Romolo

The Romolo was an Italian passenger-cargo vessel built in 1926 by Stabiliment Tecnico Triestin in Triest, Italy. Along with her sister ship Remo, she represented an evolution in Lloyd Triestino's Far East fleet, being larger versions of the innovative funnel-less vessels Esquilino and Viminale.

Design and Construction

The vessel featured a distinctive profile with unusually squat, "chopped-off" funnels, contrasting with her funnel-less predecessors. Initially sporting a black hull, she was later repainted white with a white superstructure, yellow funnel, and green boot-topping. Her impressive cargo capacity of 488,000 cubic feet made her well-suited for combined passenger-cargo operations.

Service History

From 1926 to 1930, Romolo operated on the Bombay route. During the reorganization of NGI and Lloyd Sabaudo services to Australia, she was chartered until 1932, when Lloyd Triestino commenced their Australian services.

Final Voyage and Fate

On June 5, 1940, Romolo departed Brisbane, just days before Italy entered World War II. Learning of her sister ship Remo's capture in Fremantle (where she was renamed Reynella), the captain abandoned planned Australian port calls and attempted to return to Italy via New Guinea and Indonesia. Pursued by the armed merchant cruiser HMAS Manoora, the crew chose to scuttle their ship rather than surrender. After the crew was rescued by Manoora, the burning vessel was sunk by gunfire in the Arafura Sea. The Italian crew were interned in Australia for the duration of the war.

Key Facts

Specification	Details
Gross Tonnage	9,870
Length	507ft (154.5m)
Beam	62ft (18.9m)
Draught	26ft (7.9m)
Propulsion	Two diesels (3,600 BHP), twin screws
Service Speed	14 knots
Passenger Capacity	70 first class, 330 third class
Crew	235
Home Port	Genoa (Italian Registry)