▁ ▁provided ▁distinguished ▁service ▁as ▁tro op ships . ▁ ▁Many ▁lin ers ▁were ▁s unk ▁with ▁great ▁loss ▁of ▁life ; ▁in ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁the ▁three ▁worst ▁dis aster s ▁were ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁the ▁C un ard er ▁ ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁off ▁Saint - N az aire ▁to ▁German ▁bomb ing ▁while ▁attempting ▁to ▁ev acu ate ▁troops ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Ex ped ition ary ▁Force ▁from ▁France , ▁with ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁more ▁than ▁ 3 , 0 0 0 ▁lives ; ▁the ▁s inking ▁of ▁, ▁after ▁the ▁ship ▁was ▁tor ped o ed ▁by ▁a ▁Soviet ▁sub marine , ▁with ▁more ▁than ▁ 9 , 0 0 0 ▁lives ▁lost , ▁making ▁it ▁the ▁dead liest ▁mar itime ▁dis aster ▁in ▁history ; ▁and ▁the ▁s inking ▁of ▁ ▁with ▁more ▁than ▁ 7 , 0 0 0 ▁lives ▁lost , ▁both ▁in ▁the ▁Balt ic ▁Sea , ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 5 . ▁▁ ▁was ▁bomb arded ▁and ▁s unk ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 2 , ▁while ▁ ▁caught ▁fire , ▁caps ized ▁and ▁s ank ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 2 ▁while ▁being ▁converted ▁for ▁tro op ▁duty . ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁super lin ers ▁of ▁the ▁' tw ent ies ▁and ▁' th irt ies ▁were ▁vict ims ▁of ▁U - bo ats , ▁mines ▁or ▁enemy ▁aircraft . ▁ ▁was ▁attacked ▁by ▁German ▁plan es , ▁then ▁tor ped o ed ▁by ▁a ▁U