RMS Mauretania (1906) and were requested by the British government to become armed merchant cruisers, but their huge size and massive fuel consumption made them unsuitable for the duty, and they resumed their civilian service on 11 August. Later, due to lack of passengers crossing the Atlantic, "Mauretania" was laid up in Liverpool until May 1915 at the time that "Lusitania" was sunk by a German U-boat. "Mauretania" was about to fill the void left by "Lusitania", but she was ordered by the British government to serve as a troop ship to carry British soldiers during the Gallipoli Campaign. She avoided becoming prey
German submarine U-563 crash-dived. On her most successful day, 12 April 1943, the boat sank the "Pacific Grove" and damaged the "Fresno City" southeast of Cape Farewell (Greenland). The "Fresno City" was sunk later that day by . "U-563" also sank the Dutch ship "Ulysses" in the same area. The boat left Brest for the last time on 29 May 1943. On the 31st, she was sunk by two British Handley Page Halifaxes of 58 Squadron and an Australian Sunderland flying boat of No. 228 Squadron RAF. Forty-nine men died with "U-563"; "U-563" took part in nine wolfpacks, namely. German submarine U-563 German