Official Number:                    96153

Laid down:

Builder:                                Armstrong, Mitchell & Co Ltd, Low Walker

Launched:                            3 August 1889

Into Service:                         25 July 1915

Out of service:                      1918

Fate:                                    Sunk April 1941

Background Data:

One of a group of additional ships requisitioned by the Admiralty during WW1 to augment the ships of the RFA

Career Data:

3 August 1889 launched by Armstrong, Mitchell & Co Ltd, Low Walker as Yard Nr: 555 named  KURA for Petroleum Steamship Co Ltd (Stephens & Mawson, Managers) London

August 1889  completed

10 June 1892 passed Constantinople when on passage to Antwerp

8 August 1893 arrived Philadelphia from the River Tyne

28 December 1895 at Newport Apprentice Frederick David John Davies discharged dead having been hit by a railway truck on the dockside

7 April 1897 in the River Thames the steamer Winston was sailing upstream when she was in collision with the steamer Newburn which steaming down stream. While the two ships were still in contact the Kura ran into the Winston and the Winston ran ashore

Press report 8 April 1897 from the Shields Gazette

1 July 1897 in the Admiralty Division of the High Court before the Right Hon. Sir Francis H Jeune, President of the Division aided by Trinity Masters found the steamer Newburn to be totally to blame for the collision

12 December 1897 at Hamburg Able Seaman M Manso discharged dead from malaria

5 December 1898 in the River Mersey in collision with the steamer Rosemore

30 December 1899 at Novorossisk

5 May 1900 arrived at Bremerhaven from New York

30 November 1901 at 36.33N 19.40E Apprentice William Gibbs Goad dischargded dead having been hit by a heavy sea

15 August 1902 at 40.06N 9.30W Able Seaman Harry Rudge discharged dead – lost overboard

30 January 1905 at 44.33N 37.33E Apprentice Alan Doubting Skardon discharged dead – washed overboard

6 July 1906 in dry dock at Blyth when a quantity of crude oil in the fore tank exploded –

17 March 1908 at 37.15N 10.58E Fireman Prince Albert Forde discharged dead having been scalled in the boiler room

7 July 1908 at 48.22N 23.00W Assistant steward Harry Incledon dischargd dead from preumonia

20 February 1909 at 46.04n 3.47W Able Seaman Charles Smith discharged dead from heart failure

27 May 1909 at Norfolk Virginia Fireman William Johnson discharged dead from natural causes

12 August 1909 at Malta Fireman & Trimmer James O’Brien discharged dead from severe scalding in the stoke hold

13 April 1912 sailed New York to Algiers arriving 1 May 1912

4 August 1913 at Nova Scotia Fireman & Trimmer Maurice Ray discharged dead – suicide

30 July 1914 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west

10 December 1914 arrived at New York  from Hull

9 March 1915 arrived at Belfast from New York

26 June 1915 arrived at Tampa from Plymouth

25 July 1915 requisitioned for Admiralty service as an Oiler – name unchanged – at a monthly rental of £2,015 4sh

9 February 1916 off Fair Isle sighted by HMS TENDY CASTLE

28 September 1918 at Scapa Flow refuelled HMS TORCH with 22 tons of FFO and 2.25 tons of culinary coal

26 August 1921 arrived at Colombo with damage to her boilers

11 December 1922 exchanged signals with HMS ESPIEGLE while on passage to Abadan

1924 purchased by Soc. Armatrice Italiana, Genoa and renamed PERSIANO

1938 purchased by G.M. Barbagelata, Genoa name unchanged.

12 April 1941 torpedoed by HMS/m TETRARCH while on passage from Palermo to Tripoli with a cargo of petrol. Was sunk by her escort later in the day 40 miles North of Tripoli