White Star’s Cymric sailed from New York on 26th April 1916, under Captain Beadnell, with very few passengers and a crew of 106. She was loaded with over 18,000 tons of war matériel and supplies for the battlefields of Europe, and was heading for Liverpool. On 8th May 1916 she was intercepted about 140 miles WNW of Fastnet by the German submarine U-20, under Captain Schwieger, who had sank Lusitania just a year earlier. He attacked, without warning, firing a spread of three torpedoes. Five crew died in the attack, and the vessel sank early the next day.

Cymric had been launched at Harland & Wolff, Belfast on 12th October 1897, as Yard Number 316. Originally she was intended as a cattle carrier although in service she was primarily used to carry up to 1,500 in Steerage and about 100 in Cabin Class. Her maiden voyage from Liverpool to New York was on11th February 1898.