SS Caserta

SS "Caserta" was an Italian ocean liner named for the city of Caserta in the Campania region of Italy. She was previously known as SS "Maritzburg" and SS "Mendoza", and was later renamed SS "Venezuela". Launched in 1904 as "Maritzburg" for the Bucknall Line, the ship was sold to Lloyd Italiano in 1905 and renamed "Mendoza". Renamed "Caserta" in 1914, she was placed under the Navigazione Generale Italiana banner in 1918. During World War I she was employed as a troopship carrying United States troops to France as part of the United States Navy Cruiser and Transport Force. In 1923, she was renamed "Venezuela" and transferred to La Veloce for South American service , but reverted to NGI control in 1924. She was scrapped in 1928.

Early career

SS "Maritzburg", an ocean liner with a , served as escort for the assembled ships, which were the 35th U.S. convoy of the war.Crowell and Wilson, p. 609.] On 20 May, the convoy sighted and fired on a "submarine" that turned out to be a bucket; the next day escort "Frederick" left the convoy after being relieved by nine destroyers. Three days later the convoy sighted land at 06:30 and anchored at Brest that afternoon.Pollard, p. 27.]

"Caserta" 's next convoy left Newport News on 23 June and consisted of the Italian steamers "Duca d'Aosta", and "Susquehanna". Accompanied by , and destroyers USS|Murray|DD-97|2 and "Fairfax" served as convoy escorts for the group, which arrived in France on 20 October. "Caserta" headed back to New York, arriving there on 9 November. [Crowell and Wilson, p. 618.]

After the Armistice, "Caserta" was employed to return troops to the United States. In February 1919, she carried home 1,500 American troops, including the entire 63rd Artillery, Coastal Artillery Corps. [cite news | title = 13,000 soldiers are coming home on eight vessels | work = Chicago Daily Tribune | date = 1919-02-09 | page = 6 ] John Brown, a private in the 63rd Artillery kept a diary in which he described his journey home aboard "Caserta" in February 1919. Departing from Marseille in the evening of 6 February, the transport arrived at Gibraltar three days later, where she anchored to wait for a load of coal for the journey home. After four days, the ship was underway, but again delayed near the Azores by storms in the Atlantic. Meals on board "Caserta" during the trip were not necessarily to the liking of the troops. Twice-a-day servings of "spaghetti, macaroni, or noodles" were interrupted only occasionally by non-pasta meals, such as chicken in honor of Washington's Birthday, on 22 February. The liner, nicknamed the "Macaroni Barge" by the American troops, eventually reached New York on 27 February. [Brown, entries for 6–27 February.] Also on board "Caserta" was 60-year-old Private Robert W. Louden of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Louden, a veteran of the Spanish-American War and the Mexican Expedition, was wounded twice in fighting in France. Contemporary news accounts called him the "oldest American to go through the war". [cite news | url = http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9C00E6DB1238EE32A2575BC2A9649C946896D6CF | format = pdf | title = Three transports buffeted by gale | work = The New York Times | date = 1919-02-28 | accessdate = 2008-06-26 | page = 8 ] Another passenger on board was Sultan, a former German messenger dog adopted by two U.S. Army captains when they found him in an abandoned German trench near Verdun. [cite news | title = Some dogs of war | work = Chicago Daily Tribune | date = 1919-03-01 | page = 7 ] "Caserta" sailed for Gibraltar and Italy on 6 March. [cite news | url = http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9F06E1DF1E39E13ABC4E53DFB5668382609EDE | format = pdf | title = Foreign Ports | work = The New York Times | date = 1919-03-06 | accessdate = 2008-06-26 | page = 13 ]

"Caserta" made at least one more voyage with American troops when she sailed from Marseille to New York on 22 April. [Morse, p. 82.] Among the 1,500 troops on board when the liner docked in New York on 8 May, were nearly 550 men from the 7th, 50th ("Dutch Girl"), 650th and 658th Aero Squadrons; the 50th Aero Squadron had located the "Lost Battalion" in October 1918. [Troops: cite news | title = Three transports dock at New York with 2,690 Yanks | work = Chicago Daily Tribune | date = 1919-05-09 | page = 6 50th Aero Squadron: Morse, p. 9.]

Later career

When "Caserta" resumed regular passenger service in 1919, she began sailing under the Navigazione Generale Italiana (NGI) banner; NGI, which previously had a controlling interest in Lloyd Italiano, took over completely in 1918.cite web | url = http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/ngi.html | title = Navigazione Generale Italiana Line | accessdate = 2008-06-24 ] "Caserta" resumed New York service in July, which she continued, with occasional calls at Philadelphia, through the end of 1921. [Immigration Information Bureau, pp. 197, 200, 205.]

In 1923, "Caserta" was renamed "Venezuela" and transferred to La Veloce Navigazione Italiana a Vapore, commonly known as La Veloce, for service between Italy and South America. Transferred back to NGI in 1924, the liner was scrapped in 1928.

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