We have confined ourselves so far to the adventures of the Cunard vessels that were used in the early stages of the war for purely combatant purposes. They were, as has been seen, merely a small, though important, fraction of the whole fleet, and indeed the distinction that we have drawn is a somewhat difficult one to maintain. Thus, from acting, as we have shewn, as purely combatant cruisers, the _Aquitania_, _Caronia_, _Laconia_ and _Carmania_ passed to different and even more valuable work; and at the same time many other Cunard vessels were upon the outbreak of war withdrawn from their usual avocation for more or less militant purposes. We find the _Mauretania_, for example, originally intended for employment as an armed cruiser, converted into a Troopship in 1915, and from this into a Hospital Ship in 1916, while in 1917 she again became a Transport, fitted with 6-in. guns. In all these capacities she did magnificent work, not without imminent risk of destruction, and it was only by the brilliant seamanship of Commander Dow, one of the Cunard Company’s oldest and most trusted skippers, that she escaped being sunk while plying between England and Mudros, in her role of Troopship. Attacked by a submarine, Commander Dow noticed the wake of the approaching torpedo on his starboard bow, and immediately ordering the helm to be flung hard aport the torpedo was missed by not more than 5 feet, the _Mauretania’s_ great speed fortunately thereafter placing her beyond range of the enemy. [Illustration: THE “LACONIA” AT DURBAN] [Illustration: FINAL OF THE S.A.I. HEAVY-WEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP ON THE “LACONIA”]