HMS Asturias II, the second Royal Mail Line ship of that name, was built by Harland & Wolff, Belfast and was registered to Royal Mail Meat Transports, Ltd. (a Royal Mail Steam Packet Co. subsidiary).
Launched in Belfast on 7th July 1925 by the Duchess of Abercorn, wife of Northern Ireland's Governor General, she made her maiden voyage from Southampton to La Plata (River Plate), Argentina, on 26 February 1926 with Capt E W E Morrison in command.
Launched in Belfast on 7th July 1925 by the Duchess of Abercorn, wife of Northern Ireland's Governor General, she made her maiden voyage from Southampton to La Plata (River Plate), Argentina, on 26 February 1926 with Capt E W E Morrison in command.
In 1932, Asturias was re-registered to Royal Mail Lines, Ltd., together with the rest of the Meat Transports fleet.
Originally fitted with diesel engines, Asturias was refitted in 1934 with turbine engines, and made her first voyage as a steamer in September of that year.
After being taken over as an armed merchant cruiser in 1939, her forward funnel was removed, leaving her with only a single stack.
Originally fitted with diesel engines, Asturias was refitted in 1934 with turbine engines, and made her first voyage as a steamer in September of that year.
After being taken over as an armed merchant cruiser in 1939, her forward funnel was removed, leaving her with only a single stack.
Launch of MV Asturias, 1925, Belfast
[Source: New York Public Library Collection]
[Source: New York Public Library Collection]
While serving in the South Atlantic in 1943, she was torpedoed and badly damaged by an Italian submarine, and was towed to Freetown, where she was abandoned as a total loss. The British Government took her over in 1945 and had her towed first to Gibraltar, and then to Belfast, for repairs.
Torpedo Attack
Who Are They?
These photographs were taken on board the Asturias in November 1948, by Pat Piggott. His wife Irene (Rene) and son Michael
are pictured with other passengers. If you can identify them, let us know.
This site has been created to provide a central place to gather information about the SS Asturias II and may be of particular interest
to those passengers who came to Australia aboard her in the 1940s and 1950s when the ship saw service as a ‘migrant ship’.
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genuine material for publication on the site that may be of interest to others is welcome including photographs, memorabilia and stories.
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