Built as a passenger- cargo vessel by the yard of Soc. Provençale de Constructions Navales at La Ciotat for Messageries Maritimes and managed by the sister company Services Contractuels des Messageries Maritimes at Dunkirk, France.
03 June 1928 launched as the ERIDAN.
Tonnage 9,928 gross, 5,701 net, 14,135 dwt, dim. 468.7 x 61 x 46.3ft.. length between pp. 442.1 ft.
Powered by two 8-cyl. 2S. CS. A Sulzer diesels, manufactured by Cie. Constr. Mec., at St Denis, 6,000 bhp., twin shafts, speed 16 knots during trials, service speed 14½ knots.
5 Holds for general cargo, total loading capacity 10,680 m². Loading and discharging by derricks and electric winches.
Passenger accommodation for 60 first class, 90 second and 420 third class passengers.
When built was she the largest motor vessel so far built in France.
Did have two square funnels, the forward been a dummy. On the stamp you can see her with this short square funnels.
November 1929 completed.
She was built for the service between France and Australia.
19 November 1929 sailed from Marseille for her maiden voyage to Alexandria, Haifa and Beirut then returned to Marseille.
10 January 1930 sailed for her first voyage to Australia from Marseille via the Suez Canal to Sydney and Brisbane, returning to Marseille, Dunkirk and Antwerp.
Later her Australian voyages were extended to Noumea, New Caledonia.
1935 Transferred to the service via the Panama Canal making calls at the French West Indies ports and going to Papeete and Noumea. Till 1940 used in this service.
When World War II broke out and after the capitulation of France, she came under the control of the Vichy Government.
When sailing in a small convoy of four ships, she was intercepted by the Allied invasion fleet (Operation Torch) off the North African coast on 8 November 1942.
First taken to Arzew and then to Oran. At this port taken over by the Allies and placed under the management of the British India Steam Navigation Co. Ltd.
From 19 January 1943 till 20 May 1946 used as a troop and transport vessel.
29 December 1945, when at Saigon got on fire in one of her holds, and was badly damaged, she sailed back to the Mediterranean.
1946 Returned to owners.
First used for trooping in the Mediterranean, and thereafter underwent a post-war refit at Toulon.
Passenger accommodation for 95 first, 102 second class passengers and accommodation for 900 troops.
She was then put in the service between Marseille and East Africa to Madagascar, Reunion and Mauritius.
1951 refitted by her builders and complete reconditioned, her accommodation was renewed and improved to 84 first and 100 second class passengers.
The two square funnels were removed and replaced by one large elliptical funnel.
She then returned to her service to Madagascar, but in 1953 she made most probably with troops two voyages to Haiphong in Vietnam.
Then she returned to the service via the Panama Canal to Papeete and Noumea, her second class accommodation was disrated to third class.
28 January 1956 arrived for her last time in Marseille, and in March sold to breakers at La Seyne.
She was broken up by Chant. Du Material du Midi, work commenced on 06 August 1956.
Maldives 1997 3r sg2692, scott2227a