SS Laurentic was a 18,724 GRT steam ocean liner built in 1927 by Harland and Wolff, Belfast, for White Star Line.

It was the only time in 60 years that White Star Line ordered a ship from Harland and Wolff on a defined budget.

White Star Line may have chosen combination machinery for its proven reliability for many years, but she proved to be costly to operate, which partly explains her short career.

She was completed five months later on 1 November, after which she left Belfast for Liverpool carrying representatives of White Star Line and Harland and Wolff.

[5] Laurentic was the last in a series of four ships that the IMM ordered from Harland & Wolff shipyards, after Regina, Pittsburgh and Doric.

[11] All had a similar profile, with two funnels in their company colours framed by two masts, but Laurentic was slightly larger than her predecessors.

Her promenade was enclosed in a glass screen in the forward end with cruiser windows, somewhat resembling the Adriatic of 1907.

[13] Since Owen Philipps, 1st Baron Kylsant took over the White Star Line, the Canadian route had been operated by two ships from the company in 1927, Calgaric and Albertic,[15] as well as the older Doric, Megantic and Regina.

[18] On 25 February 1934, she made her last crossing on a regular route for the White Star between Boston, Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Liverpool.

For this voyage, ten altars were installed aboard for priests to celebrate Mass, plus a cinema to entertain the pilgrims.

Many surplus ships were sold as a result, but Laurentic was kept and temporarily assigned to the Montreal route, before returning to cruising.

[17] Napier Star's bow penetrated deep into Laurentic's hull, instantly killing six crew members and injuring five others.

[22] The passengers were ordered to their boat stations, until the Master finally decided that the danger was past and sent them back to bed.

[23] Passengers were offered berths on a cruise aboard Doric, but she experienced a collision a few days later, ending her career.

She then sailed to Southampton to embark British troops on 14 September to take to Haifa in response to the Arab revolt in Palestine.

[25] In 1937 she took part in the Coronation Naval Review of George VI at Spithead carrying government guests.

[28] At 2140 hrs on 3 November 1940 German submarine U-99 torpedoed the Elders and Fyffes banana boat Casanare in the Western Approaches west of Bloody Foreland in Ireland.

At 2337 hrs, from a range of only 250 metres, U-99 fired a third torpedo, which struck Laurentic in the hole made by explosion of the first.

At 0239 hrs an RAF Short Sunderland flying boat passed overhead, forcing U-99 to dive.

At 0453 hrs she fired a torpedo that hit Laurentic astern, detonating her depth charges.