SS Patroclus was a British steam turbine passenger and refrigerated cargo liner launched in 1923.

[3] Patroclus was the second of a set of four sister ships built for Alfred Holt and Company of Liverpool, who owned Blue Funnel Line and other shipping lines including China Mutual Steam Navigation Company.

[5] At the request of the UK Government the four ships were built with berths for 155 first class passengers for services to the Far East.

She had two steam turbines driving twin screws via single-reduction gearing,[2] which gave her a service speed of 15 knots (28 km/h).

[11] 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.

Patroclus and another AMC, HMS Laurentic, responded to Casanare's wireless distress message.

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