SS Almeda Star

History
United Kingdom
Name	Almeda (1926–29)[1] Almeda Star (1929–41)[1]
Owner	Blue Star Line[2]
Operator	Blue Star Line[1]
Port of registry	London[2]
Route	London – Rio de Janeiro – Buenos Aires[3]
Ordered	1925[1]
Builder	Cammell Laird, Birkenhead[2]
Yard number	919[1]
Launched	29 June 1926[1]
Completed	December 1926[2]
Maiden voyage	16 February 1927[1]
Identification	UK official number 149751[2] as built: code letters KVMH[2] after lengthening in 1935: Call sign GMTC[4]
Fate	Sunk by U-96 17 January 1941[5]
General characteristics
Type	Ocean liner & refrigerated ship
Tonnage	as built: 12,848 GRT[2] tonnage under deck 9,354[2] 7,826 NRT[2] after lengthening in 1935: 15,935 GRT[4] tonnage under deck 12,358[4] 9,246 NRT[4]
Length	as built: 512.2 ft (156.1 m)[2] after rebuild: 578.9 ft (176.4 m)[4]
Beam	68.3 ft (20.8 m)[2]
Draught	28 ft 1 in (8.56 m)[2]
Depth	as built: 34.0 ft (10.4 m)[2] after rebuild: 42.7 ft (13.0 m)[4]
Installed power	as built: 2,078 NHP[2] after rebuild: 1,909 NHP[4]
Propulsion	as built: 5 boilers feeding 4 steam turbines driving 2 screw propellers[2] after rebuild: boilers reduced from 5 to 4[4]
Speed	after rebuild: 16 knots (30 km/h)[3][6]
Capacity	passengers plus refrigerated cargo
Crew	136 crew plus (in wartime) 29 DEMS gunners
Sensors and processing systems	direction finding equipment[2] plus (after 1935) echo sounding device[4]
Notes	sister ships: Andalucia Star, Arandora Star[1]

SS Almeda Star, originally SS Almeda, was a British turbine steamer of the Blue Star Line. She was both an ocean liner and a refrigerated cargo ship, providing a passenger service between London and South America and carrying refrigerated beef from South America to London. She was built in 1926, significantly enlarged in 1935 and sunk by enemy action in 1941.