SS Maloja was an M-class passenger steamship of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company.

Martyn & Co.[5] At 1500 hrs Saturday 26 February 1916[6] Maloja sailed from Tilbury for Bombay carrying 122 passengers (less than a fifth of her capacity) and a general cargo.

[7] On the morning of Sunday 27 February Maloja approached the Strait of Dover at full speed and overtook a Canadian collier, Empress of Fort William.

[1] At about 1030 hrs Maloja was about 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) off Dover[1] when her starboard quarter[6] struck one of UC-6's mines.

Empress of Fort William was still in sight and immediately went full ahead to assist, but while still 1 nautical mile (1.9 km) astern the collier also struck one of UC-6's mines and began to sink.

[6] As a precaution against enemy attack, Maloja was steaming with her lifeboats already swung out on their davits so that they could be lowered more quickly.

[2] Passengers started to board the starboard lifeboats[6] but the ship's speed and list prevented all but three or four of them from being launched.

A heavy sea was running and the hundreds who crowded her decks could only don a cork lifejacket, jump overboard and try to swim clear.

[6] The small vessels taking part in the rescue took many of the survivors to the hospital ships Dieppe and St David.

[8] The chief constable of Kent took charge of the dead and designated the Market Hall below Dover Museum as a temporary mortuary.