The 16,034 GRT steamship Almanzora was built at Harland & Wolff in Belfast , Northern Ireland . It had a chimney, two masts and two propellers . She was the sister ship of the Alcantara (16,034 GRT), which entered service shortly before the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. The Alcantara was only used for a few weeks in civil passenger traffic until it was drafted into service as an auxiliary cruiser .
The Almanzora , which was planned as a counterpart to the Alcantara , fared no better. The 179.83 meter long and 21.12 meter wide steamer, which was supposed to be commissioned as a passenger and cargo ship with space for 400 first-class, 230 second-class and 760 third-class passengers, was launched on November 19, 1914 and was completed on October 7, 1915 as an armed auxiliary cruiser (Armed Merchant Cruiser) for the 10th Cruiser Squadron. The ship provided this service for the rest of the war.
After her discharge from military service, the ship was overhauled in 1919, which increased the tonnage to 15,551 GRT. On January 19, 1920 the Almanzora finally ran out on its first passenger voyage from Southampton to Río de la Plata . During the Second World War , the Almanzora was mainly used as a troop transport , among others in WS convoys , and in 1945 she served as an emigrant ship in the service of the British government. After that there was no longer any use for the ship. In 1947 the steamer was launched in Cowes and scrapped in Blyth in October 1948 .
