Requisitioned Auxiliary – Rutherglen

 

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Official Number:                       121303

Laid down:

Builder:                                   London & Glasgow Engineering & Iron Shipbuilding Co, Govan

Pennant No:                            Y 2.108

Launched:                               24 January 1906

Into Service:                            16 April 1916

Out of service:                         24 July 1918

Fate:                                      Torpedoed and sunk

 

 

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:

 

24 January 1906 launched by London & Glasgow Engineering & Iron Shipbuilding Co, Govan as Yard Nr: 323 named Rutherglen for ss Rutherglen Co Ltd., (Mackay & McIntyre, Managers) Glasgow

March 1906 completed

12 March 1907 sailed New York

18 November 1907 arrived at Aden

20 October 1909 arrived at Le Harve from New York for Rouen

2 June 1911 berthed at Cape Town

15 January 1912 arrived at New York having sailed from Rio de Janerio on 24 December 1914

19 July 1912 at Newport News Fireman & Trimmer W Atkinson discharged dead – drowned

29 October 1915 stopped and boarded by HMS ALCANTARA an Armed Merchant Cruiser

16 April 1916 requisitioned for Admiralty service as an Ammunition Carrier – name unchanged

28 May 1916 at 60.2N 15.5W sighted by HMS ALSATION an Armed Merchant cruiser

9 December 1916 re-deployed as a collier until 3 February 1917

4 February 1917 re-deployed as a wheat carrier from Australia until 6 July 1917

7 July 1917 re-deployed as a collier to Northern Russia until 22 October 1917

2 March 1918 in the Irish Sea rammed and sank HMS/m H.5 – the entire submarines crew were lost. Also on board HMS/m H5 was US Navy Ensign Earle Wayne Freed Childs from the American submarine AL-2 as an observer, he became the first US submariner to lose his life in the First World War. The wreck site of HMS/m H5 is designated as a controlled site under the Protection of Military Remains Act.

H5 memorial

9 May 1918 at 35.0N 55.6W sighted and spoken to by HMS AMETHYST

HMS Amethyst

HMS AMETHYST

20 May 1918 reported by HMS OTRANTO as having stopped with defective engines

24 July 1918 torpedoed and sunk by UB-50 in postion 39.43N 05.17E to the east of Port Mahon, Menorca while on passage from newport to Genoa with a cargo of coal