[2] She was originally built in 1886 for the Brazil and River Plate Line of the Messageries Maritimes Company.

March 17] 1916, 1916, Portugal was towing a string of small flat-bottomed boats to ferry wounded from the shore to the ship.

Off Rizeh, on the Turkish coast of the Black Sea, she had stopped as one of the small boats was sinking and repairs were being made.

The ship was not carrying wounded at the time, but had a staff of Red Cross physicians and nurses on board, as well as her usual crew.

The U-boat, U-33, came around again fired a torpedo from a distance of 30 feet (9.1 m), which hit near the engine room, breaking the ship into two pieces.