In 1925 Blue Star ordered a set of new liners for its new London – Rio de Janeiro – Buenos Aires route.

[1] Her four turbines were single-reduction geared onto the shafts to drive her twin propellers[2] at about 120 RPM,[1] giving her a speed of 16 knots (30 km/h).

[1] Almeda made her maiden voyage on 16 February 1927, inaugurating Blue Star Line's route between London and Buenos Aires via Boulogne, Madeira, Tenerife, Rio de Janeiro, Santos and Montevideo.

[1] After the Second World War broke out in September 1939 Almeda Star continued to sail her route independently of convoys.

[1] On 29 September 1939 off Rio de Janeiro she was met by the Royal Navy cruiser HMS Ajax, which was looking for British and Allied ships to escort northwards because of the threat of German raiders in the area.

[1] On 15 January she sailed from Liverpool bound for the River Plate, carrying 194 passengers including 142 members of the Fleet Air Arm en route to RNAS Piarco on Trinidad.

[5] Shipping between Britain and the Atlantic had to pass through the Western Approaches, so this area attracted a number of U-boat attacks.

On the morning of 16 January, the day after Almeda Star sailed, German submarine U-96 had sunk the passenger liner Oropesa in the Western Approaches, killing 106 of the people aboard.

[5] Almeda Star had transmitted one distress message[1] and the Royal Navy responded by sending seven destroyers to search the area.