SS California was a twin-screw steamer that D. and W. Henderson and Company of Glasgow built for the Anchor Line in 1907 as a replacement for the aging ocean liner Astoria, which had been in continuous service since 1884.

[3] On 28 June 1914 California ran aground on Tory Island off the north-west coast of Ireland in dense fog with over 1,000 passengers on board.

Three British warships including the destroyer HMS Swift, as well as the ocean liner Cassandra, aided the stricken ship and helped transfer stranded passengers ashore.

Shortly after 8 pm on 13 May 1916 a fire began in her Number 1 cargo hold as she was docked at Pier 64 on the North River in Manhattan.

Of great concern to firefighters and her crew was that she being loaded with, among other things, war munitions destined for Liverpool, England.

On the morning of 7 February 1917, homeward-bound and approaching Ireland at full steam, she was attacked by SM U-85 commanded by Kapitänleutnant Willy Petz.

Though Captain John L Henderson stayed on the bridge and went down with his ship, but escaped, reached the surface of the sea and was rescued.

Posing as an unarmed merchant ship, Privet lured the U-boat to the surface after sustaining heavy damage in an unprovoked attack by the submarine.