RMS Arlanza (1912)

RMS Arlanza was an ocean liner of the Royal Mail Lines in service from 1912 to 1938, which also served as an Armed Merchant Cruiser of Royal Navy between 1915 and 1920.

Ship history
The 15,000 ton ship was built by Harland & Wolff in Belfast for service between England and the east coast of South America, and could accommodate up to 1,390 passengers, and had five holds and refrigerated cargo space for meat. She was built on the slip vacated by the RMS Olympic, and RMS Britannic was built in the same slip following the Arlanza's launch on 23 November 1911. Arlanza was completed in September 1912.

On 16 August 1914 she was intercepted by the German auxiliary cruiser SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse off the coast of Brazil. However, when the Germans realised that there were civilian passengers aboard, including 420 women and children, she was released.

Arlanza was converted for use as an Royal Navy Armed Merchant Cruiser, fitted with six 6 in guns, and commissioned at Birkenhead on 24 April 1915. As a member of the 10th Cruiser Squadron she formed part of the Northern Patrol.

On 29 October 1916 she sailed from Archangelsk, Russia, but hit a mine and suffered damage to her bows. The Thames Tug Racia was sent to tow her back to Belfast, but Arlanza managed to return to the UK under her own power, where she was dry-docked for repairs.

She returned to service on the Northern Patrol in November 1916, and from July 1917 until the end of the war was employed on Atlantic convoy duties. She was decommissioned in April 1920, and returned to her owners, re-entering commercial service in July.

She was converted from coal to oil fuel in 1929, and retired from service in August 1938. Later the same year she was scrapped by Hughes Bolckow & Co. of Blyth.