Compañía Trasatlántica Española

Infanta Isabel de Borbon

This photo was shot at Cádiz on 6 October 1924.

Ciudad de Cadiz

        She was built by Lobnitz, Coulborn & Co. at Renfrew (Scotland) in 1878 and was 3,202 GRT with 109.3 meters length and 11.4 beam. As it was usual the passengers travelled in three classes, 163 in First, 54 in Second and 200 in Third.
        She had a single propeller moved by a triple expansion steam machine, what gave her 13 knots. After servicing mainly the America lines she sank at San Carlos Gulf (Guinea).

Manuel Calvo

        In this photo we see in front of the ship the Puertochico dock, at Santander
        This is a remarkable ship because of her long life. Built for MacIver & Co. in 1891 as "Lucania" by Armstrong, Mitchell & Co. of Walker-on-Tyne was 5,140 GRT, with a length of 126.7 meters and a beam of 14.45. She had accommodation for 75 passangers in First Class, 300 in Second and 1,000 in Third.
        She was bought by North German Lloyd in 1892 and renamed "H.H.Meier". In 1901 she was sold to Trasatlantica, renamed "Manuel Calvo" and rebuilt. She was put on the Genoa - Barcelona - Cadiz - New York - Havana - Veracruz service.
        In 1919 she struck a mine off the Turkish coast while repatriating foreigners with the loss of 151 lives.
        Made her last voyage Barcelona - Cadiz - New York - Havana in 1931 and was then laid up in Minorca until 1939, when she sailed to Cadiz where she was rebuilt as a cargo vessel. In 1950 was laid up at Santander until 1952 when was sold and renamed "Drago". She continued under the Spanish flag until scrapped in 1959 in Spain.

Legazpi

        Built in 1904 as "Zungeru" for Elder Dempster Line, was 4,350 GRT. In 1906 was transferred to Cie. Maritime Belge du Congo and renamed "Bruxellesville", but in 1909 reverted to Elder Dempster Line and recovered her first name.
        In 1911 was sold to Trasatlantica and renamed "Legazpi". Due to the cancellation of the lines to Philippines and Guinea was sold in 1931 to Trasmediterranea for the Guinea line.
        On 19 May 1937 was attacked by planes and sank close to Benicarló. After the war she was refloated and scrapped.

Leon XIII

        The "Taroba" and "Tara" were sister ships built in 1888 and 1890 at Glasgow by A & J. Inglis. Their length was 123.4 meters, the beam 13.9 and the depth 8.9, and her draft 7.75. Both were in the line of the Queensland Royal Mail under the ownership of British India Associated Steamers, Ltd. Altough sisters they had small differences, maybe increased due to the two years between their delivery, with six vessels in between. The "Taroba" was 4,938 GRT, 4,234 NRT, 5,460 Dw and her steam triple expansion machine had 4,500 HP gave her 15.5 knots in trials. Her bunkers had capacity for 1,633 MT with a daily consumption of 82.
        In 1894 was sold to Trasatlantica, renamed "Isla de Cuba" and put in the line to Philipines. In 1896 was renamed "Leon XIII" and destined to the transport of troops to Cuba. After returned to the Philipines line took part in the repatriation of troops and in 1901 was refitted and put in the line to Buenos Aires, with seldom trips to the South America West Coast. She was scrapped in 1931 in Italy.

P. de Satrustegui

        The "Tara" was built for the same line as her sister. She was 4,713 GRT, 3,013 NRT and 5,410 DW, with a triple expansion machine of 4,724 HP got 15.35 knots in trials.
        When bought by Trasatlantica in 1894 was renamed "P. de Satrustegui" and put in the line to Philipines. After taking part in the troop transport was refitted and put in the line to Buenos Aires until scrapped in 1928 at Genoa (Italy).

Leon XIII

        There was other "Leon XIII" but only for few months earlier than the previous. She was not owned by Trasatlantica, but charterer for some time in 1894, when was renamed "Leon XIII" . She was the "Jelunga" of the British India Associated Steamers. In 1896 was chartered again for some time, but this time was renamed as "Santiago" because there was already a "Leon XIII" in the fleet.
        She was built in 1890 and sold in 1908, and broken up in1923. Whilst owned by the British India Associated Steamers was always named "Jelunga" except when chartered to Trasatlantica.

Uruguay

        She was built by William Denny & Bros. at Dumbarton (Scotland) in 1913 and was 10,348 GRT with 145 meters length, 18.4 beam and 10.8 depth. Her passenger capacity was 250 in First, 100 in Second and 75 in Third.
        Her original name was "Infanta Isabel de Borbón" until the arrival of the Republic when she was renamed "Uruguay".
        She had three propellers moved by two triple expansión steam machines, which gave her 18.64 knots in trials. After servicing the America lines was confiscated in 1934 by the government and laid up at Barcelona to be used as jail. She was sunk in 1939 due to the plane bombardment during the Civil War and refloated in 1942 to be scrapped at Valencia.

Argentina

        Although sister of the previous she was built (also in 1913) by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson at Wallsend-on-Tyne (England).
        Her original name was "Reina Victoria Eugenia" which was changed to "Argentina" when the Republic was proclaimed.
        The big differences were that she had four propellers moved by two quadruple expansion steam machines and two low pressure turbines.
        She had the same end as her sister and was refloated and scrapped in 1945 at Bilbao.

Manuel Arnus

        Built in 1921 at Cádiz, by the Sociedad Española de Construcción Naval. She was 7,538 GRT, with length of 132.58 meters and 17.07 beam.
        She serviced several of the Trasatlántica lines, to Chile, Cuba, Mexico and United States. In 1938 she was confiscated by the Mexican gouvernment and later sold to the United States. She was sunk in 1946 during a bombardment practice in the Pacific.



  Part of the information has been extracted from the pages of Manuel García


    

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