Requisitioned Auxiliary – Eros (1936)

Eros 1936 

 

Official Number:                     163222

Builder:                                   Harland & Wolff Ltd., Belfast

Launched:                              9 January 1936

Pennant No:                           B712

Into Service:                            WW2

Out of service:                        1947

Fate:                                         6 March 1968 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:

 

9 January 1936 launched by Harland & Wolff Ltd., Belfast as Yard Nr: 966 named Eros for Erin Steamship Co Ltd., (Standard Fruit & Steamship Co., Managers), Belfast

8 April 1936 completed as a refrigerated cargo ship

1939 tranferred to Mount Steamship Co Ltd (M A Kerwin, Manager) London name unchanged

6 September 1939 sailed Kingston, Jamaica independently to Liverpool arriving 18 September 1939

27 September 1939 sailed Liverpool in escorted convoy OB11 until dispersal on 30 September 1939 then independently to Kingston, Jamaica arriving 11 October 1939

21 October 1939 sailed Kingston, Jamaica independently to Liverpool arriving 6 November 1939

25 November 1939 sailed Liverpool independently to Kingston, Jamaica arriving 8 December 1939

22 December 1939 sailed Kingston, Jamaica independently to Tampa, Florida arriving 25 December 1939

26 December 1939 sailed Tampa, Florida independently to Santa Maria arriving 30 December 1939

31 December 1939 sailed Santa Maria independently to Curacao arriving 1 January 1940 thence independently to Liverpool arriving 15 January 1940

27 January 1940 sailed Liverpool independently to Curacao arriving 10 February 1940 thence independently to Santa Maria arriving 12 February 1940

13 February 1940 sailed Santa Maria independently to Kingston, Jamaica arriving 15 February 1940

15 February 1940 sailed Kingston, Jamaica independently to Liverpool arriving 27 February 1940

5 March 1940 sailed Liverpool independently to Malta arriving 11 March 1940

12 March 1940 sailed Malta independently to Haifa arriving 15 March 1940

16 March 1940 sailed Haifa independently to Gibraltar arriving 22 March 1940

23 March 1940 sailed Gibraltar independently to London arriving 27 March 1940

 

7 June 1940 while on an unescorted passage from Montreal to Liverpool carrying 301t of copper, 108t of ferro chrome and 200 tons of small arms, she was torpedoed and damage by German submarine U-48 about 15 miles from Tory Island in position 55.33N 08.26W. Her crew abandoned the burning vessel and all 62 of them were rescued by HMS PAYNTER. The ship was taken in tow by HMS BERKELEY, later assisted by the tug HMS BRIGAND and HMS VOLUNTEER. She was beached on Tory Island that evening. She was later salved and repaired

31 October 1940 sailed the Clyde in escorted convoy WN29

3 November 1940 was bombed and damaged by German aircraft in position 57.48N 01.54W

4 November 1940 arrived at Methil with damage

WW2 requisitioned for Admiralty service and finally served as a Victualling Stores Issuing Ship with the British Pacific Fleet Train – hence the B-Pennant number

1947 owners became Eros Transport Co (STandard Fruit Co), Halifax

1963 owners now Rigryth Ltd., Sydney, NSW and renamed Trangie

6 March 1968 arrived Kaohsiung for demolition