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MALDA (1913)
Service dates: 1914-1917
Official number: 133116
Shipping lines: BRITISH INDIA STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY LTD.
Ship type:
Passenger/Cargo Ship.
Career
- 07.03.1913
- Launched.
- 29.04.1913
- Delivered as Malda for British India Steam Navigation Company at a cost of £117,700. She was the first of the M-class ships to be delivered along with her sisters Manora, Mashobra, Mongara, Morvada, Merkara, Mandala, Mantola and Margha.
- 24.06.1914
- Takeover of British India Steam Navigation Company by The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company agreed.
- 10.1914
- She was taken up as an Expeditionary Force transport.
- 04.1915
- Carried an Australian battalion to Gallipoli.
- 24.10.1915
- Transferred to Indian Expeditionary Force transport service.
- 08.06.1916
- During a voyage from Bombay to London, she arrived at Aden leaking.
- 20.06.1916
- While in the Mediterranean she was chased by UB44 on the surface, but managed to get away with a combination of speed and firing accuracy from her stern gun.
- 16.10.1916
- Again she was chased by a submarine in the Mediterranean and managed to escape.
- 11.11.1916
- A further attack by a submarine occurred in the English Channel.
- 30.12.1916
- In the Mediterranean, UC22 attempted to torpedo her.
- 08.05.1917
- Taken up under the Liner Requisition Scheme.
- 09.05.1917
- Once again avoided a torpedo attack in the North Sea.
- 25.08.1917
- She was attacked one last time on her way from Boston to London with general cargo 225km (140 miles) west of the Scilly Isles. The torpedo from U70 caused damage to the engineroom but the crew got away in the boats. The boats were separated due to rough weather with some finding refuge in the water-logged hull. U135 destroyed the remainder of the ship. A total of 64 lives were lost in the incident.