SS Cambridge was a refrigerated steam cargo liner that was built in Germany for the Hamburg America Line. She was launched in 1916 as Vogtland, but after the 1919 Treaty of Versailles the United Kingdom took her as war reparations and sold her to the Federal Steam Navigation Company, who renamed her Cambridge. She operated between Britain and Australasia until 1940, when a German mine sank her off the coast of Australia. Building Joh. C. Tecklenborg built Vogtland in Geestemünde as yard number 271. She was launched on 9 December 1916 but the war delayed her completion. Her sea trials were on 27 November 1919. Her registered length was , her beam was and her depth was . As built, her tonnages were , and . Her holds had of refrigerated cargo space. Vogtland had two screws, each driven by a triple expansion engine. Between them her twin engines were rated at 1,106 NHP or 3,475 ihp, giving her a speed of . The ship had one funnel and four masts. Vogtland was built for the Hamburg America Line, but when she was completed the UK Government seized her under Article 231 of the Treaty of Versailles. She was given the UK official number 144589 and code letters KFNP. Federal Steam fleet Federal Steam lost three cargo ships to enemy action in the First World War. Vogtland was one of five new German ships that the UK government supplied to Federal Steam as reparations. Federal Steam named its ships after English counties or county towns. It renamed the ship Cambridge. Federal Steam operated a cargo liner service between New Zealand, Australia and the UK, bringing refrigerated produce to the UK and general cargo to Australia and New Zealand. By 1930 Cambridges tonnages had been slightly revised to and , and her navigation equipment included wireless direction finding. In 1934 the call sign GDFR replaced her code letters. In 1940 her tonnages were revised to and . Second World War service In the Second World War Cambridge continued her regular trade between New Zealand, Australia and the UK. She sailed mostly unescorted, with convoy protection only in the North Atlantic. She used both the Cape of Good Hope route via South Africa and the trans-Pacific route via the Panama Canal. Loss In August and September 1940 Cambridge was in South Wales. She called at Cardiff, Newport and Swansea. On 9 September