Partition of India in the United Provinces (where Muslims were attacked by Hindus), and on to Rawalpindi in March 1947 in which Hindus were attacked or driven out by Muslims. The British Prime Minister Attlee appointed Lord Louis Mountbatten as India's last viceroy, who was given the task to oversee British India's independence by June 1948, with the instruction to "avoid" partition and "preserve" a United India, but with adaptational authority to ensure a British withdrawal with minimal setbacks. Mountbatten hoped to revive the Cabinet Mission scheme for a federal arrangement for India. But despite his initial keenness for preserving the center the
RMS Viceroy of India 279 passengers were transferred to "Viceroy of India" as a precaution. On 12 November 1940 the Ministry of War Transport requisitioned "Viceroy of India" to be a troop ship. She returned to the River Clyde for the conversion. In 1942 "Viceroy of India" sailed in Convoy KMF-1A carrying Allied troops from Britain to invade French North Africa in Operation Torch. Early on 11 November 1942 she was returning empty from Algiers bound for Gibraltar. At 0524 hrs she was about northwest of Oran when fired a spread of four torpedoes at her. Two hit the ship, killing four crew members.