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 ship collided with her. The collision pushed the liner against a dockside crane, which she demolished. "Viceroy of India" herself escaped serious damage. Later in 1930 "Viceroy of India" twice assisted the Greek cargo steamer in the Bay of Biscay. In September she stood by when "Theodoros Bulgaris" cargo of grain shifted in storms and the Greek merchantman's crew were transferred to another vessel. On 31 December 1930 "Theodoros Bulgararis" sank and "Viceroy of India" rescued all of the crew. In September 1932, "Viceroy of India" set a new record time between London and Bombay of 17 days, 1 hour,