RMS Asturias (1925)

RML poster of Asturias with her funnels raised in height after she was rebuilt as a turbine steamship. Painting by Kenneth Shoesmith.
History
United Kingdom
Name	RMS Asturias (1925–39; 1943–57) HMS Asturias (F71) (1939–43)
Namesake	Principality of Asturias
Owner	RMSP Meat Transports (1925–32) Royal Mail Lines (1932–44) Ministry of War Transport (1944–46) Ministry of Transport (1946–57)
Operator	Royal Navy (1939–43)
Port of registry	Belfast
Route	Southampton – South America
Builder	Harland & Wolff, Belfast
Yard number	507
Launched	7 July 1925
Sponsored by	Rosalind Hamilton, Duchess of Abercorn
Completed	6 February 1926
Identification	UK official number 148146 Code letters KTPJ (until 1933) Call sign GLQS (from 1934)
Fate	Sold for scrap, 14 September 1957
General characteristics
Type	Ocean liner 1926–39 Armed merchant cruiser 1939–43 lLaid up 1943–45 emigrant ship 1948–54 troop ship 1954–57
Tonnage	22,071 GRT tonnage under deck 15,937 13,206 NRT
Length	630 ft 6 in (192.18 m)
Beam	78 ft 6 in (23.93 m)
Draught	44 ft 9 in (13.64 m)
Depth	40 ft 6 in (12.34 m)
Decks	7
Installed power	As built: 3,366 NHP; 10,000 ihp, 7,500 bhp
Propulsion	twin screws powered by: 2 × 8 cylinder 4-stroke double-acting Burmeister & Wain diesel engines (until 1934); 6 × steam turbines (from 1934)
Speed	16+1⁄2 knots (30.6 km/h) (until 1934) 19 knots (35 km/h) (from 1934)
Boats & landing craft carried	Launched with 30 lifeboats, later reduced to 28
Sensors and processing systems	Wireless direction finding echo sounding device
Armament	as AMC: 8 × BL 6 inch Mk XII naval guns[1] QF 3 inch 20 cwt anti-aircraft guns[2]
Notes	Sister ship: RMS Alcantara

RMS Asturias was a Royal Mail Lines ocean liner that was built in Belfast in 1925. She served in the Second World War as an armed merchant cruiser until she was crippled by a torpedo in 1943. She was out of action until 1948 when she returned to civilian service as an emigrant ship. She became a troop ship in 1954 and was scrapped in 1957.