RFA Maine (1924)
| Company type | Hospital ship |
|---|---|
| Industry | Maritime / Naval support |
| Predecessor | Leonardo da Vinci (ocean liner) |
| Founded | December 28, 1924 in La Spezia, Italy |
| Fate | Decommissioned and dismantled in 1954 |
| Headquarters | La Spezia , Italy / United Kingdom |
| Products | Hospital ship services, troop transport |
Number of employees | Royal Navy medical personnel (during hospital ship service) |
| Parent | Ministry of War Transport (from 1941), Admiralty (from 1948) |
RFA Maine (1924–1954)
RFA Maine was a hospital ship with a gross register tonnage of 7,432, originally constructed in 1924 as the ocean liner Leonardo da Vinci by SA Ansaldo in La Spezia, Italy. Commissioned by the Società di Navigazione Transatlantica Italiana, the vessel operated under Italian registry until 1941. During that year, British forces captured her at Kismayu in Italian Somaliland. Subsequently declared a prize of war, the ship was transferred to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and renamed Empire Clyde. Throughout the Second World War, she functioned as a hospital ship supporting the British Army.
In 1948, ownership shifted to the Admiralty, and she was commissioned into the Royal Fleet Auxiliary under the name RFA Maine. The vessel saw service during the Korean War before being decommissioned and dismantled in 1954.
Description
Constructed by SA Ansaldo in La Spezia, Italy, the vessel was launched on 28 December 1924.
Measuring 427 feet 1 inch in length, with a beam of 52 feet 5 inches and a depth of 36 feet, the ship had a gross register tonnage of 7,432 and a net register tonnage of 4,096. Its propulsion system consisted of six double reduction geared steam turbines manufactured by Ansaldo Sampierdarena, which powered twin screw propellers.
History
Commissioned by Società di Navigazione Transatlantica Italiana, the ship bore Genoa as its home port. It was assigned the Italian Official Number 1306 along with the Code Letters NVJA, which were updated to IBPS in 1934. In December 1929, while transporting valuable Italian artworks destined for an exhibition at Burlington House in Piccadilly, London, the vessel encountered a storm near Cape Finisterre, Spain. During this journey, it was escorted by the Marina Militare tugboat Teso. The cargo was insured for £14,000,000 and included notable pieces such as Botticelli’s painting The Birth of Venus, three sculptures titled David by Donatello, Michelangelo, and Verrocchio respectively, as well as Jacopo della Quercia’s Virgin and Child. The ship returned these artworks to Italy after departing London on 12 April 1930.
In March 1935, amid the Second Italo-Abyssinian War, the ship served as a troop transport. On 28 February of that year, during a storm at Messina, Italy, it sustained minor damage after colliding with MV Viminale II when the latter dragged its anchor. By 1937, ownership transferred to Lloyd Triestino based in Trieste. On 14 February 1941, while located at Kismayu in Italian Somaliland, the vessel was seized by HMS Shropshire and subsequently declared a war prize under the Ministry of War Transport. Its registration shifted to Mombasa, Kenya under the British flag with new Code Letters VRTV and Official Number 159356. Management was assigned to City Line.
The ship participated in Convoy HX 255 departing New York on 2 September 1943 and arriving in Liverpool on 16 September carrying general cargo destined for Glasgow. Later that year it was renamed Empire Clyde following the naming conventions for captured ships under the Empire fleet. The Code Letters were updated to GCFB and its port of registry changed to London. Subsequently converted into a hospital ship for British Army use.
By 1947, it entered service as RFA Empire Clyde staffed with Royal Navy medical personnel. In 1948, it received the name RFA Maine, becoming the fourth Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel to carry this designation. At the outbreak of the Korean War, Maine was initially the sole hospital ship operating in the region. Arriving at Pusan on 14 July 1950, it provided casualty transport services to Fukuoka, Japan. On 10 October 1951 while navigating Shimonoseki Straits, Maine lost a propeller and required assistance from USS Reclaimer (ARS-42) and USS Yuma (AT-94). On 1 December 1952 at Sasebo harbor in Japan, it treated casualties from USS Ashtabula (AO-51) following a fire onboard as well as from USS Ajax (AR-6), which sustained damage during the incident. For its contributions during the conflict, Maine was awarded a Korean War battle honour. The vessel was ultimately dismantled in Hong Kong in April 1954.