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SS Kaiser-i-hind

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SS Kaiser-i-hind
SS Kaisar-i-hind.jpg
SS Kaisar-i-hind 1.jpg
History
Name SS Kaisar-i-hind
Owner Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co, London
Builder Caird & Co Ltd, Greenock
Yard number 327
Launched 28 Jun 1914
Completed 1 Oct 1914
In service Oct 1914
Out of service 26 Apr 1938
Fate broken up
General characteristics
Type Troopship / passenger liner
Tonnage 11,430 tons
Length 520.0 ft
Beam 61.2 ft
Depth 23.1 ft
Propulsion twin screw
Speed 18.5 knots (34.26 km/h)
Capacity 315 x 1st; 233 x 2nd class



Remarks

Built originally for P& O Line's Indian route, she was capable of carrying 315 passengers in 1st class, and 233 in 2nd class. In 1916 the Kaisar-i-Hind commenced on the UK to Australia service and on her very maiden voyage all the way to Australia, she sailed from Plymouth but she broke a record sailing to Bombay in just 17 days, 20 hours and 52 minutes. She continued via Colombo, Fremantle, and Melbourne to Sydney returning to the UK. She made a number of such voyages until around 1921, transporting countless Australians during WWI. However she spent the vast majority of the War on trooping duties sailing mostly to the Mediterranean regions transporting British, Indian as well as French troops.


From 1917 until 1921 she was used as a troopship. On five occasions during WW1, German U Boats fired torpedoes at her. Given her much faster speed than other P & O Liners, the first four times they missed due to miscalculating her speed. The fifth time she was hit by a torpedo that failed to detonate. Post war she returned to being a passenger liner until she was sold by the P&O Line on 26 Apr 1938 to ship breakers in the UK.

Soldiers carried

Taranto to Fremantle 24 Sep 1918 - ?

England to Fremantle 6 May - 9 June 1919