The RMS Pannonia was a passenger ship built in 1903 by Harland and Wolff in Belfast for the Cunard Line. The ship was primarily used for transatlantic crossings between Liverpool and Boston, offering comfortable accommodations for over 2,000 passengers. During World War I, the RMS Pannonia was converted into a troopship, serving the British military. After the war, the ship returned to civilian service but was eventually sold to Japanese interests in 1932 and renamed the SS Kinka Maru. The ship was later used by the Japanese military during World War II, serving as a transport vessel. In 1944, the SS Kinka Maru was sunk by American forces off the coast of Luzon in the Philippines. The sinking resulted in the loss of many lives, including Japanese soldiers and prisoners of war. The RMS Pannonia's history reflects the dual roles that many ships played during times of conflict, transitioning from peaceful passenger transport to military service and ultimately meeting a tragic end in the chaos of war.

This description has been generated using GPT-3.5-TURBO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.