The Breda, built by New Waterway Shipbuilding Co, was launched in 1921. Like many other contemporary vessels, she was requisitioned for war duties in World War Two. She left London with a crew of 42 on 12th December 1940, bound for Mombassa, Bombay and Karachi. She headed north, joining up with a number of other merchantmen in a convoy assembled at Southend on 14th December. Her cargo included 3 Hawker biplanes, 30 De Havilland Moths, military vehicles, cement and a huge range of general cargo.
On 22nd December, she reached Oban and anchored to wait until the whole convoy was ready to depart. On the evening of the 23rd, the Breda was attacked by two Heinkel 111 bombers. Although armed with anti aircraft guns, the crew were not able to defend themselves in time, and one of the German planes dropped a stick of 4 x 250kg bombs. These bombs straddled the Breda without directly hitting her, but the bombs exploded on either side of the ship and the shock of the explosion caused serious damage to a water inlet pipe. She began taking on water heavily which flooded the engine rooms causing loss of power. Although the Heinkel's had left for home by this time, the Breda's time was fast running out. She was quickly taken under tow, and beached in shallow water in Ardmucknish Bay. Some of her cargo was salvaged but the next day she slipped off the shelving seabed and sank.
