Maloja (2)
The Maloja (2) was one of two 20,000-ton passenger liners completed by Harland & Wolff in 1923 to re-establish P&O's Tilbury-Sydney mail and passenger service. She was the second vessel to carry this name in the P&O fleet and was built as a sister ship to Mooltan (3).
Construction and Design
Built at Harland & Wolff's Belfast yard, Maloja (2) showed design refinements over earlier P&O vessels like Naldera and Narkunda. She featured a black hull with stone-colored superstructure, black funnels, and red boot-topping. Initially underpowered, both she and her sister ship required the installation of additional power plants to improve their service speed.
Commercial Service 1924-1939
The vessel commenced her maiden voyage from London to Sydney on January 18, 1924. She operated primarily on the Tilbury-Sydney route carrying mail and passengers in two classes: 327 first class and 329 second class.
Wartime Service 1939-1945
When war was declared in 1939, Maloja (2) was in Marseilles and had just transited the Suez Canal. She proceeded to Bombay for refitting and was taken over by the Navy for use as an armed merchant cruiser. In early 1941, she was converted for troop transport duties, serving in this capacity for the remainder of the war.
Post-War Service 1945-1954
After surviving the war, Maloja (2) returned to civilian service as a single-class vessel accommodating 1,030 tourist-class passengers. She underwent significant modernization, including:
- Repainting the superstructure from stone to white
- Enclosing the forward upper-works
- Installing double-banked lifeboats on high-mounted davits
For her final six years, she transported government-assisted British migrants to Australia before being sold for scrapping in April 1954 at Inverkeithing, Scotland.
Key Facts
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Built | Harland & Wolff Ltd, Belfast |
| Launched | April 19, 1923 |
| Dimensions | 625 ft x 73 ft (190.5 m x 22.2 m) |
| Draught | 32 ft (9.4 m) |
| Gross Tonnage | Initially 20,837, later 21,036 |
| Engine | H&W quadruple-expansion (16,000 IHP) |
| Speed | Initially 16 knots, later 17.5 knots |
| Passenger Capacity | Initially 656 (327 first, 329 second class), later 1,030 tourist class |
| Crew | 420 |