Robert Ley started life in 1938 as a purpose-built cruise ship but was commandeered for Naval service in August 1939 as a hospital ship and for the Baltic. Once the war in the East had move deep in to Russia, she was converted to a Base and Accommodation Ship until she was used to evacuate personnel to the west and was laid up in Hamburg where she was Bombed and set on fire in the Sring of 1945. After re-floating, she was laid up in the Elbe until 1947 when she was towed to the UK for scrapping.