Official Number:                   101968

Laid down:

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

Launched:                                     February 1893

Into Service:                                 11 August 1914

Out of service:                              11 February 1918

Fate:                                             11 February 1918 torpedoed and sunk

Items of historic interest involving this ship: –

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

Career Data:

20 December 1892 launched by W.G. Armstrong, Mitchell & Co, Low Walker as Yard Nr: 597 named BAKU STANDARD for Alfred Stuart & Co, London

23 December 1892 the Lloyds List newspaper reported –

February 1893 completed

4 February 1893 sailed from the Tyne on trials

9 February 1893 passed St Catherines Point sailing west bound

14 June 1893 passed the Lizard sailing east from Philaadelphia when on passage to Dover

10 August 1893 passed St Catherines Point sailing west bound for Cork via Dartmouth

13 August 1893 sailed Dartmouth for Philadelphia

25 August 1893 arrived at Philadelphia from Dartmouth

18 January 1894 arrived at Dartmouth from Sunderland. Captain H S Browne was Master

1 November 1894 passed Gravesend for Purfleet from New York

22 December 1894 arrived at Avonmouth from New York

12 February 1895 sailed Falmouth for London

19?? owners became Associated Oil Carriers Ltd (John I Jacobs & Co Ltd., Managers) London, named unchanged

2 June 1895 sailed Penarth for Philadelphia

7 July 1895 arrived at Pauillac from Philadelphia

7 August 1895 arrived at Philadelphia from Penarth

20 September 1895 while berthed at No 13 Pier, North Shields was struck by a hopper under tow of the tug Gwendoline which caused damage to the hopper which then  had to be beached to prevent it sinking

12 January 1896 arrived at Philadelphia from Marseilles

9 May 1896 sailed Shields for Philadelphia

5 September 1896 passed Constantinople

3 January 1897 sailed Liverpool for Batum

8 May 1897 passed Constantinople

21 July 1897 passed Gravesend for Purfleet from Philadelphia

19 October 1897 arrived Elbe from New York

16 November 1897 at St John’s Newfoundland towed into port the ss Strathmore which had suffered damage and the loss of her propeller from heavy seas while on passage from Ardrossan to Baltimore in ballast. The Baku Standard was on passage from South Shields to Baltimore and responded to flares fired by the ss Strathmore

14 December 1897 arrived at Gravesend from Philadelphia

2 February 1898 arrived at Portland from Philadelphia

15 March 1898 before the Admiralty Division of the High Court (Mr Justice Barnes and Trinity Masters) when salvage amounting to £2,000 was awarded to the Baku Standard for their salvage of the SS Strathmore – £1,600 to her owners, £150 to her Master and £250 to her crew

30 April 1898 the Lloyds List newspaper reported …

22 June 1898 at about 3 miles NW of Dungeness in collision with ss Rock Light in clear weather. The Baku Standard suffered serious damage

18 January 1899 arrived at Gravesend from Batum

3 February 1899 before the Admiralty Division of the High Court (Mr Justice Phillimore and Trinity Masters) the Baku Standard was found totally responsible for the collision

10 April 1899 arrived at Constaninople with damage to her boilers

9 June 1899 passed Constantinople

13 June 1899 arrived at Batum from Manchester

25 July 1899 passed Constantinople while on passage from Cardiff to Batoum

7 November 1899 while attempting to enter Sunderland tidal basin she struck the east quay causing damage to her stem

31 December 1899 passed the Dardanelles

20 January 1900 arrived Galle from Batoum

22 January 1900 sailed Galle for Shanghai

7 June 1900 sailed Shields for Batoum

9 July 1900 at Batoum Able Seaman John Pakalel discharged dead – drowned while bathing

14 July 1900 passed the Dardanelles

26 October 1900 at Suez on passage from the East Indies

31 October 1900 passed the Dardanelles

9 May 1901 off Perim when on passage to Colombo, Ceylon

27 July 1903 arrived at Philadelphia damaged by ice resulting in her having to enter dry dock

24 October 1907 at Alexandria Fireman & Trimmer Henry Montgomery King discharged dead – murdered

13 December 1907 while on passage from Philadelphia to Rouen suffered damage from very heavy seas. Put into Queenstown, Ireland with the Master having broken both legs and the 3rd Mate having suffered one broken leg

27 December 1907 at the Sailors Home, Alexandria Fireman James Murphy discharged dead – natural causes

6 May 1909 berthed at Queen Alexandra Dock, Cardiff

24 August 1909 passed the Lloyds Signal Station at Dover

17 October 1910 berthed at Jarrow

6 April 1911 at Algiers Fireman Thomas Taylor discharged dead from meningitis

20 December 1911 passed Constantinople for Kustendje

17 June 1912 at Long Reach, River Thames in collision with the London steamer Brook. The Brook was inbound from the River Tyne with a cargo of coal. She suffered serious damage and had to be put ashore. Damage to the Baku Standard was slight

29 July 1912 passed the Lloyds Signal Station at Dover sailing north bound for London

24 January 1913 in collision with the Thames sailing Barge Lily Byford in Northfleet Hope, Gravesend which resulted in the loss of the barge whose Master and Mate were drowned

15 July 1913 at Batoum Fireman William Jones discharged dead – natural causes

4 February 1914 passed Gibraltar sailing east

7 March 1914 passed Sagres sailing north

26 June 1914 arrived at Philadelphia from Portland

11 August 1914 requisitioned for Admiralty service as an oiler, name unchanged

5 October 1914 while at sea on passage from Texas to Portland spoken to by HMS CAESAR to confirm identity

HMS CAESAR

27 May 1915 arrived River Tyne and berthed at Mercantile Dock

15 June 1915 sailed from the River Tyne with sealed orders

21 October 1916 at Scapa Flow moored alongside the Armed Merchant Cruiser HMS AVENGER to refuel her. Supplied 1,770 tons of FFO

HMS AVENGER

16 December 1916 & 17 December 1916 at Scapa Flow moored alongside the Armed Merchant Cruiser HMS AVENGER to refuel her. Supplied 2,608 tons

11 February 1918 torpedoed and sunk by the German Submarine UC.58 5.75 miles S of Stonehaven while on passage from Greenock to the Firth of Forth with a cargo of oil and with the loss of 21 merchant seaman, 2 members of the RNVR and 1 member of the Royal Navy. A later survey gives her position as 56°48.30N 02°12.45W which is 2.7 mils ESE of Gourdon