Laurentic
Laurentic was an 18,724 gross register ton ship, built for White Star Line. She was launched in 1927 at the Harland and Wolff yard. This ship held the title of ‘final steamship constructed for the White Star Line’ as she predated their shift to diesel engines, used on Britannic and Georgic.
The ship was ordered during a time of financial challenge for White Star. As such, Laurentic was built as cheaply as possible. Her powerplant was an older design, and featured combination machinery. Two triple-expansion steam engines were paired with one low-pressure turbine. This was a similar configuration as used aboard the RMS Olympic over a decade earlier and while reliable, the system was outdated by the 1920s.
The ship’s interiors were laid out in three classes. She could accommodate 1,500 passengers with luxurious cabin-class amenities in Renaissance and Louis XIV styles. Laurentic sailed on the Liverpool to Canada route between 1927 and 1934. Following the 1934 merger of White Star and Cunard, she was transitioned into cruise service for Cunard-White Star.
Her career was hit by two major collisions. First in 1932, the ship collided with the Lurigethan in the Strait of Belle Isle. And second in 1935, she was hit by the Napier Star in the Irish Sea. The latter resulted in the tragic deaths of six crew members. Both times she required repairs.
Laurentic was laid up in the River Mersey from December 1935. The ship saw brief activation in 1936 when she sailed to Palestine as a troop transport. After another period of layup, she was taken up in 1939, when the Admiralty requisitioned the ship. She was converted into an Armed Merchant Cruiser and renamed HMS Laurentic. For this role she was equipped with 6-inch naval guns and depth charges.
On 3 November 1940 the ship responded to a distress call off the Irish coast. While there, she was targeted by the Nazi U-boat U-99. She was hit by multiple torpedoes over several hours, yet remained afloat. However, one final torpedo hit her own depth charges, and Laurentic sunk on 4 November with the loss of 49 lives.
