Official Number: 101973
Laid down:
Builder: Wm Gray & Co Ltd, West Hartlepool
Pennant Nr: Y 7.58
Launched: 19 January 1892
Into Service: 15 December 1914
Out of service: 1919
Fate: April 1943 broken up
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
19 January 1892 launched by Wm Gray & Co Ltd., West Hartlepool as Yard Nr: 449 named CLAM for M Samuel & Co., London
February 1892 completed as the last of 4 sister ships – all coal burners
11 April 1895 sailed from Shanghai
13 November 1896 at the General Hospital, Singapore Carpenter Java Bernardo discharged dead from pneumonia
3 January 1897 at Constantinople Quartermaster Samuel Lahua discharged dead from the effects of falling into the hold
29 July 1897 at sea at 5.33N 96.52E Fireman Ton Ah Lock discharged dead – missing presumed drowned
1898 owners became Shell Transport & Trading Co Ltd., (M Samuel & Co, Managers) London – name unchanged
9 November 1898 at sea at 12.15N 49.00E Steward Ah Tong discharged dead – drowned
11 February 1899 at sea at 15.10N 113.00E Fireman Sans Hang discharged dead – missing at sea
16 May 1899 while on passage from the River Tyne to Batoum was stranded to the west of Bougoroni, Algeria. It was expected that she would be a total loss having suffered serious damage. The ship was eventually taken in tow to Algiers by the salvage vessel Danmark for temporary repairs. She then sailed to the UK for permanent repairs. The Master, Captain Thomas Black reported that after the stranding the 2nd Mate Philip J Richardson refused to write up the ships log
23 May 1899 arrived at Algiers
4 August 1899 at Sunderland a Board of Enquiry was commenced into the stranding of the ship. The Master and most of the ships officers together with various members of the crew gave evidence. After hearing evidence the Enquiry decided that the stranding was caused by the neglect of the 2nd Mate and by the Master not giving adequate instructions before going to bed. The 2nd mate’s certificate was suspended for 3 months
1899 converted to oil fuel burning
11 November 1901 at Thameshaven Able Seaman Wong Peng discharged dead from natural causes
25 January 1902 at Sea at 37°15N 4°50E Fireman Wai Cheang discharged dead from dropsey and kidney disease
1907 owners restyled as Anglo Saxon Petroleum Co Ltd, London, name unchanged
22 April 1908 seventeen Chinese crew members appeared before Dartmouth Police Court charged with disobedience of lawful commands. Captain Alfred E McDonnell the ships Master gave evidence that the seventeen sailors were all members of the crew of the Clam and on the 21 April 1908 each had refused to work. The Chief Officer of Customs read to them extracts from the ships Articles. The seventeen were told to return to work but went ashore. The next day they still refused to work and again went ashore. They were each sentenced to one months imprisonment
14 January 1914 passed Gibraltar sailing east
22 January 1914 arrived Port Said from the River Tyne
12 December 1914 at the General Hospital, Colombo Bhandary Mung Wang Lam discharged dead from beri beri
15 December 1914 requisitioned for Admiralty service as an oiler – name unchanged – until 6 February 1915 – hire charge £2,268
7 February 1915 re-deployed as an Expeditionary Force Transport until 12 August 1915 – hire charge 9sh 1d until 6 July 1915 and then 10sh 6d p.d.w.t
13 August 1915 re-deployed again as an oiler – hire charge 10sh 6d p.d.w.t
1 February 1918 while in a convoy from Hampton Roads to Liverpool escorted by HMS BERWICK lost contact with the convoy together with three other ships
4 February 1918 rejoined convoy at 55.30N 11.20W
10 March 1918 at Liverpool Fireman John Maxwell discharged dead from natural causes
5 April 1918 torpedoed and damaged by German Submarine UB 64 (Kapitänleutnant Otto von Schrader) in the Irish Sea while on passage from Liverpool to Queenstown with a cargo of fuel oil but reached port safely for repairs.
1919 returned to her owners, name unchanged
6 January 1919 sailed Fayal for Rotterdam
27 August 1920 off the Sambar Light Vessel Fireman Chai Lai discharged dead – drowned
11 July 1922 at sea at 12.18N 120.53E Chief Steward Zok Fong discharged dead from Typhoid Fever
1925 served as a Depot Ship at New York along with PYRULA (ex RFA BAYOL) and both ships were up for sale for £25,000
1926 purchased by Societe Petroliferna Esercizi Maritima, Venice and renamed ANTARES
1927 owners now Danubio Soc Anon di Nav, Italy name unchanged
1930 owners now Guilio Giavani, Italy name unchanged
1931 owners now Soc Anon di Nav Antares, Genoa name unchanged
1933 purchased by Tuva Ltd (G. Castalgi, Manager) Istanbul name unchanged
1938 owners restyled as Tuva Ltd Sirket (Capt G. Folcini, Manager) name unchanged
12 July 1942 torpedoed and sunk by Italian submarine ALAGI north of Beirut but was later refloated and laid up.
4th quarter 1943 broken up at Istanbul