HMS Otranto was a British armed merchant cruiser that served during World War I. Originally a German ocean liner, the ship was seized by the British in 1914 and converted for military use. The vessel was used for patrol and escort duties in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean. In 1918, HMS Otranto was part of a convoy transporting American troops to Europe when it collided with another ship in stormy conditions off the coast of Scotland. The collision caused the ship to run aground, leading to a tragic loss of life as the vessel was battered by high waves and eventually broke apart. Despite rescue efforts, over 400 people, including passengers and crew, perished in the disaster. The sinking of HMS Otranto remains one of the deadliest maritime incidents involving a British vessel during World War I.

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