SS Hertford was a refrigerated cargo steamship that was launched in Germany in 1917, seized by the United Kingdom in 1920 as World War I reparations, and sunk by a U-boat in 1942 with the loss of four members of her crew.

The UK Shipping Controller seized her that same year, and in 1922 sold her to the Federal Steam Navigation Co Ltd, who renamed her Hertford.

The turbines increased Huntingdon's fuel efficiency, raised her total power to 1,290 NHP[5] and gave her a speed of 14 knots (26 km/h).

[14] In November 1940 the German auxiliary cruiser Pinguin planted three rows of mines across the mouth of the Spencer Gulf in South Australia.

[16] The mine blew a 40 by 20 feet (12 by 6 m) hole in Hertford's side, ruptured her fuel oil bunkers and damaged her frame, but she remained afloat.

[18] She passed through the Panama Canal on 18–19 March[14] and then set course for Halifax, Nova Scotia to join a convoy to Britain.

[11] On 29 March 1942 Hertford was zigzagging at 12 knots (22 km/h) when German submarine U-571 fired two torpedoes at her about 200 nautical miles (370 km) south of Halifax.

On 1 April the Glen Line cargo steamship Glenstrae, en route from New York to Halifax, found one of the boats and rescued its 21 occupants.

Two days later another lifeboat, commanded by Hertford's Master, John Tuckett, and carrying 18 other members of her crew, reached land at Liverpool, Nova Scotia.

[18] Five days later the Furness Red Cross coastal passenger liner Fort Townshend found the remaining boat and rescued its 18 occupants, who included two DEMS gunners.