SS Awatea 1936-1942

Built in 1932 for the USSCo by Vickers Armstrong Ltd at Barrow in Furness for the Trans-Tasman service. Length 161 metres. Twin screw steam turbine. Here passenger capacity was 560. GRT 13482. She was considered the finest ship ever built for the company and was capable of 23 knots, which made her one of the fastest liners in the world at that time.

In 1939 she requisitioned by the Admiralty as a troopship. She collided with and sank USS Buck. Subsequently she was outfitted as an infantry land ship complete with landing craft. 

She was sunk by enemy action off Bougie, Algeria on 11 November 1942 during Operation Torch. All 150 crew were rescued.