Official Number: 167276
Laid down:
Builder: Cantieri Riuniti dell’Adriatico, Monfalcone
Launched: 20 March 1939
Into Service: September 1939
Out of service: 1940
Fate: 22 September 1940 torpedoed and sunk
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:
20 March 1939 launched by Cantieri Riuniti dell’Adriatico, Monfalcone as Yard Nr 1208 named FREDERICK S FALES for Oriental Trade & Transport Co Ltd (Oriental Tankers Ltd, Managers) London
26 June 1939 completed
September 1939 requisitioned for Admiralty service as an oiler, name unchanged
7 September 1939 sailed Gibraltar in convoy Green 1 to Alexandria
21 September 1939 sailed Istambul independently to Beirut arriving 28 September 1939
29 September 1939 sailed Beirut independently to Port Said arriving 5 October 1939 and thence onto Haifa arriving 7 October 1939
7 October 1939 sailed Haifa independently to Port Said
11 October 1939 sailed Port Said in convoy Blue 4 to Gibraltar arriving 21 October 1939. RFA ARNDALE was also part of this convoy
22 October 1939 sailed Gibraltar in convoy HG3 to Le Harve arriving 31 October 1939. RFA ARNDALE was also part of this convoy with a cargo of FFO for Portsmouth
6 November 1939 arrived at Portsmouth having sailed independently from Le Harve
7 November 1939 sailed Portsmouth and joined convoy OA31 until it dispersed on 10 November 1939 and thence independently to Aruba arriving 24 November 1939
25 November 1939 sailed Aruba independently to Cartagena, Columbia arriving 27 November 1939
27 November 1939 sailed Cartagena, Columbia independently to Halifax arriving 5 December 1939
12 December 1939 sailed Halifax in convoy HX12 to Le Harve with a cargo of crude oil arriving 30 December 1939. RFA ARNDALE was also in this convoy
4 January 1940 sailed Le Harve independently to St Helens Roads arriving the next day
22 September 1940 torpedoed and sunk by U-100 in the Atlantic 340 miles W of Bloody Foreland in position 55.30 N 13.40 W on passage from Curacao to the Clyde via Halifax N.S as part of Convoy HX 72 and carrying 13849t of fuel oil with the loss of eleven lives. Thirty two survivors were rescued by the corvette HMS LA MALOUINE and landed at Belfast. Ten are remembered with pride on the Tower Hill Memorial
Image courtesy of Brian Watson