Athos II was a passenger and cargo liner for Compagnie des Messageries Maritimes making her maiden voyage from Marseilles 25 March 1927 starting on the line's Far East service serving Marseilles, Malaya, Indo-China, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Kobe and Yokohama. The ship, laid down in 1923 and launched 12 November 1925, had been completed by Aktien-Gesellschaft „Weser", Bremen and delivered to the French as part of World War I reparations. After a 1937 refit, including boilers increasing speed to 19 knots (21.9 mph; 35.2 km/h), Athos II resumed Far East service.