Requisitioned Auxiliary – Beaconoil

 

Beaconoil 

 

Official Number:                     168829

Laid down:

Builder:                                    Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp Ltd, Alameda, Ca

Launched:                               14 May 1919

Into Service:                            1941

Out of service:                         during WW2

Fate:                                         3rd quarter 1950 arrived to be broken up

 

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:

 

14 May 1919 launched by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp Ltd, Alameda, Ca as Yard Nr 1463/5259 named DEVOLENTE for the United States Shipping Board, San Francisco

September 1919 completed

7 October 1919 arrived at Kobe, Japan from San Fransisco

25 August 1920 reported by radio that at noon this day she was six miles East of Sand Key

6 December 1920 sailed from Norfolk

1923 purchased by Beacon Oil Co Inc, Boston and renamed BEACONOIL

1926  owners became Beacon Transport Co Inc, Boston name unchanged

1928  owners became National Bank of Commerce in New York (Trustee) Inc, name unchanged

1931  owners became Standard Shipping Co Inc, Wilmington name unchanged

1935  owners became Standard Oil Co of New Jersey, Wilmington name unchanged

23 March 1938 sailed from Philadelphia for Baytown, Texas

1940  owners became Panama Transport Co, Panama name unchanged

24 February 1940 sailed Boston independently

27 March 1940 sailed Algiers independently to Haifa

4 April 1940 sailed Haifa independently

16 April 1940 sailed Oran in Franch convoy 20R

17 April 1940 sailed Casablanca in French convoy KS88 to Brest arriving 23 April 1940

24 April 1940 sailed Brest independently to Le Harve arriving 25 April 1940

1 May 1940 sailed Le Harve independently to St Helens Roads arriving the next day

5 May 1940 sailed St Helens Roads in convoy OA142 until it dispersed on 7 May 1940 and then independently to New York arriving 29 May 1940

8 June 1940 sailed New York independently to Aruba arriving 21 June 1940

23 June 1940 sailed Aruba independently to the Cape Verde Islands arriving 5 July 1940

9 July 1940 sailed Cape Verde Islands independently to Aruba arriving 22 July 1940

25 July 1940 sailed Aruba independently to Havana, Cuba arriving 30 July 1940

1 August 1940 sailed Havana, Cuba independently to Santiago, Cuba arriving 4 August 1940

4 August 1940 sailed Santiago, Cuba independently to Aruba 10 August 1940

12 August 1940 sailed Aruba independently to Buenos Aires arriving 3 September 1940

5 September 1940 sailed Buenos Aires independently to Caripito arriving 24 September 1940

25 September 1940 sailed Caripito independently to Trinidad arriving the next day

26 September 1940 sailed Trinidad independently to Teneriffe arriving 9 October 1940

12 October 1940 sailed Teneriffe independently to New York

3 November 1940 sailed New York independently to Aruba arriving 10 November 1940

11 November 1940 sailed Aruba independently to Boston arriving 20 November 1940

21 November 1940 sailed Boston independently to Caripito arriving 29 November 1940

1 December 1940 sailed Caripito independently to New York arriving 9 December 1940

10 December 1940 sailed New York independently to Aruba arriving 18 December 1940

19 December 1940 sailed Aruba independently to New York arriving 30 December 1940

7 January 1941 sailed New York independently to Aruba arriving 14 January 1941

15 Hanuary 1941 sailed Aruba inependently to San Juan, Puerto Rico 17 January 1941

17 January 1941 sailed San Juan, Puerto Rico independently to Ponce arriving 18 January 1941

18 January 1941 sailed Ponce independently to Caripito arriving 22 January 1941

23 January 1941 sailed Caripito independently to Aruba arriving 24 January 1941

27 January 1941 sailed Aruba independently to San Juan, Puerto Rico arriving 28 January 1941

30 January 1941 sailed Mayaguez independently

3 February 1941 sailed Puerto La Cruz independently to Aruba arriving 4 February 1941

6 February 1941 sailed Aruba independently to Cristobal arriving 9 February 1941

11 February 1941 sailed Cristobal independently to Cartagena, Columbia arriving 13 February 1941

13 February 1941 sailed Cartagena, Columbia independently to Aruba arriving 15 February 1941

17 February 1941 sailed Aruba independently to San Juan, Puerto Rico arriving 18 February 1941

20 February 1941 sailed San Juan, Puerto Rico independently to Ponce arriving the same day

21 February 1941 sailed Ponce independently to Caripito arriving 24 February 1941

25 February 1941 sailed Caripito independently to Teneriffe arriving 10 March 1941

13 March 1941 sailed Teneriffe independently to Caripito arriving 24 March 1941

25 March 1941 sailed Caripito independently to Rio De Janeiro arriving 9 April 1941

10 April 1941 sailed Rio De Janeiro independently to Santos arriving 11 April 1941

11 April 1941 sailed Santos independently to Caripito arriving 24 April 1941

26 April 1941 sailed Caripito independently to Teneriffe arriving 8 May 1941

12 May 1941 sailed Teneriffe independently to Aruba

18 May 1941 sailed Aruba independently to Guaira

22 May 1941 sailed Guaira independently to Aruba arriving 25 May 1941

26 May 1941 sailed Aruba independently to Las Piedras arriving the same day

27 May 1941 sailed Las Piedras independently to Baltimore arriving 3 June 1941

5 June 1941 sailed Baltimore independently to Aruba arriving 11 June 1941

12 June 1941 sailed Aruba independently to St. Thomas arriving 15 June 1941

16 June 1941 sailed St. Thomas independently to Aruba arriving 18 June 1941

1941 – 1942 registration transferred to Panama Transport Co, London name unchanged but re-registered under the Red Ensign and was requisitioned for Admiralty service as an oiler

19 July 1942 off Swinburne Island in the Ambrose Channel – off Staten Island in the Lower New York Bay struck and sank USS YP-8 . All of the crew of 13 taken onboard the tanker and salvage operations commenced the next day

22 October 1942 Third Officer Sidney Norman Peters discharged dead. He is buried in Rochester (St. Margarets) Cemetery in section S grave 26

Peters S

Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project

1942 reverted to Panamanian registration, name unchanged

Third quarter 1950 arrived Baltimore for demolition by Patapsco Scrap Co