SS Conte Grande

SS Conte Grande in commercial service after World War II.
History
Name:	Conte Grande
Owner:	Lloyd Sabaudo Line / Italian Line
Builder:	Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino
Launched:	29 June 1927
Maiden voyage:	13 April 1928
Fate:	Scrapped, 1961.
General characteristics
Tonnage:	25,661 GRT
Length:	198.9 m (624 ft)
Beam:	23.8 m (78 ft)
Propulsion:	Parsons type turbine, twin screws, 24,000 hp
Speed:	~20 knots (sources vary)
Capacity:	1,718 passengers

The SS Conte Grande was a Lloyd Sabaudo Line ocean liner built in 1927 by Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino in Trieste, Italy, to service the transatlantic passenger line between Genoa, Italy, and New York City. Launched on 29 June 1927, her maiden voyage was from Genoa to Naples to New York City, which occurred on 13 April 1928. In 1932, after acquisition by the Italian Line, she was transferred to the South America service but was laid up in Santos, Brazil in 1940.

During World War II, she was acquired by the United States and was used as an American troopship—renamed USS Monticello (AP-61) in 1942. After the war, in 1947, she was returned to the Italian Line and renamed the Conte Grande. After a two-year hiatus, in 1949, she resumed service to South America. In 1960, she was transferred from the Italian Line to Lloyd Triestino (also chartered by Italian Line), where she served for another year until being scrapped in 1961. Her sister ship was the SS Conte Biancamano.

Conte Grande was built by Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino at Trieste as an Italian-flagged passenger ship capable of carrying 7,798 persons. She was launched on 28 June 1927 and entered service with Lloyd Sabaudo of Genoa at Cantieri San Marco for service on the North Atlantic tourist and passenger trade. In 1933 she transferred to the South American tourist trade. Early in June 1940 the Conte Grande was in Santos, Brazil, on one of her regular South American cruises. Here her officers held her awaiting developments after Mussolini's attack on France on 10 June 1940. On 27 February 1942 she was transferred to Brazilian registry and a Brazilian crew replaced the Italian crew who were interned. She was purchased on 16 April 1942 by the United States and renamed USS Monticello. She was commissioned the same day at São Paulo in Brazil under the command of Captain Morton L. Deyo, USN.