Tonnage: 18,481 tons gross, 16,358 under deck and 11,729 net. Bridge Deck 371 feet long. She had one funnel, four masts, 3 decks and 2 partial decks. 4 tiers of beams and was fitted with electric light, refrigerating machinery, submarine signaling device and wireless. Water ballast. She had triple screws and triple expansion engines with 8 cylinders, (2) 26½, (2) 42 & (4) 47½ inches diameter respectively and stroke 51 inches. She had one low pressure steam turbine. Engines by Harland & Wolff. She had a speed of 15 knots.
There was accommodation for 600-3rd class passengers. She was launched for the White Star Line's
Australian service on 11th Dec. 1912. Her maiden voyage started on 24th
Jul. 1913 when she left Liverpool for Capetown, Albany, Adelaide, Melbourne
and Sydney. Taken over in 1914 as a troop transport and carried the
Australian Expeditionary Force. She had a couple of encounters with U-boats
but survived the war and resumed Liverpool - Sydney commercial sailings on
18th Nov. 1920. In 1934 she transferred to the ownership of Shaw Savill &
Albion SS Co. when they took over White Star Line's Australian interests but
continued on the same service. In 1936 she was rebuilt to 18,713 tons,
modernized and given a speed of 16 knots. Again taken over for trooping in
1940, she left Liverpool on 23rd Nov. 1942 with 378 passengers and 278 crew
and passengers. Torpedoed by the German submarine U.515 off the Azores, one
survivor was taken prisoner for interrogation purposes and all the rest were
lost. Call sign: JCNK. Official registration #: 135474 [Merchant Fleets by Duncan Haws, vol.10, Shaw, Savill & Albion - submitted by Ted Finch] [1919-20 Lloyd's Registry of shipping, subm. Gilbert Provost]
