SS Britannia was a UK steam ocean liner that was built in Scotland in 1925–26 and operated by Anchor Line (Henderson Brothers).

[5] On 25 March 1941 Britannia was in the Atlantic 750 miles west of Freetown en route from Liverpool to Bombay when the German auxiliary cruiser Thor intercepted her.

Britannia's wireless operator transmitted an "RRR" raider warning message, which a radio station in Sierra Leone acknowledged.

Sources disagree as to whether Thor's Captain, Otto Kähler, ordered a pause in the bombardment to allow Britannia to lower her boats and get everyone away,[3] but they agree that he did not stop to rescue survivors.

On 29 March the Spanish ocean liner Cabo de Hornos, sailing from South America to Spain, rescued 77 survivors from various boats and a raft[6] near Tenerife.