Built by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson for Port Line, she was taken over by the Admiralty during construction, and
converted to a mine layer of the 1st Minelaying Squadron.
During a gale, while at anchor in the Kyle of Lochalsh on November 26th 1940, the newly completed ship, which was yet
to become operational, apparently dragged her anchor and grounded in shallow water undamaged. On November 27th
1940 as debunkering to lighten and refloat the ship was in progress there was a fire reported in the engine room.
The ship was laden with a lethal cargo of 400 mines, and had they gone up, the whole area would have been devastated.
The harbour was cleared of every ship and the local inhabitants evacuated, but no explosion followed and volunteers
went back aboard proceeding to disarm the mines and drop them into the sea by way of the stern chutes.
However the volunteers had to retreat as the situation soon became worse, and shortly after there was the first explosion
followed by an enormous flash which blew out the innards of the ship. After this the ship settled onto her starboard side in
the attitude we see today, her port side showing at low tide.