Built as a passenger-cargo vessel under yard No 157 by Ansaldo Armstrong,Sestri Ponente for the Italian State Railway.
1909 Keel laid down.
23 May 1910 launched as the CITTÂ DI CATANIA.
Tonnage 3,355 gross, displacement 3,625 ton, dim. 110.8 x 12.83 x 5.7m. (draught)
Powered by 3 steam turbines, 13,620 hp, three shafts, speed 20 knots.
The crew as auxiliary cruiser 158 men.
June 1910 completed and taken in service
From the first years to the First World War
Built between 1909 and 1910 and registered with serial number 43 in the Maritime Compartment of Palermo, the unit was part of a series of four fast passenger steamers ordered by the State Railways. Since the construction it was foreseen, in the plans of the Italian Royal Navy, that in case of war the four ships would be requisitioned, armed and used as auxiliary cruisers.
For this reason, in 1911-1912 the ship was requisitioned and armed as an auxiliary cruiser. Experienced its first operational use during the Italian-Turkish war. On April 10, 1912, in particular, the unit participated, together with the armoured cruisers CARLO ALBERTO and MARCO POLO, in the similar auxiliary cruiser CiITTA DI SIRACUSA, the destroyer FULMINE and the torpedo boat ALCONE, in a bombing of the city of Zuara (smuggling centre of war materials for the Ottoman troops), followed by a fake one landing simulated by the steamers SANNIO, HERCULES , and TOSCANA.
With the entry of Italy into the First World War, the CITTÂ DI CATANIA was requisitioned again, armed with 4 cannons of 120/47 mm and two of 47/40 mm and enrolled in the role of the State's auxiliary vessel as an auxiliary cruiser. On May 24, 1915, the ship was not yet ready but soon entered service.
On 12 August 1915 the CITTÂ DI CATANIA was on a blockade cruise east of Brindisi, when, towards the south, it was targeted by the Austro-Hungarian submarine U 3 with the launch of a torpedo. Having avoided the weapon, the auxiliary cruiser went on the counterattack and rammed the U-Boot that was diving, without however being able to sink it. On the following night, the damaged U 3 was sunk with cannon fire by the French destroyer BISSON, who had left Brindisi together with the Italians ABBA and MOSTO to hunt the submarine.
In the afternoon of 6 December the ship, under the command of the captain of the frigate Sorrentino, left Taranto together with the scout vessel QUARTO and PEPE, the minelayers MINERVA and PARTENOPE and the destroyers BOREA, ABBA, NIEVO and NULLO to escort a convoy to Valona (troop transport DANTE ALIGHIERI, AMERICA, INDIANA, CORDOVA, and BENGHAZI military transport) with 400 officers on board, 6300 between non-commissioned officers and soldiers and 1200 horses: the convoy reached its destination on 8/7 December.
On December 11, 1915, the CITTÂ DI CATANIA sailed again from Taranto to escort a convoy made up of steamships DANTE ALIGHIERI, AMERICA, CORDOBA, INDIANA, and VALPARAISO loaded with supplies for the troops in Vlora, together with the MINERVA and PARTENOPE and 6 destroyers. For the Italian operations in Albania (5,000 men, 900 animals, plus truckloads and supplies. The convoy, after a night sailing, arrived in the port of Vlora on December 12th.
On 23 February 1916 the auxiliary cruiser (under the command of the frigate captain Guide R.), together with the similar CITTÂ OF SYRACUSE and the destroyers ARDITO, IRREQUISTO and BERSAGLIERE, arrived in the bay of Durres and began bombing the troops with their artillery of the advancing Austro-Hungarians troops, who were about to occupy the Albanian port, in the process of abandonment. On February 26, the CITTÂ DI CATANIA (together with LIBYA, the CITTÂ OF SYRACUSE, the CITTÂ OF SASSARI and the elderly torpedo rams PUGLIA and AGORDAT), remaining at anchor, also bombed the opposing positions at Capo Bianco, Rasbul, altitude 200, as well as the surrounding hills, the dam and the road to Tirana, always in the context of the evacuation operations of Durres.
In mid-1916 the unit was destined for the Brindisi auxiliary cruiser group, together with the units CITTÂ OF CAGLIARI, CITTÂ OF SYRACUSE, CITTÂ OF SASSARI and CITTÂ OF MESSINA.
From the first post-war period to the Second World War
After the end of the First World War, the ship was returned to the State Railways, resuming line service. Subsequently, it was sold to the anonymous shipping company Tirrenia. In peacetime, the CITTÂ OF CATANIA was employed in the scheduled postal service.
In 1933 the ship took part, in a support task, with the famous Atlantic air cruise of seaplanes of Italo Balbo.
With the outbreak of the Second World War the ship was not requisitioned nor entered in the role of the auxiliary vessel of the State, but, although continuing the civil service, it was often used in troop transport missions on behalf of the Ministry of War - especially between mid-1942 and 1943 also receiving a mimetic coloring.
Starting from November 7, 1941, the ship was chartered by Tirrenia to the sister company Adriatica , which until its tragic loss employed it on the route from Brindisi to Durres.
The British submarine UNRUFFLED which sank the CITTÂ DI CATANIA
At 5.33 on 3 August 1943, the CITTÂ DI CATANIA left Durres bound for Brindisi with 407 civilian and military passengers on board and 105 crew members (all civilians). A few hours later the ship, now in sight of the Apulian coast, was sighted by the British submarine UNRUFFLED, which launched two torpedoes: at 10.45 am the weapons went on target, reaching the CITTÂ DI CATANIA on the port side, in the middle of the ship, and causing the breaking of the keel. Broken in two, the steamer sank within two minutes at 8 miles 40° from the leading light of Brindisi (in position 40 ° 30 '30 "N and 18 ° 04' 30" E), taken the exact half of the people on board with them. In addition to the speed of the sinking, the large number of victims was due to the fact that many of the passengers were placed in the central hall, right at the point where the torpedoes hit.
The numerous smaller units (including a pilot boat, the GALLIANO tugboat, and four auxiliary fishing/minesweeper motorboats ) who were conducting dredging operations outside Brindisi promptly rushed to the scene, saving 200 passengers and 56 crew members.
49 Crew members (including the captain) and 207 passengers disappeared with the ship.
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