, ▁Afr ic ▁was ▁requ is ition ed ▁for ▁use ▁as ▁a ▁tro op ship ▁by ▁the ▁Australian ▁government ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 4 ▁on ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁I . ▁She ▁was ▁s unk ▁by ▁a ▁German ▁U - bo at ▁on ▁ 2 ▁February ▁ 1 9 1 7 ▁in ▁the ▁English ▁Channel ▁with ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁ 2 2 ▁lives , ▁making ▁her ▁the ▁short est ▁lived ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁class . ▁ ▁Medic ▁ ▁Medic ▁was ▁launched ▁on ▁ 1 5 ▁December ▁ 1 8 9 8 , ▁and ▁inaugur ated ▁the ▁Australia ▁service ▁with ▁her ▁ma iden ▁voyage ▁which ▁started ▁from ▁Liverpool ▁on ▁ 3 ▁August ▁ 1 8 9 9 , ▁on ▁her ▁return ▁voyage ▁she ▁carried ▁Australian ▁troops ▁and ▁horses ▁to ▁the ▁Bo er ▁War ▁which ▁had ▁started ▁in ▁October . ▁She ▁initially ▁remained ▁in ▁commercial ▁service ▁after ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁but ▁was ▁requ is ition ed ▁under ▁the ▁Lin er ▁Re quisition ▁Sch eme ▁from ▁ 1 9 1 7 ▁to ▁ 1 9 1 9 , ▁after ▁which ▁she ▁returned ▁to ▁commercial ▁service ▁on ▁the ▁Australian ▁route , ▁until ▁December ▁ 1 9 2 7 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 8 ▁Medic ▁was ▁sold ▁to ▁A / S ▁He ktor ▁( N . B ug ge ) ▁of ▁Norway ▁who ▁renamed ▁her ▁He kt oria ▁and ▁converted ▁her ▁into ▁a ▁wh aling ▁factory ▁ship . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 2 ▁He kt oria ▁returned