The Andrea Doria:
The Greatest Rescue of All Time
The Andrea Doria (above) listing before the sinking
On June 16th, 1951, the Andrea Doria was launched at the Ansaldo shipyard in Italy. She cost 29 million dollars, and had very advanced safety features. She had watertight compartments, a double bottom, and a double hull. As were the Titanic and Lusitania, she was labeled by some as unsinkable.
She had 16 lifeboats onboard, with a capacity of over 2,000 people. Two of the boats had motors and radios.
On july 17th, 1956, she left Italy on her 101st crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. It would be her last.
On July 25th,
1956, the Andrea Doria and the Sweedish American Line ship Stockholm
were both steaming near New York City.
The Andrea Doria was surrounded by a fog bank. When radar showed another ship
(the Stockholm) nearby, she continued on her course. At 11:10 p.m. Eastern
Daylight Time, the Stockholm's bow ripped into the side of the Andrea Doria.
On the left is the Stockholm after the collision. Her bow is smashed in, but she remained afloat. Only 5 of the Stockholm's crew were killed in the collision.
Image Credit:
At 11:20 p.m., the Andrea
Doria sends out a SOS..."Need immediate assistance." In 34 minutes, the Ile
De France responds and heads towards the stricken ship. At 12:45 a.m., the freighter Cape
Ann arrives. At 1:23 a.m., the William H. Thomas arrives. At 2:00 a.m., the Ile
De France (right) arrives with desperately needed lifeboats, as many of the Andrea
Doria's are inaccessable. See this table for the statistics of the rescuing ships.
At 10:09 a.m., the Andrea Doria slips
beneath the waves and comes to rest in around 240 feet of water. She became a popular
scuba diving destination, but only for advanced divers.
This picture shows why the Ile de
France's life boats were so needed. As you can see, on the port (left) side there are
about 8 or 9 lifeboats that were impossible to unload due to the list to starboard.
The Ships Involved: The Andrea Doria and the Stockholm
| Andrea Doria | Stockholm | |
|---|---|---|
| Owner | Italian Line | Swedish American Line |
| Captain | Piero Calamai | Harry Gunnar Nordenson |
| Ship's Length | 697 feet | 575 feet |
| Year Built | 1953 | 1948 |
| Passengers | 1134 | 534 |
| Crew | 572 | 213 |
| Total Souls On Board | 1706 | 747 |
The following vessels participated in the rescue of the passengers of the Andrea Doria.
| Ship | Type | # of Lifeboats | # of Persons Rescued |
Passengers Rescued |
Crew Rescued |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ile de France |
Passenger Liner | 11 | 753 | 576 | 177 |
| Cape Ann | Freighter | 2 | 129 | Approx. 91 | Approx. 38 |
| Pvt. Wm. H. Thomas | Transport | 2 | 158 | Approx. 112 | Approx. 46 |
| Robert E. Hopkins | Tanker | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Edward H. Allen | (Naval Vessel) Destroyer Escort |
0 | 77 | 0 | 77 |
| Stockholm |
Passenger Liner | 7 | 542 | 308 | 234 |
| Totals | 30 | 1660 | 1088 | 572 |
Some of the tables and images on this page are from this site:
