Official Number:                      112747

Builder:                                  Armstrong, Whitworth & Co, Low Walker

Launched:                              29 May 1900

Into Service:                           1914

Out of service:                        1917

Fate:                                     20 August 1917 torpedoed and sunk 

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:

29 May 1900 launched by Armstrong, Whitworth & Co, Low Walker as Yard Nr: 697 named BULYSSES for Shell Transport & Trading Co Ltd., London

August 1900 completed

20 August 1900 while on her maiden voyage in the North Sea, off the River Tyne in thick fog was in collision with the London Collier Greenwood causing considerable damage to the collier which sank. No reported loss of life. The ship was still in the charge of the Builders not having been handed over to Shell Transport & Trading

6 December 1900 in the Admiralty Division of the High Court before Mr Justice Barnes sitting with Nautical Assessors proceedings arising from the above collision were heard. The Court found that the collision was solely the fault of Bulysses 

15 May 1901 before the Lord Chief Justice, the Master of the Rolls and Lord Justice Romer an appeal from the decision of Mr Justice Barnes sitting with Nautical Assessors in the Admiralty Division of the High Court concerning the collision reported above was heard in the Court of Appeal

17 May 1901 the Court of Appeal found that the Bulysses totally to blame for the collision and so the appeal was dismissed with costs

10 September 1901 berthed at Port Adelaide

March 1902 ran aground in the Great Bitter Lake, Suez Canal during a sandstorm and had to be lightened before being refloated. The Canal was blocked

25 August 1903 at Bombay

21 September 1903 sailed Singapore

17 November 1903 passed Dungeness on passage to Rotterdam

13 January 1904 at Port Said

4 June 1904 at Liverpool

15 July 1904 at Yokohama

21 July 1904 at 37.20N 9.10W Carpenter Chow Ah discharged dead – natural causes

30 August 1904 at 03.04N 105.16E Fireman Jong Tan Ah discharged dead – heat stroke

1 August 1905 off Northumberland Dock, River Tyne, Fireman Jakob von Kontrik discharged dead – drowned

29 September 1905 at Hamburg Harbour, Fireman & Trimmer Michael Kelly discharged dead – drowned

24 February 1906 passed Gibraltar

10 December 1906 at Port Said

1 July 1908 at 21.31N 37.56E Fireman Matthew Brennan discharged dead – malaria

14 December 1911 berthed at Fremantle from Singapore

17 December 1911 at 35.02S 115.41E Fireman Asrob Ulah discharge dead – heart failure

4 April 1913 passed Flamborough Head sailing south

28 April 1914 in collision in the Mississippi River with the American tanker GUT HEIL which sank but was later salved

1914 requisitioned  for Admiralty service as an oiler, name unchanged – became Admiralty Oiler No 47

2 December 1915 at sea at 57.3N 10.5W challenged by HMS OROTAVA

11 July 1916 at sea at 59.1N 12.6W challenged by HMS CHANGUINOLA – allowed to proceed

24 September 1916 at sea at 59.3N 12.3W challenged by HMS AVENGER

25 December 1916 at 59.30N 9.42W Quartermaster Lai Poo discharged dead – natural causes

20 August 1917 torpedoed and sunk by U-52 while on passage from the Forth to Port Arthur, Texas in ballast 145miles WNW of the Butt of Lewis in position 58.34 N 10.50 W. No casualties