Official Number:                       156146

Laid down:

Builder:                                    Odense Staatskibsvaerft, Odense

Launched:                               15 December 1927

Into Service:                            1940

Out of service:                         22 October 1945

Fate:                                        5 January 1956 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:

15 December 1927 launched by Odense Staatskibsvaerft, Odense as Yard Nr: 22 named ANNA MAERSK for A/S D/S Svendborg & D/S af 1912 (A.P. Moller, Managers), Copenhagen

March 1928 completed.

24 August 1930 arrived at Colon, Republic of Panama from Falmouth 

6 December 1930 reported by radio to Niton she was 15 miles east of the Lizard when on passage to Hamburg                        

1932 renamed BENTE MAERSK by her owners

20 April 1934 sailed from Belfast for St Thomas

31 May 1938 passed Gravesend

17 August 1938 sailed River Tees for Naples via Antwerp

25 June 1939 sailed Immingham for Wilmington

24 December 1939 sailed Abadan independently to Aden arriving 1 January 1940

22 January 1940 sailed Aden independently to Abadan

30 January 1940 sailed Abadan independently to Aden arriving 7 February 1940

7 February 1940 sailed Aden independently to Port Sudan arriving 10 February 1940

12 February 1940 sailed to Port Sudan to Abadan

25 February 1940 sailed Abadan independently to Suez arriving 10 March 1940

13 March 1940 sailed Suez independently to Venice

22 March 1940 sailed Venicle independently to Kingston arriving 13 April 1940 and Port Arthur arriving 14 May 1940

May 1940 taken over in Jamaica by the MoWT and placed under management of Hunting & Sons Ltd, London, name unchanged

23 May 1940 sailed Kingston independently to Aruba arriving 27 May 1940

28 May 1940 sailed Aruba independently to Bermuda arriving 3 June 1940

4 June 1940 sailed Bermuda in convoy BHX48 and then joined convoy HX48 at Halifax to the Devonport with a cargo of FFO arriving 20 June 1940

12 July 1940 sailed Southend in convoy FN220 to Methil arriving 14 July 1940. RFA Larchol also sailed in this convoy

18 July 1940 sailed Methil in convoy OA186 until dispersal on 21 July 1940 and then independently to Halifax arriving 30 July 1940

4 August 1940 sailed Halifax independently to Port Arthur

17 August 1940 sailed Port Arthur independently to Halifax

1 September 1940 sailed Halifax in convoy HX70 with a cargo of crude oil to Liverpool arriving on 23 September 1940

8 November 1940 sailed Liverpool independently to Milford Haven arriving on 12 November 1940

17 November 1940 sailed Milford Haven independently to Swansea arriving the next day

26 November 1940 sailed Swansea independently to Dartmouth arriving on 28 November 1940

29 November 1940 sailed Dartmouth independently to Southampton arriving the next day

6 December 1940 sailed Southampton independently to Dartmouth arriving the next day

8 December 1940 sailed Dartmouth independently to Swansea arriving 10 December 1940

22 December 1940 sailed Swansea independently to Southampton arriving 26 December 1940

31 December 1940 sailed Southampton independently to Dartmouth arriving on 3 January 1941

5 January 1941 sailed Dartmouth independently to Milford Haven arriving the next day

8 January 1941 sailed Milford Haven joining escorted convoy OB271 until dispersal on 12 January 1941 thence independently to Curacao arriving 31 January 1941

5 February 1941 sailed Curacao independently to Las Piedras arriving the same day

6 February 1941 sailed Las Piedras independently to Bermuda arriving 12 February 1941 with a cargo of crude oil

17 February 1941 sailed Bermuda in escorted convoy BHX110 which joined escorted convoy HX110 from Halifax on 23 February 1941 to Liverpool arriving 11 March 1941

28 March 1941 sailed Liverpool in escorted convoy OB303 until dispersal on 3 April 1941 and thence indepdendently to Aruba arriving 22 April 1941

22 April 1941 sailed Aruba independently to Las Piedras arriving the same day

24 April 1941 sailed Las Piedras independently to Halifax arriving 6 May 1941 with a cargo of crude oil

10 May 1941 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy HX126 to Belfast Lough arriving 27 May 1941

28 May 1941 sailed Belfast Lough independently to Liverpool arriving the next day

6 July 1941 sailed Liverpool in escorted convoy OB343 until dispersal on the 21 July 1941 thence independently to New York arriving 25 July 1941

10 August 1941 sailed New York independently to Halifax arriving 13 August 1941

16 August 1941 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy HX145 to Belfast Lough arriving 30 August 1941

31 August 1941 sailed Belfast Lough in unescorted convoy BB70 to Swansea arriving 2 September 1941

14 September 1941 sailed Swansea independently to Milford Haven arriving the next day

16 September 1941 sailed Milford Haven in escorted convoy ON17 but returned to Belfast Lough arriving 18 September 1941

22 September 1941 sailed Belfast Lough joining escorted convoy ON19 until dispersal on 7 October 1941 and thence independently to Curaçao arriving 18 October 1941

25 November 1948 in collision with a British freighter near Themse causing heavy damage

5 July 1953 laid up at Copenhagen

30 December 1955 sold for scrap to Junta des Desguaces, Madrid

5 January 1956 arrived at Passajes for demolition in tow of the tug RODE ZEE