routes between Italy and the United States, transporting nearly 100,000 passengers, mostly in third class, before World War I. By 1913, Ancona was equipped with wireless telegraphy, with call signs MOA and later ITA. During World War I, initially maintaining neutrality, she carried Italian reservists and cargo back to Italy. Her service ended abruptly when she was sunk on November 8, 1915, by the Austro-Hungarian submarine SM U-38 off the coast of Sardinia. The torpedoing resulted in the loss of between 194 and 300 lives, including Americans, and contributed to tensions between the US and Austria-Hungary amid wartime submarine warfare. The sinking underscored her historical significance as a maritime vessel caught in the broader context of early 20th-century naval conflicts and emigration.

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