LLOYD TRIESTINO'S UNIQUE SHIP AND EAST AFRICAN DELIGHTS

WITH roots stretching back to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Lloyd Triestino services to southern Africa began a century ago when the passenger-cargoship Risano arrived in South Africa

- BRIAN INGPEN

THE 1920-vintage Gerusalemme circa 1950. The day before Italy entered World War II a decade earlier, she had left Durban heading to neutral Lourenco Marques (Maputo) where she remained until Italy surrendered. After operating as a maritime hospital ship, she returned to Lloyd Triestino's service until she was scrapped in 1952. LLOYD Triestino's Africa arriving in Cape Town. The unique design of the seven ships of this class was ahead of its time and brought enormous interest from Docklanders wherever the ships called. EUROPA, the second Lloyd Triestino containership on the South African trade. The large structure abaft the superstructure housed con-air reefer containers. THE geared containership Nuova Africa arriving in Cape Town to continue Lloyd Triestino's service to South Africa.

(BRIAN INGPEN-GEORGE YOUNG COLLECTION BRIAN INGPEN COLLECTION BRIAN INGPEN BRIAN INGPEN COLLECTION)

Other passenger-cargoships also joined the company's round-Africa service, while, from 1933, the larger Duilio and Giulio Cesare operated between Italy and South Africa via the Atlantic route.

Built in 1922 and 1923, the 197m, 19.5-knot ships were chartered initially from Italia Line for the South African service, and transferred formally to Lloyd Triestino in 1936.

Despite their quadruple screws, Duilio and her slightly smaller consort Giulio Cesare presented significant challenges for pilots when manoeuvring within the narrow confines of the Victoria Basin where the ships usually berthed at No. 4 South Arm. Wind, the vessels' steam turbines that are rather sluggish to respond to engine room telegraph orders and the cumbersome manoeuvring of steam tugs compounded the pilots' difficulties. Once Berths A to D in the extended harbour (now part of Duncan Dock) had been completed, berthing the ships there became easier.