Kremlin after being renamed Anne de France in 1947

Official Number:                     102125

Laid down:

Builder:                                  Sir W.G. Armstrong, Mitchell & Co Ltd, Low Walker

Launched:                              25 October 1893

Into Service:                           1914

Out of service:                        1918

Fate:                                      1953 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:

25 October 1893 launched by Sir W.G. Armstrong, Mitchell & Co Ltd, Low Walker as Yard Nr: 608 named SNOWFLAKE for Bear Creek Oil & Shipping  Co Ltd (C.T. Bowring & Co Ltd, Managers) Liverpool

December 1893 completed

8 January 1894 sailed the River Tyne

11 December 1899 arrived at Gravesend

5 March 1901 at 50.13N 13.30W Able Seaman Louis Anderson discharged dead – washed over board

23 December 1903 at 4.40N 32.30W 2nd Engineer Officer A M Runciman discharged dead – found missing at sea

22 February 1907 at 37.37N 3.12E 4th Engineer Officer David W Patterson discharged dead – sufficated by gas

9 October 1908 arrived at Bergen, Norway

4 December 1908 sailed Bergen, Norway for Tyne Dock

1 January 1909 sailed Philadephia for Bergen, Norway

19 January 1909 berthed at Bergen, Norway

28 May 1909 sailed Tyne Dock for Nipe Bay, Cuba

13 October 1912 at sea 1st Engineer Officer John A Smith discharged dead from heart failure

1913 purchased by Soc Anon d’Armament d’Industrie & de Commerce, Antwerp and renamed KREMLIN                                

1914 – 18 acquired for Admiralty service as an Oiler, name unchanged

20 April 1917 at Scapa Flow alongside HMS AVENGER refuelling her. RFA KIMMEROL was alongside at the same time

1918 returned to her owners, name unchanged

22 April 1919 sailed Philadelphia to Genoa

25 August 1919 arrived at Philadelphia

20 November 1919 sailed Newport News to Rouen

23 April 1920 sailed Shields to Philadelphia

20 July 1920 sailed Philadelphia for St Louis du Rhone

27 September 1920 berthed at Liverpool from Philadelphia

1922 purchased by Hvalfanger A/S Vestfold (J Rasmussen & A. Lange, Managers)  Sandefjord and renamed VELLOY 

24 December 1922 off Lundy Isle while on passage from Cardiff for South Georgia reported loss of some of the deck cargo aft and a small boat with other damage

1923 managers became J. Rasmussen & Co, Sandefjord name unchanged

15 October 1923 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west

11 August 1924 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west

24 August 1925 purchased by Bryde & Dahls Hvalfangerselskap A/S  (A/S Thor Dahl, Manager) Sandefjord and renamed THOROY

1 May 1940 sailed Halifax independently to Reykjavik, Iceland arriving 13 May 1940

17 May 1940 sailed Reyklavik, Iceland independently to Kirkwall arriving 22 May 1940

25 May 1940 sailed Kirkwall independently to Methil Roads arriving 27 May 1940

27 May 1940 sailed Methil in escorted convoy MT75 arriving the same day

13 June 1940 sailed the River Tyne in unescorted convoy FS194 to Southend arriving 15 June 1940

17 June 1940 sailed Southend in escorted convoy OA169 to Falmouth arriving 24 June 1940

14 July 1940 sailed Falmouth to Bristol arriving 17 July 1940

22 July 1940 sailed Bristol independently to Cardiff arriving the next day

26 August 1940 sailed Cardiff independently to Milford Haven arriving the next day

28 August 1940 sailed Milford Haven joining escorted convoy OB205 until it dispersed on 30 August 1940 and then independently to Curacao

22 September 1940 sailed Curacao independently to Sydney, Cape Breton arriving 3 October 1940

5 October 1940 sailed Sydney, Cape Breton in escorted convoy SC7 with a cargo of FFO arriving the River Clyde 22 October 1940

24 October 1940 sailed the River Clyde independently to Liverpool arriving the next day

9 December 1940 sailed Liverpool independently to Swansea arriving 11 December 1940

19 December 1940 sailed Swansea independently to Southampton arriving 21 December 1940

24 December 1940 sailed Southampton independently to Swansea arriving 29 December 1940

2 January 1941 sailed Swansea independently to Avonmouth arriving the next day

17 January 1941 hit and damaged by a bomb during an air raid on Avonmouth

6 March 1941 sailed Avonmouth after repairs had been effected independently to Swansea arriving 8 March 1940

14 March 1941 sailed Swansea independently to Avonmouth arriving the enxt day

18 March 1941 sailed Avonmouth independently to Swansea arriving the same day

8 April 1947  purchased by Cia Panamena de Nav. Santa Maria S.A (Laurent Reboul & Gabriel Couteaux, Managers) Panama and renamed ANNE DE FRANCE

12/01/53 arrived Rosyth for demolition by Metal Industries Ltd which commenced the following day