RMS Empress of Britain (1905) - History and Significance

The RMS Empress of Britain was a British passenger liner that set sail in 1905.

This ship was specifically designed for the Canadian Pacific Railway's transatlantic service between Liverpool and Quebec.

The Empress of Britain was a massive vessel, measuring 680 feet in length and 76 feet in width.

It had a gross tonnage of 14,191 tons and a speed of 15 knots.

In 1914, the Admiralty requisitioned the RMS Empress of Britain and refitted her as an armed merchant cruiser. She joined Admiral Archibald Peile Stoddart's squadron in the South Atlantic.

She later patrolled between Cape Finisterre and the Cape Verde Islands. The RMS Empress of Britain played a crucial role in transporting troops during World War I.

In May 1915, she was recommissioned as a troop transport and carried over 110,000 troops to the Dardanelles, Egypt, and India. This was just one of many significant contributions she made during the war.

She also carried Canadian and US expeditionary forces across the North Atlantic. The RMS Empress of Britain was a vital part of the war effort.

On 12 December 1915, she collided with and sank a Greek steamer while passing through the Straits of Gibraltar. This incident highlights the risks and challenges faced by ships during wartime.

Two days later, on 13 December, she collided with an empty French troop ship, Djuradjura, returning from Salonika, cutting it in half and killing two French stokers.