The SS Vauban was a 1912 steam ocean liner built by Workman, Clark and Company of Belfast for the Lamport and Holt Line. She was part of the "V-class" ships, a trio that included her sister ships Vandyck and Vestris, all named after artists and engineers. Vauban measured approximately 511 feet in length overall, with a registered length of 495 feet 6 inches and a beam of 60.8 feet. Her tonnage was 10,660 gross register tons (GRT), with a net register tonnage (NRT) of 6,699 and a deadweight tonnage (DWT) of 17,200. The vessel was powered by five double-ended boilers supplying steam to twin quadruple-expansion engines, each with a 48-inch stroke and cylinders measuring up to 32.5 inches in bore. These engines drove twin screws, giving her a service speed of 13.5 knots and a top speed of 15 knots. Designed for passenger service between New York and the River Plate, Vauban had a passenger capacity of 280 in first class, 130 in second class, and 200 in third class, complemented by five cargo holds. She initially served on routes between Liverpool and Buenos Aires but was briefly renamed Alcala and repainted for a faster service between Southampton and the River Plate under a charter from the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company (RMSP). However, RMSP returned her to Lamport and Holt by 1913, and she resumed service on the New York to River Plate route via Barbados and Trinidad, becoming one of the largest and most luxurious ships on that route. During World War I, Vauban was requisitioned as a troop ship, including service carrying U.S. troops after her capture in 1914. Post-war, she was involved in a triangular passenger service alongside her sister ships, operating between New York, the River Plate, and Liverpool, and temporarily chartered to Cunard until 1921. Following the sinking of her sister ship Vestris in 1928, which was attributed to negligence, Lamport and Holt withdrew its passenger services. Vauban was laid up in Southampton from September 1930 and was sold for scrap in January 1932 to Thos. W. Ward of Milford Haven for £8,500, marking the end of her maritime service.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.