In 1919 she was designated for war reparations and in 1920 she was acquired by the British Ellerman and Papayanni Lines, who renamed her Assyrian and registered her in Liverpool.

[13] In September 1940 Assyrian loaded 3,700 tons of grain and sailed from New Orleans to Bermuda, where she joined Convoy BHX 77 to Halifax.

[15] Assyrian's Master was Reginald Kearon and she carried the convoy commodore, retired vice admiral Lachlan Mackinnon.

[5] U-101, commanded by Fritz Frauenheim, sighted Assyrian 102 nautical miles (189 km) west by north of Barra Head, Outer Hebrides.

[5] In fact two of the bow torpedoes missed, but one hit Assyrian on her starboard side, stopping her engines and putting out her lights.

[5] A small party including Captain Kearon, his Chief Officer and Admiral Mackinnon were stranded aboard the sinking ship.

The Grimsby-class sloop HMS Leith rescued 34 survivors: her Master, the Commodore, three Royal Navy personnel, 20 crew members and nine passengers and landed them at Liverpool.