SS Mantola (1916)

History
United Kingdom
Name	Mantola
Owner	British India SN Co
Port of registry	Glasgow
Route	intended: London – Bombay actual: London – Calcutta
Builder	Barclay, Curle & Co, Whiteinch
Cost	£146,700
Yard number	514
Launched	22 March 1916
Completed	6 June 1916
Identification	UK official number 137815 code letters JMSL
Fate	sunk by torpedo, 1917
General characteristics
Class and type	"M" class cargo liner
Tonnage	8,253 GRT, 5,131 NRT, 10,370 DWT
Length	450.4 ft (137.3 m)
Beam	58.2 ft (17.7 m)
Depth	32.7 ft (10.0 m)
Installed power	4,050 ihp
Propulsion	2 × triple expansion engines 2 × screws
Speed	13.7 knots (25.4 km/h)
Capacity	66 × 1st class 61 × 2nd class
Crew	165
Armament	1 × 4.7-inch gun
Notes	sister ships: Malda, Manora, Mashobra, Merkara, Mandala, Margha

SS Mantola was a British India Steam Navigation Company (BI) steamship that was built in 1916 and sunk by a German U-boat in 1917. She belonged to BI's "M" class of cargo liners. She was carrying an estimated 600,000 ounces of silver bullion when she was sunk. In 2017, 526 bars of silver were salvaged from the wreck and taken to the United Kingdom, in circumstances that remain undisclosed.

This was the first of two BI ships called Mantola. The second was a turbine ship that was built in 1921 and scrapped in 1953.^[1]