The
Andria Doria (nicknamed the Grand Dame of the Sea) was an
Italian luxury cruise liner (the fastest and largest of the
Italian liners), which was launched on June 16,
1951 and entered regular transatlantic service in
1953.
On July 25,
1956, 11:10 PM, in heavy fog off the coast of
Nantucket, the
Andria Doria was hit on the
starboard side by the Swedish-American
Stockholm. The ship listed so badly that half of the
lifeboats couldn't be launched. The
Stockholm was injured, but in good enough condition to help in the
rescue efforts.
At 6:05 am, July 26,
1956, the last of the passengers and
crew were
evacuated. At 10:09 am, the
ship dissapeared into the 250 foot deep water. 52 people
died, all as a result of the initial impact. Most of the surviving passengers and crew limped to
New York on board the
Ile de France, a ship in the area which responded to the
SOS.
The most notable
error which may have contributed to this
collision was that Captain Calamai,
captain of the
Andria Doria, decided to pass the
Stockholm starboard-to-
starboard -- despite the common rule of sea traffic being to pass
port-to-
port. The third officer on the
Stockholm, following standard procedudre, made course adjustments to pass
port-to-
port. When visual contact was made and it was obvious the ships were too close for comfort, Captain Calamai ordered the
Andria Doria to turn full
port. On the
Stockholm Officer Carstens ordered a turn full to
starboard. They steered directly into each other.
STATISTICS
- Gross Tonnage - 29,100 tons
- Dimensions - 697 x 90 ft
- Number of funnels - 1
- Number of masts - 1
- Construction - Steel
- Propulsion - Twin screw
- Engines - Parson Geared Turbines
- Service Speed - 23 knots
- Builder - Ansaldo, Sestri Ponente
- Maiden Voayage - 14 Jan. 1953
- Passenger Accommodation - 218 first class, 320 cabin class, 703 tourist class
references: www.lostliners.com, http://www.geocities.com/Baja/Dunes/7880/
statistics from http://members.aol.com/bry1976/a_doria/