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 …
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
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
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