RFA Maine (1924)

RFA Maine was a hospital ship of 7,432 gross register tons that began life in 1924 as the ocean liner Leonardo da Vinci, built at La Spezia by SA Ansaldo for the Societa di Navigazione Transatlantica Italiana and launched on 28 December 1924. She was 427 feet long and was driven by six double-reduction geared steam turbines, built by Ansaldo at Sampierdarena, on twin screws. British forces captured her at Kismayu in Italian Somaliland in 1941. She was declared a prize of war, renamed Empire Clyde and served as a hospital ship for the British Army in the Second World War. Ownership passed to the Admiralty in 1948 and she became RFA Maine. In the Korean War she carried casualties from Pusan to Fukuoka and earned a battle honour. She was scrapped at Hong Kong in April 1954.