SS Jumna

On 13 September 1939, in the first month of the Second World War, Jumna left Singapore. She called at Colombo, Bombay, Rangoon and Calcutta, and then sailed via Cape Town to the Caribbean, reaching Trinidad on New Year's Eve 1939.^[10]

Jumna left Trinidad on 5 January 1940, called at Barbados, San Juan, Jobos, San Pedro de Macorís, Kingston, Havana, Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo Bay and Júcaro. On 3 March 1940 she left Júcaro for Halifax, Nova Scotia.^[10] She joined Convoy HX 28, which left Halifax on 8 March and reached Liverpool on 2 April.^[11] Jumna continued via Southend-on-Sea to Southampton, where she arrived on 24 April.^[10]

On 28 April 1940 Jumna left Spithead for the Indian Ocean. She sailed via convoys OA 138GF^[12] and OG 28F, which took her as far as Gibraltar.^[13] She then continued via Malta, the Suez Canal and Aden to Colombo, where she arrived on 22 June 1940 before calling at Rangoon and Calcutta.^[10]

On 14 July 1940 Jumna left Calcutta on her next trip to the Caribbean. She called at Cape Town, and on 28 August reached Trinidad. She called at Barbados, Kingston, Nuevitas, Caibarién and Havana, and reached Galveston, where she arrived on 5 October.^[10]

On 12 October 1940 Jumna left Galveston for Bermuda, where she joined Convoy BHX 83.^[14] This merged at sea with Convoy HX 83, which reached Liverpool on 7 November.^[15]

On 16 December 1940 Jumna left Liverpool bound for Calcutta via Freetown.^[4] She was the commodore ship of Convoy OB 260, carrying the convoy commodore, Rear-Admiral Henry Maltby.^[16] On 19 December OB 260 dispersed at sea.^[17]

On Christmas Day 1940 the German cruiser Admiral Hipper attacked Jumna in the Atlantic Ocean north of the Azores. The cruiser shelled Jumna, sinking her and killing all 44 passengers and 64 crew aboard.^[8]

Neither of Jumna's sister ships survived the war. On 27 August 1941 U-557 sunk Saugor by torpedo, killing 59 of her complement.^[18] On 6 April 1942 Ganges sank with the loss of 15 of her complement after colliding with the Clan Line steamship Clan Macfarlane.^[19]

44°51′N 27°45′W / 44.850°N 27.750°W / 44.850; -27.750