Official Number:                      162645

Laid down:

Builder:                                    Workman Clark (1928) Ltd, Belfast

Launched:                                28 May 1931

Into Service:                             1939

Out of service:                          1941

Fate:                                          April 1941 sunk

Items of historic interest involving this ship: –

Background Data:  One of an additional group of ships requisitioned by the Admiralty during WW2 to augment the ships of the RFA

Career Data

28 May 1931 launched by Workman Clark (1928) Ltd., Belfast as Yard Nr: 518 named CONUS for Anglo Saxon Petroleum Co Ltd, London.

December 1931 completed

28 December 1931 was 360 miles SW of  Valentia when on passage to St Kitts

10 February 1932 arrived at Thameshaven from Houston, Texas

14 April 1933 berthed at Liverpool from Curaçao

28 August 1933 at Colon, Republic of Panama

4 November 1933 sailed from Houston for Montreal, Canada

15 March 1934 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west

12 August 1934 at Montreal, Canada

3 November 1935 sailed Curaçao for Lisbon

21 October 1936 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west

2 June 1937 sailed Curaçao for Buenos Aires

16 September 1938 arrived Curaçao from Cardiff

1939 requisitioned  for Admiralty service as an oiler, name unchanged

4 October 1939 sailed Kingston, Jamaica in escorted convoy KJ3 to the Clyde arriving 28 October 1939

23 November 1939 sailed the Clyde independently to Liverpool arriving the next day

26 November 1939 sailed Liverpool in escorted convoy OB42 which dispersed on 1 December 1939 and then independently to Trinidad arriving 15 December 1939

19 December 1939 sailed Trinidad independently to Freetown arriving 1 January 1940

5 January 1940 sailed Freetown independently to Trinidad arriving 16 January 1940

18 January 1940 sailed Trinidad independently to Halifax

31 January 1940 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy HX18 to Scapa Flow arriving 13 February 1940

18 February 1940 sailed Scapa Flow independently to Trinidad arriving 7 March 1940

9 March 1940 sailed Trinidad independently to Halifax arriving 20 March 1940

25 Narch 1940 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy HX30 to Liverpool arriving 8 April 1940

8 April 1940 sailed Liverpool independently to Scapa Flow arriving 10 April 1940

21 April 1940 sailed Scapa Flow independently to the River Clyde arriving 24 April 1940

15 May 1940 sailed the River Clyde joining convoy escorted OB149 until it dispersed on 17 May 1940 and then independently to Trinidad arriving 2 June 1940

4 June 1940 sailed Trinidad independently to Bermuda arriving 11 June 1940

12 June 1940 sailed Bermuda in escorted convoy BHX50 which joined escorted convoy HX50 on 17 June 1940 from Halifax to the River Clyde with a cargo of FFO arriving 28 June 1940

12 July 1940 sailed the River Clyde independently to Trinidad arriving 29 July 1940

30 July 1940 sailed Trinidad independently to Curacao arriving 2 August 1940

4 August 1940 sailed Curaçao independently to Bermuda arriving 9 August 1940

11 August 1940 sailed Bermuda in escorted convoy BHX65 which joined escorted convoy HX65 from Halifax on 16 August 1940 with a cargo of FFO to the River Clyde arriving 26 August 1940

9 September 1940 sailed the River Clyde independently to Barry arriving the next day

8 October 1940 sailed Barry independently to Swansea arriving 10 October 1940

19 October 1940 sailed Swansea independently to Liverpool arriving 21 October 1940

4 November 1940 sailed Liverpool in escorted convoy OB239 which, together with a number of other ships in the convoy returned to Oban on 8 November 1940

10 November 1940 sailed Oban in escorted convoy OB239/1 until dispersal on the 14 November 1940 and then independently to Trinidad arriving 30 November 1940

15 December 1940 sailed Trinidad independently to Takoradi arriving 29 December 1940

29 December 1940 sailed Takoradi independently to Freetown

6 January 1941 sailed Freetown independently to Curaçao arriving 20 January 1941

23 January 1941 sailed Curaçao independently to Bermuda arriving 28 January 1941

1 February 1941 sailed Bermuda in escorted convoy BHX107 with a cargo of FFO and joined escorted convoy HX107 from Halifax on 7 February 1941. Sailed in convoy HX107 to Loch Ewe arriving 21 February 1941 and thence in convoy WN89 to Scapa Flow arriving 25 February 1941

6 March 1941 sailed Methil in escorted convoy EN/82 to Oban arriving 10 March 1941 in ballast

11 March 1941 sailed Belfast Lough independently to Holyhead

13 March 1941 sailed Holyhead independently to Cardiff arriving the next day

27 March 1941 sailed Cardiff independently to Swansea arriving the same day

28 March 1941 sailed Swansea independently to Milford Haven arriving the next day

30 March 1941 sailed Milford Haven in escorted convoy OB304 until dispersal 

4 April 1941 torpedoed and sunk by German Submarine U-97 in the Atlantic SE of Cape Farewell in position 56°14 N 31°19 W while on passage from Swansea and Milford Haven to Curaçao in ballast as part of Convoy OB 304 with the loss of all 59 of her crew. Seventeen of the crew and the Master are remembered with pride on the Tower Hill Memorial

image courtesy of Brian Watson

Able Seaman Frederick Albert Barnes C/J109839 is remembered with pride on the Chatham Naval Memorial. The loss of the remaining members of the crew are remembered with pride on the Hong Kong Memorial