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NavSource Online: Army Ship Photo Archive

USAT Saturnia
ex
 USAHS Frances Y. Slanger (1944 - 1945)

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal
Hospital Ship / Transport:
  • Built in 1927 by Cantiere Navale Triestino, Monfalcone, Trieste, Italy
  • Prior to World War II operated by the Italian Government
  • Turned over to the allies in September 1943
  • Accepted by the War Shipping Administration in October 1943
  • Converted to a troopship operated by the War Shipping Administration
  • Assigned to American Export Lines, 18 November 1943, for operation under contract to the War Shipping Administration
  • MV Saturnia made four voyages to Europe in 1944
  • Chartered by the War Department, 17 January 1945
  • Converted to a Hospital Ship at Todd-Eire Basin, Brooklyn, 17 January to June 1945
  • Commissioned USAHS Frances Y. Slanger, date unknown
  • During 1945 USAHS Frances Y. Slanger made four voyages from the United States to Cherbourg, France and one to Bermuda
  • Decommissioned as a hospital ship in November 1945
  • Altered for transporting military service members and dependents and renamed USAT Saturnia
  • Redelivered, 19 November 1946, at New York to the Italian government
  • Final Disposition, scrapped in 1965
    Specifications:
    Displacement
    Frances Y. Slanger, 19,637 gross tons
    Saturnia, 24,469
    Length 631.3'
    Beam 79.6'
    Draft
    Frances Y. Slanger, 28.9'
    Saturnia, 29'
    Speed 19 kts.
    Cruise Radius 12,000 nm.
    Military Component
    235th Hospital Ship Complement (HSC), 400, Col. Gilbert Saynes in command
    Patients Francis Y. Slanger, 1,618
    Passengers Saturnia, 3,714
    Cargo Capacity Saturnia, 156,430 cu ft
    Fuel Capacities unknown
    Propulsion
    twin Diesel engines
    two propellers
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Source
    Italian Line
    Saturnia 848k MV Saturnia underway, date and location unknown.  
    USAHS Frances Y. Slanger
    Frances Y. Slanger
    30080804     		121k
    Namesake
    Frances Y. Slanger (1913 – October 21, 1944) was an American military nurse of Polish Jewish birth. The only American nurse to die due to enemy fire in the European theatre of World War II, she gained posthumous recognition for a letter she had written regarding the sacrifices of American soldiers which was published as an editorial in the military newspaper Stars and Stripes. (Source: Wikipedia)
    Photo - Oil painting of Frances Slanger, by Joseph Fine, 1998 (Source: NMAJMH)
    National Museum of American Jewish Military History    		 Tommy Trampp
    Frances Y. Slanger 77k USAHS Frances Y. Slanger moored pierside at New York Port of Embarkation, Brooklyn, 1945.
    US Army Signal Corps photo.     		 
    Frances Y. Slanger
    30080803     		379k USAHS Frances Y. Slanger underway, date and location unknown.
    National Museum of American Jewish Military History     		Tommy Trampp
    USAT Saturnia and USAHS Frances Y. Slanger histories are from "Troopships of World War II", by Roland W. Charles, Published by The Army Transportation Association, Washington, D.C., 1947
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    Maritime Timetable Images - Frances Y Slanger
    Maritime Timetable Images - Saturnia
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The US Army Ship Index Back To The US Army Transport Photo Index Back To The US Army Hospital Ship Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 17 February 2023