RMS Viceroy of India
Encyclopedia
The RMS Viceroy of India was an ocean liner that was owned and operated by the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company
Ltd. of Great Britain.
A Royal Mail Ship
, thus permitted to use the prefix "RMS", she was named in honour of the Viceroy of India. During World War II she was converted to and used as a troopship. The Viceroy of India was sunk in November 1942 by German U-boat U-407. Her service was succeeded by SS Chusan
from 1950 to 1978.
. Originally ordered under the name Taj Mahal, she was designed for the prestigious Bombay service of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company
(P & O). and was only the third vessel in the world at that time to have revolutionary turbo-electric machinery.
The accommodation aboard was regarded as luxurious by the standards of the time. The first class staterooms were especially sumptuous, although standards were high in all classes on this ship. All cabins were single berth with interconnecting doors, with extra rooms for servants who often travelled with colonial families.
Much of the interior decoration was designed by the Honourable Elsie Mackay
, the daughter of James Mackay, 1st Earl of Inchcape
, who was the chairman of P & O from 1914 until his death in 1932.
Appropriately RMS Viceroy of India was launched on 15 September 1928 by Dorothy, Countess of Halifax, the wife of the Viceroy of India, E. F. L. Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax
. The name had been changed from Taj Mahal to avoid offending Indians, particularly Muslims, who regard the Taj Mahal
as a sacred mausoleum.
Fitting out commenced at Shieldhall
Wharf, Glasgow, but unfortunately on 8 January 1929 she was damaged amidships by the 7,131 tons Donaldson Lines cargo ship Corinaldo which was attempting to dock in poor visibility. However, by 17 February she was ready for her sea trials, during which she averaged 19.6 knots.
every year until the outbreak of the Second World War.
In February 1939 as part of a cruise of the South Atlantic she was the first P & O liner to call at the island of Tristan da Cunha
.
But without doubt her finest achievement was in September 1932 when she recorded a new record time between London and Bombay of 17 days, 1 hour and 42 minutes.
Viceroy of India was in service for little more than fourteen years from launching to destruction, but in that period she figured in many significant maritime incidents.
for conversion to a troopship
.
Exactly two years later, while returning from Algiers
during the North Africa campaign she encountered the German U-boat U-407 approximately 30 miles north of Oran
. The Viceroy of India was torpedoed and sunk. Four crew members were lost out of a total of 432 crew and 22 passengers. The survivors were picked up by the Royal Navy destroyer .
Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company
The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, which is usually known as P&O, is a British shipping and logistics company which dated from the early 19th century. Following its sale in March 2006 to Dubai Ports World for £3.9 billion, it became a subsidiary of DP World; however, the P&O...
Ltd. of Great Britain.
A Royal Mail Ship
Royal Mail Ship
Royal Mail Ship , usually seen in its abbreviated form RMS, a designation which dates back to 1840, is the ship prefix used for seagoing vessels that carry mail under contract by Royal Mail...
, thus permitted to use the prefix "RMS", she was named in honour of the Viceroy of India. During World War II she was converted to and used as a troopship. The Viceroy of India was sunk in November 1942 by German U-boat U-407. Her service was succeeded by SS Chusan
SS Chusan
The SS Chusan was a British ocean liner and cruise ship, built for the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company 's Indian and Far East Service in 1950. She was named after Chusan, a small island off China. A smaller version of the SS Himalaya, the Chusan had a gross register tonnage of...
from 1950 to 1978.
Design and construction
RMS Viceroy of India was laid down in April 1927 at the shipyard of Alexander Stephen & Sons in GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. Originally ordered under the name Taj Mahal, she was designed for the prestigious Bombay service of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company
Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company
The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, which is usually known as P&O, is a British shipping and logistics company which dated from the early 19th century. Following its sale in March 2006 to Dubai Ports World for £3.9 billion, it became a subsidiary of DP World; however, the P&O...
(P & O). and was only the third vessel in the world at that time to have revolutionary turbo-electric machinery.
The accommodation aboard was regarded as luxurious by the standards of the time. The first class staterooms were especially sumptuous, although standards were high in all classes on this ship. All cabins were single berth with interconnecting doors, with extra rooms for servants who often travelled with colonial families.
Much of the interior decoration was designed by the Honourable Elsie Mackay
Elsie Mackay
For the American actress Elsie Mackay please see Elsie Mackay The Honourable Elsie Mackay was a British actress, interior decorator and pioneering aviatrix who died attempting to cross the Atlantic Ocean with Walter G. R...
, the daughter of James Mackay, 1st Earl of Inchcape
James Mackay, 1st Earl of Inchcape
James Lyle Mackay, 1st Earl of Inchcape, GCSI, GCMG, KCIE was a British colonial administrator in India.Mackay was the second son of James Mackay of Arbroath and his wife, Deborah Lyle...
, who was the chairman of P & O from 1914 until his death in 1932.
Launch and commissioning
E. F. L. Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax
Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax, , known as The Lord Irwin from 1925 until 1934 and as The Viscount Halifax from 1934 until 1944, was one of the most senior British Conservative politicians of the 1930s, during which he held several senior ministerial posts, most notably as...
. The name had been changed from Taj Mahal to avoid offending Indians, particularly Muslims, who regard the Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal is a white Marble mausoleum located in Agra, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal...
as a sacred mausoleum.
Fitting out commenced at Shieldhall
Shieldhall
Shieldhall is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated south of the River Clyde.Shieldhall lies between Renfrew and Drumoyne and is close to Braehead. It includes the site of the King George V Dock and Shieldhall sewage treatment works, which are owned by Scottish Water. The...
Wharf, Glasgow, but unfortunately on 8 January 1929 she was damaged amidships by the 7,131 tons Donaldson Lines cargo ship Corinaldo which was attempting to dock in poor visibility. However, by 17 February she was ready for her sea trials, during which she averaged 19.6 knots.
Service history
The Viceroy of India was delivered to P & O on 7 March and made her maiden voyage on the Indian Mail service. However, the beautifully appointed liner was ideal for the leisure cruise market, particularly with the unusual amenity of an indoor swimming pool, and therefore was used as a cruise shipCruise ship
A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...
every year until the outbreak of the Second World War.
In February 1939 as part of a cruise of the South Atlantic she was the first P & O liner to call at the island of Tristan da Cunha
Tristan da Cunha
Tristan da Cunha is a remote volcanic group of islands in the south Atlantic Ocean and the main island of that group. It is the most remote inhabited archipelago in the world, lying from the nearest land, South Africa, and from South America...
.
But without doubt her finest achievement was in September 1932 when she recorded a new record time between London and Bombay of 17 days, 1 hour and 42 minutes.
Viceroy of India was in service for little more than fourteen years from launching to destruction, but in that period she figured in many significant maritime incidents.
- On 23 November 1929 she rescued 25 crew members from the Italian steamer Maria Luisa which was sinking in the eastern Mediterranean.
- In September 1930 she was on standby when the crew of the Greek cargo ship Theodoros Bulgararis had to be transferred to another vessel after its cargo of grain shifted in storms in the Bay of BiscayBay of BiscayThe Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
. - Incredibly, less than three months later, on 31 December 1930, the Viceroy of India was again called to the aid of the Theodoros Bulgararis in the Bay of Biscay, and rescued all of the crew. On this occasion the Greek vessel was lost.
- On 5 September 1935 the Viceroy of India rescued 241 passengers from the Cunard White Star liner Doric after her collision with the French steamer Formigny off Cape FinisterreCape Finisterreright|thumb|300px|Position of Cape Finisterre on the [[Iberian Peninsula]]Cape Finisterre is a rock-bound peninsula on the west coast of Galicia, Spain....
. - On 11 August 1940 279 passengers were rescued from another Cunard White Star liner, Ceramic, after her collision with the cargo linerCargo linerA Cargo liner is a type of merchant ship which carried general cargo and often passengers. They became common just after the middle of the nineteenth century, and eventually gave way to container ships and other more specialized carriers in the latter half of the twentieth...
Testbank approaching Cape TownCape TownCape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
.
Sinking
In November 1940 the Viceroy of India returned to the River ClydeRiver Clyde
The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....
for conversion to a troopship
Troopship
A troopship is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime...
.
Exactly two years later, while returning from Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
during the North Africa campaign she encountered the German U-boat U-407 approximately 30 miles north of Oran
Oran
Oran is a major city on the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Algeria, and the second largest city of the country.It is the capital of the Oran Province . The city has a population of 759,645 , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest...
. The Viceroy of India was torpedoed and sunk. Four crew members were lost out of a total of 432 crew and 22 passengers. The survivors were picked up by the Royal Navy destroyer .