SS Costa Rica
From Our Contribution
 27 Apr 1941 SS Costa Rica prior to it sinkling.2,500 troopd safely taken off without casualties AWM P073478 | |
 HMS Hereward taking on 2/1st MGB troops from SS Costa Rica prior to it sinking. AWM P01435.001 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | SS Costa Rica |
| Owner | Royal Netherlands Steamship Company |
| Builder | N.V. Nederlandsche Scheepsbouw-Maatschappij |
| Yard number | 105 |
| Launched | 1 Jun 1910 |
| Completed | 20 Sep 1910 |
| In service | 1 Oct 1910 |
| Out of service | 27 Apr 1941 |
| Fate | Sunk following air raid on convoy |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Passenger vessel |
| Tonnage | 8,672 |
| Length | 455.3 ft (1138.76m) |
| Beam | 55.2 ft (16.81m) |
| Depth | 34.2 ft (10.1m) |
| Propulsion | Twin ship |
| Speed | 14.5 knots (26.9 km/h) |
| Capacity | 101 1st class; 74 2nd class; 34 3rd class; 140 Steerage |
Remarks
Built in 1910 for the Nederland Lines as the SS Prinses Juliana. Her early work was on the Amsterdam to East Indies route before serving as a troop ship in WW1. During 1918-1919 she was taken over by the British Shipping Controller. In 1930 she was sold to the Amsterdam/Royal Netherlands Steamship Co. During WW2 she was again commissioned by the British as a troop ship.
In April 1941 the Costa Rica sailed in a convoy from Alexandria with six other ships and was later joined by an escort of cruisers and destroyers, on their way to Kalamata to assist with the evacuation of British and Australian troops from Greece in what was known as Operation Demon. On 27 Apr 1941 six Stuka raids were encountered by the convoy. While not hit by any bombs, two near misses sprung plates in the port side of the Costa Rica and she began to take water through a large hole. Fearing that she was sinking the Captain had nearby Destroyer escorts take more than 2,800 troops from her. The ship was still floating when all were safely rescued, so the Navy torpedo it and eventually it sank on 27 Apr 1941. While the original destination had been Alexandria, the troops were now landed on Crete.
Soldiers carried
Kalamata, Greece to Crete 26 - 27 April 1941
B Company 2/1st Australian Machine Gun Battalion