On 31 December 1917, Osmanieh struck a mine laid by the Imperial German Naval U-boat SM UC-34 and sank at Alexandria, Egypt with the loss of 209 lives.

However, the ships sailed under the British flag and ran between Alexandria, Constantinople, Syria and other Mediterranean ports.

[3] In September 1915 she was used to transport the 22nd Battalion from the Greek island of Lemnos to Anzac Cove on the Gallipoli Peninsula.

[2] On 17 December 1917, Osmanieh carrying soldiers and medical personnel left Southampton and set a course for Alexandria with a stopover in the southern Italian port city of Taranto.

Even before the harbour entrance, the steamer was struck amidships on the starboard side at the position 31°10′8″N 29°48′3″E / 31.16889°N 29.80083°E / 31.16889; 29.80083 (Versenkung der Osmanieh) by a naval mine from a minefield left a few days earlier by the German submarine SM UC-34.