SS Arabic (1908)

SS Arabic was a twin propeller passenger steamship with 2 funnels and 2 masts, launched on 7 November 1908 as the SS Berlin (1908) and built by the A.G. Weser shipbuilding company in Germany. Her Gross Register Tonnage was advertised at 16,786. She made her maiden voyage on 1 May 1909 from New York to Genoa and Bremerhaven. In September 1914 she became an auxiliary cruiser with the German Navy as a minelayer.

Having laid mines of the northern Irish coast she took refuge in Trondheim with storm damage. Having outstayed her 24 hours grace and unfit to leave port she was interned by the Norwegians on 18 November 1914.

In December 1919 she was given to the Shipping Controller under control of P&O. About a year later in 1920 she was purchased by the White Star Line, based in Liverpool and was refitted in Portsmouth, it was then she was renamed the SS Arabic. In September 1921 she made her maiden voyage as a White Star Line ship, via the Southampton to New York route. Afterwards, she sailed on the Mediterranean to New York service until 1924 when she was moved to the Hamburg to New York route, later that year her passenger accommodation was modified, and on 29 October 1926 Arabic made her first voyage under charter to the Red Star Line and resumed doing so until 1930 when she reverted to the White Star Line and her passenger accommodation was again modified. Less than one year later she was sold for breaking up at Genoa.