SS Lourenço Marques was a steam cargo liner that was launched in Germany in 1905 as Admiral for Deutsche Ost-Afrika Linie (DOAL).

After a few years operated by Transportes Marítimos do Estado, she had a long career with Companhia Nacional de Navegação (CNN).

In the Second World War she took refugees who had fled German-occupied Europe to the United States, and rescued survivors from Allied merchant ships sunk by the German Navy.

[1] In 1902 and 1903 DOAL took delivery of three twin-screw cargo liners for its Reichspostdampfer (RPD, or "State Mail Steamship") service, which circumnavigated Africa from Hamburg.

Germany responded by sending troops and materiel to South West Africa, which increased demand for merchant ships.

[5] DOAL and its parent company, Woermann-Linie, responded by ordering new ships based on the design of Bürgermeister and her sisters.

DOAL ran its service around Africa in both directions; clockwise and anti-clockwise; with sailings form Hamburg every four weeks.

[17] When the First World War began in August 1914, Germany ordered its merchant ships to head for the nearest German or neutral port.

[25] Also by 1938, Lourenço Marques' ports of call were Funchal, São Vicente, Praia, Fernando Po (now Bioko), Príncipe, São Tomé, Cabinda, Sazaire, Ambriz, Luanda, Porto Amboim, Novo Redondo (now Sumbe), Lobito, Benguela, and Porto Alexandre (now Tômbua).

In July 1940 about 1,000 Portuguese troops left Lisbon aboard Lourenço Marques to reinforce the garrison in Moçambique.

On 14 March Lourenço Marques, in passage from Porto Amélia (now Pemba) to Lisbon, sighted the lifeboat and rescued the 32 survivors.