This Aurania, the third Cunarder of that name, was the fourth of the
post-World War I "A" liners. Built at Newcastle by Swan, Hunter &
Wigham Richardson, Aurania was launched in 1924. She made her maiden
voyage from Liverpool to New York on 13 September 1924, but in 1925 she
was placed on the Liverpool-Canada service. Aurania was switched to
London-Canada in 1928, and remained on that route until she was
converted into an armed merchant cruiser in 1939.
As an AMC, Aurania was used as a convoy escort. In 1941, she survived
both a collision with an iceberg and being torpedoed. In early 1942,
Aurania was permanently taken over by the Admiralty, converted into a
heavy repair ship and renamed Artifex. She remained in service until
she was broken up in 1961.
Sources: Haws' Merchant Fleets; Bonsor's North Atlantic Seaway.
