Official Number:                     167312

Pennant No:                          

Laid down:

Builder:                                 Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd., Wallsend

Launched:                             4 May 1939

Into Service:                          1939

Out of service:                       21 September 1940

Fate:                                    Torpedoed, damaged by U-boat and sunk by HM warship

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:

4 May 1939 launched by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd., Wallsend as Yard Nr: 1561 named TORINIA for Anglo Saxon Petroleum Co. Ltd., London

July 1939 completed

1939 requisitioned for Admiralty service as an oiler – name unchanged

6 September 1939 sailed Avonmouth independently to Liverpool arriving the next day

2 October 1939 sailed Liverpool in escorted convoy OB13 until dispersal on the 4 October 1939 and then sailed independently to Curacao arriving 19 October 1939

26 October 1939 sailed Curacao independently to Halifax arriving on 6 November 1939

8 November 1939 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy HXF8 to Sheerness arriving 22 November 1939

3 December 1939 sailed Southend in escorted convoy OA46 until dispersal on 7 December 1939 and then independently to Trinidad arriving 20 December 1939

28 December 1939 sailed Trinidad independently to Curacao arriving the next day

8 January 1940 sailed Curacao independently to Kingston, Jamaica arriving 11 January 1940

11 January 1940 sailed Kingston, Jamaica independently to Halifax arriving 19 January 1940

22 January 1940 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy HX17 to Liverpool arriving 8 February 1940

8 March 1940 sailed Liverpool in escorted convoy OB106 until dispersal on 11 March 1940 and then independently to Houston, Texas arriving 29 March 1940

1 April 1940 sailed Houston, Texas independently to Halifax arriving 10 April 1940

14 April 1940 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy HX35 to the Downs arriving 1 May 1940

12 May 1940 sailed Southend in unescorted convoy OA147 until dispersal on 16 May 1940 then independently to Corpus Christi

3 June 1940 sailed Corpus Christi independently to Curacao arriving 12 June 1940

16 June 1940 sailed Curacao independently to Rio de Janeiro arriving 2 July 1940

5 July 1940 sailed Rio de Janeiro independently

7 July 1940 sailed Santos independently to Curacao

24 July 1940 sailed Curacao independently to Rio de Janeiro arriving 9 August 1940

12 August 1940 sailed Rio de Janeiro independently to Santos arriving 13 August 1940

15 August 1940 sailed Santos independently to Curacao arriving 28 August 1940

31 August 1940 sailed Curacao independently to Bermuda arriving 5 September 1940

8 September 1940 sailed Bermuda in escorted convoy BHX72 joining escorted convoy HX72 on 13 September 1940

21 September 1940 torpedoed and damaged by German Submarine U100 (Joachim Schepke) in the Atlantic and was later sunk by the destroyer HMS SKATE 340 miles W of Bloody Foreland, Co. Donegal, Eire in position 55.00N 19.00W while on passage from Curacao to the Clyde with a cargo of 13,815t of FFO as part of convoy HX72 with the loss of one life. Fifty five survivors were rescued by HMS SKATE and landed at Londonderry