SS Gainsborough was a British cargo ship built in 1880 by John Elder & Co. in Glasgow for the Gainsborough Line. Initially named SS City of New York, the ship was later renamed SS Gainsborough. It had a steel hull, three masts, and a single funnel. The ship had a varied career, including serving as a transport vessel during the First World War. In 1918, while en route from Barry to Genoa with a cargo of coal, the SS Gainsborough struck a mine laid by a German submarine and sank off the coast of France. The crew of 35 managed to escape in lifeboats and were rescued by a French warship. The sinking of the SS Gainsborough was one of the many casualties suffered by merchant ships during the war. The wreck of the ship was discovered in 2015 by a team of divers. The story of the SS Gainsborough serves as a reminder of the risks and challenges faced by sailors and ships during times of conflict, highlighting the important role of merchant vessels in wartime logistics and transportation.

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