HMHS Lanfranc was a steam ship requisitioned for use as a hospital ship

Hospital ship

A hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating medical treatment facility or hospital; most are operated by the military forces of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or near war zones....

 during the First World War. On 17 April 1917 she was hit by a torpedo fired from the German U-boat

U-boat

U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...

 UB-40

SM UB-40

SM UB-40 was a German Type UB II submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 22 July 1915 and launched on 25 April 1916...

.

History

Lanfranc was built by the Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Company

Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Company

The Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, Limited was a British shipbuilding company based in Dundee on the east coast of Scotland.-History:...

 for the Booth Line. The Booth Line ran passenger services from the United Kingdom to Manaus

Manaus

Manaus is a city in Brazil, the capital of the state of Amazonas. It is situated at the confluence of the Negro and Solimões rivers. It is the most populous city of Amazonas, according to the statistics of Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, and is a popular ecotourist destination....

 - 1000 miles (1,609.3 km) up the Amazon River

Amazon River

The Amazon of South America is the second longest river in the world and by far the largest by waterflow with an average discharge greater than the next seven largest rivers combined...

. With the outbreak of war she was drafted as a hospital ship.

Sinking

On the evening of 17 April the Lanfranc, while transporting wounded from Le Havre to Southampton, was torpedoed without warning. 22 British, including 2 officers, and 18 German other ranks were lost.