Official Number:                      136346

Laid down:

Builder:                                  Workman, Clark & Co Ltd., Belfast

Launched:                              8 September 1914

Into Service:                           28 April 1915

Out of service:                        January 1919

Fate:                                     16 October 1955  broken up

Items of historic interest involving this ship: –

Background Data:  One of an additional group of ships requisitioned by the Admiralty during WW1

Career Data:

8 September 1914 launched by Workman, Clark & Co Ltd as Yard Nr: 333 named EBRO for Royal Mail Steam Packet Co Ltd

April 1915 completed. To carry 250 x 1st Class and 250 x 3rd Class passengers

12 April 1915  requisitioned for Admiralty service as an Armed Merchant Cruiser – name unchanged- commissioned as HMS EBRO at the Royal Albert Docks, London

21 April 1915 sailed Royal Albert Docks, London and anchored off Gravesend

1 May 1915 made fast to No: 3 buoy at Sheerness

4 May 1915 loaded bunker coal from barges

15 May 1915 sailed from Sheerness to join 10th Cruiser Squadron

12 June 1915 anchored at Tail of Bank later berthing at Glasgow

19 June 1915 sailed Glasgow

22 July 1915 berthed at Glasgow

30 July 1915 sailed from Glasgow

27 August 1915 anchored at No: 2 berth at Busta Voe

30 August 1915 sailed Swarbacks Minn

14 September 1915 passed the Tail of Bank buoy and entered the River Clyde

24 September 1915 sailed from Glasgow

11 October 1915 arrived at Swarbacks Minn and loaded 256 tons of bunker coal

12 October 1915 at Busta Voe

17 October 1915 sailed from Busta Voe

January 1919 was refitted by her builders on return from Admiralty service. Converted to oil fuel burning and was then chartered by Pacific Steam Navigation Co., London for their New York – Panama Canal – Valparaiso service

1922 transferred to PSNC – name unchanged

1930 laid up in the River Dart

February 1935 purchased for £21,000 by Jugoslavenski Lloyd as, Dubrovnik and renamed Princesa Olga for her owners’ Dubrovnik – Piraeus – Haifa service

1940 purchased by Cia Colonial de Navegacao, Lisbon and renamed Serpa Pinto. Now carried 278 x 1st Class & 328 x 2nd Class passengers

28 December 1940 first voyage for her new owners Lisbon – New York service

26 May 1944 at midnight on this date, when 600 miles East of Bermuda carrying refugees from Europe to America, she was stopped by a German U-boat which threatened to sink the liner and the oder to abandon ship was given, during which 3 people were drowned. The U-boat was ordered not not to sink the liner after all and everyone returned on board.16 October 1955 arrived Antwerp after sale for £115,000 for demolition in tow of the Dutch tug Rode Zee