Brazilian cargo ship Parnahyba

Between 1912 and 1914, Roland-Linie took delivery of a class of four new cargo ships. AG Weser in Bremen built Roland in 1912 and Raimund in 1914. Joh. C. Tecklenborg in Bremerhaven built Alda in 1913, and Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft in Flensburg built Alrich, also in 1913. All four were built to a similar specification, with four masts; two decks; one screw; and one quadruple-expansion steam engine. Alda and Alrich were slightly shorter and broader than Roland and Raimund.^{[7][8][9][10]}

Flensburger Schiffbau built Alrich as yard number 327. She was launched on January 25, 1913, and completed that March. Her registered length was 460.5 ft (140.4 m); her beam was 59.1 ft (18.0 m); her depth was 28.8 ft (8.8 m); and her draught was 31 ft 6 in (9.60 m). Her tonnages were 6,692 GRT and 4,126 NRT. Her engine was rated at 670 NHP,^[8] and gave her a speed of 12 knots (22 km/h).^[11]

Roland-Linie registered Alrich in Bremen. Her code letters were QKGD. She was equipped with wireless telegraphy.^[8] By 1914, her German call sign was DAQ.^[12][13]

Alrich was in Rio de Janeiro when the First World War began, and she remained there to avoid Entente naval patrols. In February 1917, Germany resumed unrestricted submarine warfare. That April and May, German U-boats sank three Brazilian steamships. On April 11, Brazil terminated diplomatic relations with Germany. On June 2, Brazil seized 46 German merchant ships that were sheltering in Brazilian ports.^[14] They included Alrich and Roland in Rio de Janeiro,^[15] which were renamed Parnahyba and Ayuroca respectively.^[16][17]

Parnahyba was registered in Rio de Janeiro.^[16] By 1921, the Government of France had chartered her.^[18] Companhia de Navegação Lloyd Brasileiro was managing her by 1923,^[19] and owned her by 1927.^[20] By 1934, her four-letter call sign was PUBU, and this had superseded her code letters.^[21]

On April 5, 1942, Parnahyba left Rio de Janeiro. She called at Recife in Pernambuco, where she left on April 24, bound for New York.^[22] Her Master was Captain Raul Francisco Diégoli. She carried 70 other officers and men, and one passenger,and was defensively armed with one 5-inch (130 mm) naval gun on her poop.^[23]

On May 1, Parnahyba was about 220 miles east of Trinidad, and a similar distance north of British Guiana, steaming at 10+1⁄2 knots (19 km/h). At 14:46 hrs local time (20:46 hrs Central European Time), on a calm sea in clear weather, U-162 fired one torpedo at her. It struck her port side, aft of amidships, breaching the empty port bunker.^[23] Six men were killed in her engine room: her Third Engineer; three stokers; and three trimmers. The explosion also destroyed one of her four lifeboats.^[22]

Parnahyba was sinking slowly by the stern. Captain Diégoli immediately ordered her crew to abandon ship in her remaining three lifeboats.^[23] Her wireless officer transmitted a distress signal. By the time he had sent the signal, all three boats had been launched. Wearing a life jacket, he jumped overboard, and swam to one of the boats. However, just as he reached the boat, a shark caught him, and dragged him underwater to his death.^[22]

Ten minutes later, after the three boats were clear of the ship, U-162 surfaced. The U-boat fired 66 rounds from her 105 mm deck gun and 20 rounds from her 37 mm anti-aircraft gun, setting Parnahyba on fire. Two and a half hours later the cargo ship sank, at position 10°12′N 57°16′W / 10.200°N 57.267°W / 10.200; -57.267 .^[23]