Official Number:                      162664

Laid down:

Builder:                                  Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd, Wallsend

Launched:                              15 September 1931

Into Service:                           1939

Out of service:                        1945

Fate:                                     November 1961  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 September 1931 launched by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd, Wallsend as Yard Nr 1455named CARDIUM for Anglo Saxon Petroleum Co Ltd, London

December 1931 completed

19 June 1938 at 35.22N 18.12E 1st Mate George Metcalf Fogg discharged dead – committed suicide

1939 – 1945  requisitioned for Admiralty service as an oiler, name unchanged

18 September 1939 sailed Abadan independently to Suez arriving 4 October 1949

11 October 1939 sailed Port Said in Convoy Blue 4 to Malta arriving 16 October 1939. RFA ARNDALE also sailed in this convoy

25 October 1939 sailed Malta independently to Port Said arriving 30 October 1939

30 October 1939 sailed Suez independently to Abadan arriving 14 November 1939

16 November 1939 sailed Abadan independently to Port Said arriving 2 December 1939

2 December 1939 sailed Port Said independently to Gibraltar arriving 12 December 1939

16 December 1939 sailed Gibraltar in convoy HG11 to Invergordon arriving 27 December 1939

3 January 1940 sailed Invergordon independently to the River Tyne arriving 4 January 1940

24 January 1940 sailed the River Tyne in unescorted convoy FS80 to Southend arriving 26 January 1940

27 January 1940 sailed Southend in escorted convoy OA80G reformed as escorted convoy OG16 on to Gibraltar arriving 5 February 1940

5 February 1940 sailed Gibraltar independently to Port Said arriving 14 February 1940

15 February 1940 sailed Suez independently to Abadan arriving 28 February 1940

1 March 1940 sailed Abadan independently to Suez arriving 15 March 1940

16 March 1940 sailed Port Said independently to Malta arriving 20 March 1940

23 March 1940 sailed Malta independently to Port Said arriving 27 March 1940

28 March 1940 sailed Suez independently to Abadan arriving 10 April 1940

12 April 1940 sailed Abadan independently to Suez arriving 26 April 1940

28 April 1940 sailed Port Said independently to Alexandria arriving the next day

8 May 1940 sailed Alexandria independently to Abadan arriving 21 May 1940

22 May 1940 sailed Abadan independently to Mombasa

7 June 1940 sailed Mombasa independently to Cape Town arriving 19 June 1940

27 June 1940 sailed Cape Town independently to Abadan arriving 22 July 1940

30 July 1940 sailed Abadan independently to Trincomalee arriving 12 August 1940

16 August 1940 sailed Trincomalee independently to Colombo arriving 18 August 1940

13 March 1943 arrived at Mers el Kabir, Oran from Gibraltar

19 May 1943 berthed at Mers el Kabir, Oran with USS Boyle (DD600) and USS McLanahan (DD615) moored alongside

26 May 1943 berthed at Mers el Kabir, Oran with USS Monrovia (APA31) moored alongside to refuel – received 3690 barrels of fuel oil

3 June 1943 sailed Mers el Kabir, Oran

29 July 1943 berthed at Mers el Kabir, Oran with USS Nelson (DD623) moored alongside

5 August 1943 berthed at Mers el Kabir with USS Buck (DD420), USS Jeffers (DD621), USS Nelson (DD623), USS Glennon (DD620) and USS Nicholson (DD442) moored alongside to be refuelled. USS Buck received 50,336 gallons of fuel oil

8 August 1943 berthed at Mers el Kabir, Oran with USS Glennon (DD620) and USS Herndon (DD198) moored alongside to refuel – USS Glennon received 10,587 gallons of fuel oil

10 August 1943 berthed at Mers el Kabir, Oran with USS Gherardi (DD637), USS Earle (DD635) and USS Butler (DD636) all moored alongside

27 August 1943 berthed at Mers el Kabir, Oran with USS Woolsey (DD437) alongside being refuelled. She received 72,490 gallons

31 August 1943 berthed at Mers el Kabir, Oran with USS Oberon (AKA14) moored alongside.

2 September 1943 berthed at Mers el Kabir, Oran with USS Dallas (DD199) and USS Boise (CL47) alongside being refuelled. USS Boise received 159,924 gallons of fuel oil. USS Mclanahan (DD615) berthed alongside to refuel

10 October 1943 berthed at Mers el Kabir, Oran with USS Woolsey (DD437) alongside being refuelled. She received 56,464 gallons of fuel oil

14 October 1943 berthed at Mers el Kabir, Oran with USS Benson (DD421) alongside being refuelled. USS Benson received 82,261 gallons of fuel oil

16 October 1943 berthed at Mers el Kabir, Oran with USS James O’Hara (APA90) being refuelled – received 100,000 gallson of fuel oil

20 October 1943 berthed at Mers el Kabir, Oran with USS Oberon (AKA14) refuelling – delivered 2060 barrels of fuel oil to the US ship

2 November 1943 berthed at Mers el Kabir, Oran refuelling USS James O’Hara (APA90), USS Ludlow (DD438) and USS Cole (D155) alongside. USS James O’Hara (APA90) received 128,905 gallons of Bunker B Fuel Oil

5 November 1943 berthed at Mers el Kabir, Oran with USS Tillman (DD135) moored alongside to refuel – she received 88,644 gallons of fuel oil. USS McLanahan (DD615) and USS Samuel Chase (APA26) moored alongside to refuel 

14 November 1943 berthed at Mers el Kabir, Oran with USS Wainwright (DD419) alongside refuelling

24 November 1943 berthed at Mers el Kabir, Oran with USS Thomas Jefferson (APA30) alongside to refuel – received 2,050 barrels of fuel oil

27 November 1943 berthed at Mers el Kabir, Oran with USS Andromeda (AKA15) alongside being refuelled and received 92,465 gallons of fuel oil. Cardium then sailed

6 December 1943 sailed Mers el Kabir, Oran

8 December 1943 in convoy GUS23 (while acting as convoy commodore) in collision with USS WILKES (DD441) while attempting to transfer mail. Slight damage suffered by both vessels

17 December 1943 at 7th Station Hospital, US Army, Oran Sailors Cook Ting Kay Meng discharged dead – natural causes

25 August 1945 at Abadan Donkeyman Yong Hap To discharged dead – foul play

1948  purchased by Counties Ship Management Co Ltd, London and renamed HAWTHORNE HILL

1951 renamed HAWTHORN HILL by her owners

1951 purchased by Cia Nav Puerto Madrin S.A, Liberia and renamed DON MANUEL

1955 converted into a bulk carrier, name unchanged

13 August 1961 suffered a serious engine room fire in position 18.19 N 17.40 W and was disabled off Dakar while on passage from the west coast of Africa to Amsterdam .

17 August 1961  was towed into Dakar and was abandoned to the underwriters as a CTL

26 September 1961 arrived Tamise for demolition by Belgian breakers but ….

12 November 1961  after resale to Spanish breakers she arrived Vigo in tow of the tug SEEFALKE for demolition