The SS Afrique was a French passenger ship operated by the Compagnie des Chargeurs Réunis, entering service in 1907. Designed to facilitate transatlantic and West African routes, the vessel's specifications are not detailed in the provided content, but it was significant enough to undertake regular voyages between France and Dakar, via other ports along the French West Coast. By the time of her sinking, she was on her 58th voyage. Constructed in 1907, the Afrique was a sizable passenger vessel capable of carrying over 600 individuals. On her final voyage, she departed from the Gironde estuary early on 10 January 1920, with a total of 609 passengers and crew aboard, including a mixture of civilians, soldiers, and workers. The passenger composition was diverse: 106 in first class, 67 in second class, and 81 in third class (some in steerage), which included African soldiers, civilian natives called laptots, and non-African soldiers, among others. On the night of 12 January 1920, while navigating between Pierre Levée and the Plateau de Rochebonne, approximately 23 miles from Olonne-sur-Mer, the Afrique encountered severe weather conditions. She lost engine power during a gale, making repairs difficult, and was driven onto a reef, causing her to run aground. The hull began to break apart as the ship drifted, and the storm hampered rescue efforts. Despite distress signals, she lost all contact with rescue ships by 3 a.m. on 13 January, and sank shortly afterward. Tragically, only 34 of the approximately 609 aboard survived, and only one of these survivors was a passenger. The sinking of the SS Afrique marked a notable maritime disaster, highlighting the perils faced by early 20th-century passenger ships operating under challenging weather conditions.

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