Persia ~ 30 December 1915

The SS Persia was a P&O passenger liner, built in 1900 by Caird & Company, Inverclyde, Greenock, Scotland. As passengers were having lunch on December 30, 1915, the Persia was torpedoed by the U-38, commanded by U-Boat ace Max Valentiner. She sank in five-ten minutes, killing 343 of the 519 aboard. 

The sinking was highly controversial, since it broke naval international law, or the Cruiser Rules, which stated that merchant ships could be stopped and searched for contraband, but could only be sunk if the passengers and crew were put in a place of safety (for which, lifeboats on the open sea were not sufficient). Instead, the U-Boat fired a torpedo with no warning, and made no provision for any survivors. This action took place under Germany’s policy of unrestricted submarine warfare, but broke the Imperial German Navy’s own restriction on attacking passenger liners, the Arabic pledge. The sinking was front page news on many British newspapers, including the Daily Mirror and the Daily Sketch.

At the time of sinking, Persia was carrying a large quantity of gold and jewels belonging to the Maharaja Jagatjit Singh, though he himself had disembarked at Marseilles. Among the passengers to survive were John Douglas-Scott-Montagu, 2nd Baron Montagu of Beaulieu. His secretary (and mistress) Eleanor Thornton, who was the model for the Rolls-Royce Spirit of Ecstasy mascot by Charles Robinson Sykes, died. Also among the dead was Homer Russell Salisbury.

An attempt was made to salvage the treasure located in the bullion room. The salvage attempt met with limited success, retrieving artifacts and portions of the ship, and some jewels from the bullion room.