Official Number:                        112645 

Laid down:

Builder:                                    Sir J Laing & Sons Ltd, Deptford Yard, Sunderland

Pennant No:                                       Y 7.61

Launched:                                4 November 1899

Into Service:                             10 January 1915

Out of service:                          1 July 1915

Fate:                                       Sunk 1 July 1915 

Items of historic interest involving this ship: –

Background Data:  One of an additional group of ships requisitioned by the Admiralty during WW1 to augment the ships of the RFA

Career Data:

4 November 1899 launched by Sir J Laing & Sons Ltd., Deptford Yard, Sunderland as Yard Nr: 571 and named CAUCASIAN for Petroleum SS Co (Lane & McAndrew Ltd., Managers, London

8 November 1899 the Manchester Courier  & Lancashier General Advertiser newspaper reported …

December 1899 completed

21 December 1899 passed Beachy Head sailing west bound

2 January 1900 passed through the Dardenelles

6 January 1900 arrived at Batum

20 June 1900 passed Constantinople while on passage from Batum to London

5 July 1900 signalled Lloyds at Ushant that due to engine defects was sailing at half speed

7 August 1900 sailed Algiers for London

15 September 1900 sailed Batum for London

25 October 1900 passed the Dardanelles while on passage from London to Batum

31 October 1900 sailed Batum for London

15 November 1900 berthed at Gibraltar for engine repairs

29 November 1900 sailed Gravesend for Batum

14 December 1900 passed the Dardanelles while on passage from London to Batum

27 December 1900 passed the Dardanelles while on passage from Batum to London

21 February 1901 sailed Gravesend for Batum

3 June 1901 in dry dock at Wallsend on Tyne

1 August 1901 passed the Dardanelles while on passage from Batum

26 September 1901 berthed at Malta

7 October 1901 arrived at Gravesend

7 January 1902 in dry dock at Wallsend on Tyne

2 July 1902 arrived at Gravesend

4 August 1902 in dry dock at Wallsend on Tyne

18 December 1902 passed the Dardanelles while on passage to Batum

12 April 1903 arrived at Charlton Buoys, Gravesend from Batum

29 December 1903 lying in the River Thames at Albert Dock on Caucasian Oil Company Jetty

29 September 1904 arrived at Constantinople with the 22 members of the crew of the steamer Craiglee which had foundered off Sicily on 25 September 1904

31 January 1905 at St John, New Brunswick, Canada Able Seaman George Wilson discharged dead from bronco pneumonia

5 September 1905 arrived at Gravesend from Philadelphia

18 October 1905 sailed Gravesend for Philadelphia

19 February 1906 arrived at Gravesend from Philadelphia

30 May 1906 grounded on Cape Cornwall broke her rudder and required tugs to tow her off and to Barry for repairs. A claim for services rendered was heard in the Admiralty Division of the High Court in July 1906

Press report from The Cornishman newspaper of the 16 July 1906

2 June 1906 ordered to discharge her cargo at Barry Roads before repairs could undertaken

14 June 1906 entered Mount Stuart Dry Dock, Cardiff for survey

21 June 1906 floated out of the dry dock to Roath Dock, Cardiff to await repairs

10 July 1906 towed from Roath Dock, Cardiff in tow of the Liverpool tugs Storm Cock, Black Cock, and Sarah Jolliffe for Messrs. Greyson’s, Birkenhead for repairs

25 January 1907 grounded Musorave Channel, Belfast while loaded with a cargo of oil from Philadelphia but refloated

15 May 1907 berthed at Cardiff from New York

9 December 1907 arrived at Newport News from Port Arthur, Texas

2 January 1908 arrived at Hamburg, Germany from Port Arthur, Texas with minor damage sustained in heavy weather

28 June 1908 arrived at New York from London

8 August 1908 sailed Philadelphia for Hamburg, Germany

5 October 1909 passed the Lloyd’s Signal Station on the Lizard

10 November 1910 at the West Woolwich Buoys, London Fireman Thomas Lawler discharged dead from drowning

21 February 1911 at West Woolwich Buoys, London Bosun William Harding discharged dead after accidentally falling down a tank

7 August 1912 berthed at Gravesend from Port Arthur

19 February 1913 sailed Grangemouth for New York

29 April 1913 berthed at Gravesend from Port Arthur

21 December 1913 sailed Newport News for London

8 January 1914 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east

17 June 1914 sailed Port Arthur to London

14 October 1914 when on passage from Texas to London challenged by the 2nd Class Cruiser HMS VENUS

HMS VENUS

1915 ships Master – Captain Fred A Robinson and Chief Engineer Officer George B Nelson

10 January 1915 requisitioned for Admiralty service as an oiler at a monthly charge of £3,462

26 April 1915 at Cheapeake Bay challenged by HMS SUFFOLK

1 July 1915 sunk by gunfire 40 miles South West of the Scillies by the German Submarine U-39 while on passage from London to New Orleans with a cargo of creosote – no casualties. 19 of the crew plus the Master’s wife’s dog were landed at Penzance and a further 18 plus the Chief Officer were landed at Falmouth by the steamer Roath.