SS Conte Grande 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 " . Beginnings . " 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 $ 3 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 . World War II . The USS " Monticello " sailed north under the escort of the to Philadelphia for conversion to a troop transport which was completed 10 September 1942 . She left New York on 2 November for Operation Torch , the invasion of North Africa , carrying troops to Casablanca . Returning to New York , she sailed again on 25 December , carrying men for the various commands of the China - Burma - India Theater to Karachi , by way of the Panama Canal , Australia , and Ceylon . The transport returned to New York on 24 April 1943 , carried reinforcements to Oran on two voyages , then sailed from Africa to San Francisco by way of the Panama Canal . Through the first half of 1944 , she carried men from San Francisco to Californian ports , Australia , Hawaii , and the burgeoning bases of the South Pacific . In June 1944 , she began the first of a series of transatlantic voyages bringing men to win victory in Europe . She reported to New York for an eight - week availability on 20 July 1945 and while there her Navy crew transferred off and were replaced by a Coast Guard crew beginning on 21 July 1945 . Her first Coast Guard commanding officer was Commander George R . Leslie . He took command on 6 August 1945 and was replaced the next day by Captain R . S . Patch , USCG . Postwar service . The vessel remained under repair at Todd ' s Shipyards , Brooklyn , until 2 October . During this time all of her armament was removed . She departed New York , bound for Naples , on 8 October 1945 , with 176 Italian officers , 5 , 590 Italian Army enlisted men , 13 U . S . Army officers and 34 Army enlisted men , a total of 5 , 813 . She arrived at Naples safely on 19 October . She departed Naples on 22 October and arrived in Norfolk , Virginia on 3 November 1945 . She departed Norfolk on 8 November and arrived at Le Havre , France on the 17th . She departed Le Havre on 19 November and arrived back at her home port of New York on 27 November . She then departed New York on 10 December , bound for Marseille , arriving there on 20 December . She departed Marseilles on 22 December , arriving at New York on 1 January 1946 . Decommission and transfer . She decommissioned at Norfolk on 22 March 1946 and returned to the War Shipping Administration for disposal on 27 May 1946 . She was returned to the Italian government in June 1947 , redubbed " Conte Grande " , and after being laid up for two years , resumed service as a passenger vessel in South America . She was scrapped in 1961 . Awards . " Monticello " earned one battle star for the World War II service .