RMS Transylvania (1926)

History
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS Transylvania
Builder:	Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Govan, Glasgow
Launched:	1925, as SS Transylvania
Acquired:	August 1939
Commissioned:	5 October 1939
In service:	September 1925
Out of service:	August 1939
Fate:	Sunk, 10 August 1940
General characteristics
Type:	Armed merchant cruiser
Displacement:	16,923 long tons (17,195 t)
Length:	552 ft (168 m)
Beam:	70.2 ft (21.4 m)
Speed:	15.5 knots (28.7 km/h; 17.8 mph)
Complement:	336
Armament:	8 × 6 in (152 mm) Mk. VII guns 2 × 3 in (76 mm) anti-aircraft guns

RMS Transylvania was a British Anchor Line passenger liner later converted into an armed merchant cruiser, pennant F56 during World War II. She was launched on 11 March 1925 and sunk by the German U-boat U-56 on 10 August 1940.

Transylvania was built in Glasgow, Scotland, by the Fairfield company, Yard No. 595. She was 552 feet (168 m) long and 70.2 feet (21.4 m) wide. The liner had two propellers and could sail at 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph). Transylvania had three funnels (smokestacks) but only needed one; three funnels were more visually appealing and attracted more passengers than her similar-looking fleetmates that only had one funnel apiece. Transylvania was completed on 2 September 1925, and sailed from Glasgow to New York on her maiden voyage 10 days later. Transylvania could carry 279 in First Class, 344 in Second Class and 800 in Third Class.

In September 1939, the liner became an armed merchant cruiser and on 10 August 1940, off Malin Head, Ireland she was torpedoed by U-56. Transylvania was being towed afterward but sank before reaching land. 36 lives were lost.^[1]

Sources

1. "HMS Transylvania (F56)". uboat.net. Retrieved 21 November 2010.