Official Number:                       159807  

Laid down:

Builder:                                     Bremer Vulkan A.G. , Vegesack

Launched:                                1938

Into Service:                             1939

Out of service:                          19 October 1941

Fate:                                         19 October 1941 torpedoed and 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:

1938 launched by Bremer Vulkan A.G., Vegesack as Yard Nr: 748 named INVERLEE for Inver Tankers Ltd., (A.Weir & Co, Managers) Glasgow.

March 1938 completed

10 April 1938 in the North Atlantic 200 nmiles north of the Azores the Greek steamer Mount Kyllene while on passage from Amsterdam to the US Gulf Ports broke in two after an explosion onboard. Five members of the crew were rescued by the Inverlee

22 April 1938 arrived at Hull

11 June 1938 arrived at Falmouth

17 June 1938 sailed from Plymouth

16 August 1938 sailed Texas City for Le Havre

31 August 1938 on passage to Le Havre reported by Radio she was 196 miles WSW from Niton 

5 September 1938 at Falmouth

18 November 1938 sailed New Orleans for Hamburg

13 December 1938 arrived at Falmouth

3 March 1939 sailed Houston for Le Havre

9 August 1939 arrived at Corpus Christi from Dunkirk 

1939 requisitioned for Admiralty service as an oiler, name unchanged

28 September 1939 sailed Gibraltar in convoy Green 3 to Alexandria arriving 7 October 1939

7 October 1939 sailed Port Said independently to Abadan arriving 20 October 1939

21 October 1939 sailed Abadan independently to Port Said arriving 5 November 1939

11 November 1939 sailed Port Said in convoy HG8 to Devonport arriving 30 November 1939

20 December 1939 sailed Plymouth to join convoy OA55G which reformed into convoy OG11 on 21 December 1939 at sea and sailed to pass Gibraltar on 26 December 1939 thence independently to Port Said arriving 2 January 1940

2 January 1940 sailed Port Said independently to Aden arriving 7 January 1940

8 January 1940 sailed Aden independently to Abadan arriving 15 January 1940

17 January 1940 sailed Abadan independently to Suez arriving 29 January 1940

30 January 1940 sailed Port Said independently to Gibraltar arriving 7 February 1940

9 February 1940 sailed Gibraltar in convoy HG18 to Liverpool arriving 19 February 1940

1 April 1940 sailed Liverpool in convoy OB121 until it dispersed on 4 April 1940 and then independently to Curaçao arriving 17 April 1940

18 April 1940 sailed Curaçao independently to Halifax arriving 27 April 1940

30 April 1940 sailed Halifax in convoy HX39 to the Clyde arriving 14 May 1940. RFA OLIGARCH also sailed in this convoy to Scapa Flow

24 May 1940 sailed from the Clyde joining convoy OB154 until dispersal on 28 May 1940 at 46.38N 20.20W and then independently to Trinidad arriving 8 June 1940

13 June 1940 sailed Trinidad independently to Bermuda arriving 18 June 1940

20 June 1940 sailed Bermuda in convoy BHX52 joining Convoy HX52 from Halifax to Devonport arriving 6 July 1940

12 July 1940 sailed Plymouth independently to Milford Haven

15 July 1940 sailed Milford Haven to join convoy OB184 until dispersal on 18 July 1940 then sailed independently to Trinidad arriving 31 July 1940

6 August 1940 sailed Trinidad independently to Bermuda arriving 11 August 1940

11 August 1940 sailed Bermuda in convoy BHX65 to Halifax joining convoy HX65 to the River Clyde arriving 26 August 1940

21 September 1940 sailed the River Clyde to join Convoy OB217 from Liverpool until dispersal on 25 September 1940 then sailed independently to Curaçao arriving 8 October 1940

10 October 1940 sailed Curaçao independently to Bermuda arrived 14 October 1940

18 October 1940 sailed Bermuda in convoy BHX82 to Halifax and then joined convoy HX82 to the River Clyde arriving 5 November 1940

28 November 1940 sailed the River Clyde to join Convoy OB251 from Liverpool until dispersal on 1 December 1940 then sailed independently to Curaçao arriving 16 December 1940

18 December 1940 sailed Curaçao independently to Bermuda arrived 24 December 1940

30 December 1940 sailed Bermuda in convoy BHX100 to Halifax and then joined convoy HX100 on 4 January 1941 to the River Clyde arriving 16 January 1941

28 January 1941 sailed the River Clyde to join Convoy OB279 from Liverpool until dispersal on 2 February 1941 then sailed independently to Curaçao arriving 21 February 1941

2 March 1941 sailed Curaçao independently to Bermuda arrived 7 March 1941

9 March 1941 sailed Bermuda in convoy BHX114 to Halifax and then joined convoy HX114 on 14 March 1941 to Loch Ewe arriving 30 March 1941

10 April 1941 sailed Scapa Flow to Loch Ewe arriving the next day and then independently to Curaçao arriving 30 April 1941

3 May 1941 sailed Curaçao independently to Gibraltar arriving 17 May 1941

22 May 1941 sailed Gibraltar independently to Aruba and Curaçao arriving 5 June 1941

6 June 1941 sailed Curaçao independently to Bermuda arrived 11 June 1941

14 June 1941 sailed Bermuda in convoy BHX133 to Halifax and then joined convoy HX133 on 20 June 1941 to Liverpool arriving 2 July 1941

3 July 1941 sailed Liverpool independently to the River Clyde arriving the next day

7 July 1941 sailed the River Clyde in escorted convoy WN150 to Scapa Flow arriving 9 July 1941

17 July 1941 sailed Liverpool to Halifax in escorted convoy OB348 then onto New York

19 August 1941 sailed New York independently to Curaçao arriving 25 August 1941

27 August 1941 sailed Curaçao independently to Barbados arriving 29 August 1941

30 August 1941 sailed Barbados independently to Gibraltar arriving 13 September 1941

16 September 1941 sailed Gibraltar independently to Trinidad arriving 29 September 1941

4 October 1941 sailed Trinidad for Gibraltar

19 October 1941 torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-204 in the Atlantic 15 miles WSW of Cape Spartel, Morocco while on passage from Trinidad to Gibraltar carrying 13,880 tons of fuel oil with the loss of twenty two lives. Twenty one survivors were rescued by the destroyer leader HMS DUNCAN (Lt. Cdr. Arthur Rowell Royal Navy) and the trawlers HMS LADY HOGARTH (Lt S G Barnes Royal Naval Reserve0 and HMS HAARLEM (Lt Leslie B Merrick RNVR) and landed at Gibraltar. Twenty one of those whose lives were lost are recorded with pride on the Tower Hill Memorial and one is recorded with pride on the Chatham Naval Memorial

12 May 1942 Chief Engineer Officer Fred Ellis awarded a Commendation for services when the ship was torpedoed and sunk. Details published in the London Gazette of this day