Requisitioned Auxiliary – Ranella

 Ranella

 

Official Number:                       132715

Pennant No:                    Y.7.40

Laid down:

Builder:                                     Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd, Wallsend

Launched:                                2 April 1912

Into Service:                             23 September 1914

Out of service:                          28 January 1915

Fate:                                         Torpedoed and sunk 12 June 1941

 

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:

2 April 1912 launched by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd, Wallsend as Yard Nr: 897 named RANELLA for Anglo Saxon Petroleum Co Ltd, London

3 April 1912 the Shields Daily News reported …

 

3 4 1912 Shields Daily News Ranellla

 

May 1912 completed

24 June 1912 passed Tarifa

18 July 1912 arrived at Port Said from Rotterdam

7 August 1912 at Singapore

17 December 1912 passed Gibraltar westbound

21 March 1913 sailed from Port Said for Gibraltar for orders

27 October 1913 sailed Colombo from Batum

18 February 1914 sailed Singapore

6 March 1914 passed Gibraltar

12 March 1914 berthed at Barrow from Singapore

23 September 1914 requisitioned for Admiralty service as an Oiler – name unchanged – until 28 January 1915 for two trips from Rangoon or Abadan to the UK with the option of one extra trip. Hire £3,451

10 August 1914 at 31°02N 122°55E communicated with HMS YARMOUTH

 

HMS YARMOUTH

HMS YARMOUTH

 

26 May 1915 at sea Sailor Lam Ah Sek discharged dead from natural causes

9 June 1915 at Hong Kong No 1 Fireman Lam Sing discharged dead from suicide

26 August 1916 at Thameshaven Quartermaster Ah Poo discharged dead from heart failure

14 March 1917 missed by a torpedo off SW Ireland

19 March 1917 at sea Fireman Chok Yok discharged dead from heart attack

12 August 1918 boarded by HMS PERTH off Perim

26 August 1918 seen by HMS PERTH again off Perim

5 September 1918 at sea Pumpman Ling Chan discharged dead from gas fumes from benzine

20 July 1919 sailed Singapore for Seqnoya

27 November 1919 at Tsing Tau Pumpman Sioh Chan discharged dead from heart failure

31 December 1919 at sea No 3 Fireman Ah Kwan discharged dead – missing presumed suicide

7 January 1920 sailed Colombo for Suez

17 September 1920 arrived at Barrow from Abadan

28 April 1921 sailed Suez for Abadan

15 May 1921 arrived at Portishead

15 October 1921 arrived at Avonmouth from Balik, Papua New Guinea with 5 passengers. Captain J H Tate was the Master

24 March 1922 arrived at New York from Avonmouth

4 November 1925 at Shanghai

9 December 1925 sailed Singapore for Adelaide

14 July 1927 sailed San Pedro for Yokohama for orders

9 August 1927 sailed Yokohama for Hong Kong

18 August 1927 at Hong Kong

22 September 1927 sailed Sydney NSW for Balik Papan

30 September 1927 passed GoodeIsland for Balik Papan

6 October 1927 at Balik Papan

12 October 1927 sailed Tarakan for Cape Town

12 November 1927 sailed Cape Town for Luderity Bay

1930 purchased by A/S Ranella (Thomas Anderson, Manager) Arendal name unchanged

14 April 1935 sailed from Singapore for Port Natal, Durban, South Africa

19 March 1940 Houston independently to Lisbon arriving 10 April 1940

18 April 1940 sailed Lisbon independently to Corpus Christi arriving 7 May 1940

16 May 1940 sailed Corpus Christi independently to Lisbon arriving 1 June 1940

8 June 1940 sailed Lisbon independently to Corpus Christi arriving 1 July 1940

4 July 1940 sailed Corpus Christi independently to Lisbon arriving 25 July 1940

29 July 1940 sailed Lisbon independently to Curacao arriving 17 August 1940

August 1940 purchased by Erling Hansens Rederi A/S (Erling Hansen, Manager) Kristiansand name unchanged

21 August 1940 sailed Curacao independently to Cristobal arriving 25 August 1940

26 August 1940 sailed Balboa independently to Los Angeles arriving 8 September 1940

11 September 1940 sailed Los Angeles independently to Valpariso arriving 5 October 1940

11 October 1940 sailed Valpariso independently to Antofagasta arriving 15 October 1940

15 October 1940 sailed Antofagasta independently to Balboa arriving 26 October 1940

28 October 1940 sailed Cristobal independently to Mobile arriving 4 November 1940

4 November 1940 sailed Mobile independently arriving New Orleans arriving 9 January 1941

11 January 1941 sailed New Orleans independently arriving Bermuda arriving 20 January 1941

21 January 1941 sailed Bermuda in convoy BHX104 together with RFA DARKDALE, straggled and joined convoy SC20 from Halifax to the River Clyde arriving 9 February 1941

10 February 1941 sailed the River Clyde independently to Holyhead arriving 12 February 1941

13 February 1941 sailed Holyhead independently to Milford Haven arriving the next day

14 February 1941 sailed Milford Haven independently to Southampton arriving 16 February 1941

18 March 1941 sailed Southampton independently to Falmouth arriving 22 March 1941

23 March 1941 sailed Famouth independently to Milford Haven

26 March 1941 sailed Milford Haven and joined convoy OG57, which had sailed from Liverpool, to Gibraltar and then independently to Curacao arriving 18 April 1941

22 April 1941 sailed Curacao independently to Halifax arriving 2 May 1941

9 May 1941 sailed Halifax in convoy SC31 to the River Clyde arriving 30 May 1941

4 June 1941 sailed Glasgow as part of Convoy OG64 in ballast for New York

10 June 1941 detached from the Convoy and proceeded independently

12 June 1941 torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic by U-553 in position 43.39 N 28.00 W. No casualties and all crew took to 2 lifeboats which got separated 2 days later

22 June 1941 the Captain’s boat with 15 men arrived Terceira, Azores

24 June 1941 the First Mate’s boat with 14 men arrived Figueira da Foz, Portugal