| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | SS Tilawa |
| Owner |  British India Steam Navigation Company |
| Builder | Hawthorn Leslie, Hebburn |
| Yard number | 530 |
| Completed | 1924 |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | Torpedoed and sunk by Japanese submarine I-29, 23 November 1942 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Ocean liner |
| Tonnage | 10,006 GRT |
| Length | 137.5 m (451.12 ft) |
| Beam | 18.1 m (59.38 ft) |
| Decks | 3 |
| Installed power | 4-cylinder quadruple-expansion steam engine; output: 900 nhp |
| Propulsion | Single propeller |
| Speed | 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) |
| Capacity | 3,290 passengers |
SS Tilawa was an ocean liner of the British India Steam Navigation Company launched in 1924. She was sunk by a submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy in the Indian Ocean on 23 November 1942, with the loss of 280 lives.
The ship carried a cargo of silver bullion that was secretly recovered by a salvage company in 2017. This led to a legal dispute over ownership of the cargo between the salvors and the government of South Africa, the original owner of the silver.