The SS City of Paris was a steam passenger ship constructed in 1922 by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson at their yards in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, and was registered in Glasgow. Launched in 1920, she was completed two years later for the Ellerman Lines Ltd of London. The vessel was designed for passenger service, serving as a vital link across the Atlantic and Mediterranean routes. Throughout her commercial career, the City of Paris encountered several notable incidents. On 17 October 1933, she ran aground off France’s Saraman Lighthouse in the Mediterranean Sea but was successfully refloated the following day. During World War II, she was requisitioned by the British government for wartime service. On 16 September 1939, while carrying 139 people, she struck a mine laid by the German submarine U-13 on 4 September, resulting in damage and one fatality. Despite this, she managed to reach port for repairs. In May 1940, the City of Paris was offered for use as an evacuation ship alongside other vessels like the City of Benares and City of Simla. On 10 September 1940, she transported a large group of CORB children to Cape Town, marking her role in wartime evacuations. However, following the sinking of the City of Benares, she ceased carrying evacuee children. The ship also supported military operations by transporting artillery to Ethiopia in 1941 and carrying the 2/14th Battalion of the Australian Army from Bombay to Australia in early 1942. Converted into a personnel ship in 1944, she served as an accommodation vessel from September 1945 to 1946. Briefly, she returned to troopship duties before being returned to Ellerman Lines. After the war, she resumed commercial service in 1947. The SS City of Paris was ultimately scrapped in 1956, ending her nearly three-decade career as a significant maritime vessel engaged in both commercial and wartime operations.

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