SS India (1896)

	India 1906
History
Name	SS India
Owner	Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company
Builder	Caird & Co, Greenock
Yard number	281
Launched	15 April 1896
Completed	3 September 1896
Homeport	Greenock
Fate	Sunk by German submarine SM U-22 on 8 August 1915
General characteristics
Type	Ocean liner
Tonnage	7,911 GRT
Length	499 ft 11 in (152.37 m)
Beam	54 ft 4 in (16.56 m)
Draught	26 ft 9 in (8.15 m)
Propulsion	1 × propeller shaft; 1 × three-cylinder triple-expansion steam engine; 11000ihp;
Speed	18 knots (33 km/h)
Capacity	Either 317 First Class and 152 Second Class passengers; Or 2500 troops;

SS India was a steam passenger liner operated by the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O) between 1896 and 1915.

India was the first of five sister ships built for P&O, the others being the Persia, China, Egypt and Arabia. India was the largest ship built for P&O at the time.

Built by Caird & Company of Greenock, Scotland, she was launched on 15 April 1896 and entered service later that year, operating on P&O's route between Britain, India and Australia. In 1900 she became the first ship to use P&O's new harbour facilities at Fremantle. She initially remained in service with P&O after the outbreak of the First World War, and carried Admiral Doveton Sturdee from Gibraltar back to England after the Battle of the Falkland Islands.

She was hired by the Admiralty on 13 March 1915 and was used as an armed merchant cruiser, serving in the 10th Cruiser Squadron. On 8 August that year she stopped off Helligvær, near Bodø, Norway, to investigate a suspected blockade runner, and was torpedoed by SM U-22. India's sinking caused the deaths of 160 of the crew. The surviving 22 officers and 119 men were taken to Narvik.

HMS India common grave and memorial in Bodø, Norway

Memorial and common grave for five crew members of HMS India, English language side
Memorial and common grave for five crew members of HMS India, Norwegian language side

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "India (1105572)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 3 July 2009.

References

Osborne, Richard; Spong, Harry & Grover, Tom (2007). Armed Merchant Cruisers 1878–1945. Windsor, UK: World Warship Society. ISBN 978-0-9543310-8-5.
"India (1105572)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 3 July 2009.
Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: India". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net.
India at clydebuilt.co.uk
P&O heritage Ship Fact Sheet

External links

"Royal Navy Log Books - HMS India". naval-history.net. Retrieved 22 December 2013. OldWeather.org transcription of ship's logbooks April to June 1915