Builders: William Denny & Bros Dumbarton 1924
Propulsion type: Twin screw, single reduction geared turbine
Owner: Southern Railway Co
Service dates: 1924 - 1942
Tonnage: 2292 Gross
Comments:
St Briac and her sister, Dinard, were launched within a month of each other in late spring 1924. The steamers were built to use either coal or fuel oil and their turbines allowed them an operational speed of 18 knots. They were built for the Southampton to St Malo service which varied according to tidal conditions, until the St Malo basin was finished in 1931. They had accommodation for 1300 passengers, mainly first class, with around 450 sleeping berths available. In the 1930's St Briac undertook exclusive weekend cruises for around 160 people, out of Southampton, and carried out 56 such cruises in a three year period. Along with her sister, she assisted in the evacuations from Dunkirk and was then used by the Fleet Air Arm off Arbroath, where she was mined and lost in March 1942, with the loss also of 43 men.