From SN Guides
Image 1: 
Introduction
Entry started by Benjidog on 10/12/07
There have been three P & O ships called Maloja - the name comes from the Swiss town Maloggia.
- Maloja 1 a passenger liner launched in 1910 and sunk during WW1
- Maloja 2 (the subject of this page)
- Maloja 3 a tanker launched in 1959
Maloja had been ordered by P & O on 29 November 1918 but construction was delayed due to the war.
Basic Data
- Type: Passenger Liner
- Registered owners,managers and operators: P & O
- Builders: Harland and Woolff
- Yard: Belfast
- Country: UK
- Yard number: 588
- Registry: Belfast
- Official number: 145437
- Signal letters: N/K
- Call sign: N/K
- Classification society: N/K
- Gross tonnage: 20,837 grt
- Net tonnage: 12,829 grt
- Deadweight: 15,650
- Length: 600 ft (182.8 m)
- Breadth: 73 ft (22.24 m)
- Depth: 44 Ft (13.4 m)
- Draught: N/K Ft (or m)
- Engines: Two sets quadruple-expansion reciprocating engines.
- Cylinder diameters: 33inch; 47 inch; 67.5 inch; 97 inch.
- In 1930 fitted with Bauer-Wach exhaust turbines.
- Engine builders: Harland and Woolff
- Works: Belfast
- Country: UK
- Power: 13,300 ihp (increased to 16,000 ihp in 1930)
- Propulsion: Twin screws
- Speed: 16 knots (increased to 17 knots in 1930)
- Boilers: Oil fired, six double-ended and two single-ended, 215 psi
- Passenger capacity: 327 first class, 329 second class
- Cargo capacity:622,800 Cu Ft in 7 holds
- Crew: 423
- Employment: Built for the Australian mail service
Career Highlights
- 19 Apr 1923: Launched by Harland and Wolff - Christened by Miss Elsie Mckay
- 25 Oct 1923: Completed trials and delivere
- 11 Sep 1939: Requisitioned by the admiralty for service in WW2 - converted to an armed cruiser at Bombay. At some time during the war the second dummy funnel was removed as it impeded the anti-aircraft gun
- 6 Nov 1941: Returned to owner for use as a troopship
- 15 Jan 1947: Returned to P & O and reconditioned
- 10 Jun 1948: Returned to commercial service
- 2 Apr 1954: Sold to British Iron and Steel and scrapped at Inverkeithing
Service Pre-War
To follow.
War Service
Service as an armed cruiser
Early in WW2, Maloja was requisitioned for use as an armed cruiser and was fitted out with the following armament at Bombay:
- Eight 6in guns
- Two 3in Anti-aircraft guns mounted abaft the funnel
Her second (dummy) funnel was removed as it limited the effectiveness of the anti-aircraft guns. Image 2 below shows Maloja after conversion.
Image 2: 
Service as a troopship
In November 1941 Maloja was returned to P & O for use as a troopship.
Service Post-War
To follow
External resources
- Title, author, ISBN No
- Website name and URL
Other Photos
Image 3:
Image 4:
Image 5:
Images
- From a photo owned by SN Member Benjidog - original source not known
- From a newspaper cutting - original source not known
- From a photo owned by SN Member Benjidog - original source not known
- From a photo owned by SN Member Benjidog - original source not known
- From a photo owned by SN Member Benjidog - original source not known
