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Builder: Cammell, Laird & Co Ltd, Birkenhead, England.
Completed: June 1939.
Gross tonnage: 35,655.
Dimensions: 772ft x 54ft. Depth 54ft.
Engines: Six steam turbines, single-reduction geared.
Screws: Twin.
Decks: Six.
Normal speed : 23 knots. Officers and crew: 593.
Passenger accommodation: 475 first, 390
cabin, and 304 tourist class.
Maiden voyage: Liverpool–New York on June 19,1939
She made only four trips to New York and was laid up at New York from December 16, 1939, until she was requisitioned for troop work on March 1, 1940. Left New York on March 20, 1940, for Sydney, Australia, via Balboa and Honolulu. After carrying over 350,000 troops and steaming 542,000 miles on 48 voyages she arrived at Liverpool on May 30, 1945, completing her war services. Overhauled between September 1946 and April 1947 at Birkenhead and re-entered service on April 26, 1947, from Liverpool to New York.
Engaged in the Southampton–Le Havre? Cobh–New York service with cruises during the off season from New York. She was given full air-conditioning in 1957.
 In 1962 her hull was painted to a light green hue and made an attempt to break into the passenger trade from New York to the Mediterranean. This proved to be unsuccess­ful and she was used more extensively for cruise purposes from out of New York and Southamp­ton.
 Withdrawn from service on November 10, 1965, upon her arrival at Southampton.
 Sold for scrap at Inverkeithing, Scotland, arriving on November 23. She was broken up by March 1966.

Capo Verde SG409

Built under yard No 1029 as a passenger vessel by Cammell Laird, Birkenhead for the Cunard White Star Line, Liverpool.
24 May 1937 keel laid down
28 July 1938 launched under the name MAURETANIA. Lady Bates the wife of the company’s chairman performed christening ceremony.
Tonnage 35.738 gross, 20.170 net, dim. 235.4 x 27.3 x 17.58m.
Powered by six Parsons geared turbines manufactured by the builder, 42.000 shp., connected to two shafts, speed 23 knots.
Passenger accommodation for 440 first, 450 tourist, 470 3rd class, crew 780.
31 May 1939 completed.

She was at that time the largest merchant vessel ever built in England.
17 June 1939 she sailed for her maiden voyage from Liverpool to New York.
01 July 1939 Sailed from New York for the first time in the service from that port to Southampton, Le Havre and London. She was the largest ship at that time that sailed on the River Thames, and the Royal Docks at London was used for berthing.
03 December 1939 at Southampton she was repainted gray and she got a armament of 2 – 3 inch guns and 1 – 6 inch gun, she made a other roundtrip to New York before she was laid up at Liverpool, but Liverpool a dangerous place due to German air raids she sailed to New York where she arrived and was laid up on 16 December 1939 at Pier 90.

06 March 1940 requisitioned by the British Admiralty, and on the evening of 20 March the MAURETANIA sailed from New York bound for Australia via the Panama Canal to be converted in a troop transport. She arrived at Sydney on 14 April after stops in Bermuda, Panama Canal and Honolulu, at the last port she took on board bunkers and supply.
Was converted by Cockatoo Docks and Engineering Company at Sydney, her cabins were removed and replaced by quarters for about 2000 troops. Her armament improved and more AA guns placed.
03 May 1940 the conversion work was completed.
First she sailed with Australian troops to Suez, India and Singapore but later also used across the Atlantic.
48 Troop voyages were made during the war.
02 August 1946 she arrived at Liverpool from Singapore.
19 August she made a round voyage from Liverpool to Halifax.
02 September 1947 handed back to owners and reconditioned to a passenger liner by Cammell and Laird at Liverpool. Accommodation for 475 first, 390 cabin and 300 tourist passengers.

26 April 1947 first commercial voyage from Liverpool before she was put in the service from Southampton-Cherbourg to New York. During the winter season mostly used for cruising from New York to the Caribbean.
Autumn 1957 air-conditioned installed throughout the vessel.
1962 Her hull painted bright green, and then used mostly for cruising from New York to the Mediterranean and the Caribbean waters, passenger accommodation for 406 first, 364 cabin and 357 tourist class.
10 November 1965 she arrived for the last time in Southampton before she sailed to the breakers yard of T.W.Ward in Inverkeithing where she arrived 23 November 1965. During 1966 was she broken up.

Source: Great Passenger Ships of the World vol 4 by Arnold Kludas. Across the Sea to War by Peter Plowman. North Atlantic Seaways Vol 1 by N.R.P. Bonsor. Merchant fleets in Profile Vol 2 by Duncan Haws.

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