Matheran
Ship Number
375
Vessel Type
Cargo Ship
Built
Belfast
Slip Number
1
Launch Date
April 12, 1906
Delivered
May 12, 1906
Owner
T.&J. Brocklebank
Weight
7653 grt
BP Length
470 feet
Breadth
58 feet
No. of Screws
Single
Speed (approx)
12 knots
Propulsion
quadruple expansion constructed in Belfast
Official No.
120946
Registered
Liverpool
Fate
Sank
Matheran

[Photographer John Clarkson, Preston.]
Built by Harland & Wolff, Belfast as a sister to Mahronda and launched on 12 April 1906 and delivered to Thos & Jno. Brocklebank, Liverpool during May. Her Harland & Wolff built quadruple expansion steam engine drove through a single screw giving a 12 knot service speed.
In August 1914 she was requisitioned for use as a troopship but released to the Shipping Controller for use on the North Atlantic routes. She was managed by Cunard, operated by Brocklebank crews under the Liner Requisition Scheme.
On 1 January 1917 she was again back on the company UK to Calcutta service and left Birkenhead for Calcutta via the Cape of Good Hope. The reason for the long haul was that Germany was operating 28 submarines in and around the Mediterranean Sea. At 16.45 hours on 26 January she hit a mine in the vicinity of No.2 hold port side and five minutes later struck another mine, this time starboard side aft. The engine room was flooded and one of the watch engineers was killed. She sank about 9 miles west of Dassen Island, Cape of Good Hope. Twenty one crew members and 75 Lascars were picked up by T & J Harrison’s Wanderer which was homeward bound. She landed them at Cape Town.
The mines had been laid by the German commerce raider Wolf 11 (ex Wachtfels of the German Hansa Line). In all she laid 465 mines in waters outside of the main British overseas harbours, subsequently sinking 13 merchant ships and causing much naval minesweeping activity as well as severely disrupting the flow of shipping.