Requisitioned Auxiliary – Tosca

 

TOSCA 

 

Official Number:                       99738

Pennant No:                           

Laid down:

Builder:                                   Ailsa Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Ayr

Launched:                               2 May 1908

Into Service:                            9 December 1914

Out of service:                        17 August 1916

Fate:                                      torpedoed and sunk 24 March 1943

 

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 May 1908 launched by Ailsa Shipbuilding Co Ltd., Ayr as Yard Nr: 208A named Tosca for W W C Smith & Co., Ayr

June 1908 completed

23 December 1909 at Invergordon Stoker James Borland discharged dead – drowned

27 March 1914 berthed at Burry Port from Portreath to load

28 March 1914 sailed Burry Port for Guernsey with a cargo of coal

10 July 1914 berthed at Middlesborough

4 August 1914 berthed at Grangemouth from Middlesborough with a cargo of pig iron

17 August 1914 berthed at Sunderland

9 December 1914 requisitioned for Admiralty service as an Ammunition Carrier – name unchanged

1 January 1915 on buoys in the River Tyne

30 January 1915 at Cromarty HMS DONEGAL discharged rifles and ammunition to Tosca

HMS DONEGAL

HMS DONEGAL

 

17 August 1916 returned to her owners

1916 purchased by F T Eberhardt – name unchanged

1918 purchased by F T Everard, Greenhithe – name unchanged

14 March 1918 at the River Seine, France Steward Robert W Lumley discharged dead – drowned. His body was found in the River Seine on 6 April 1918

1922 owners became F T Everard & Sons, Greenhithe – name unchanged

9 April 1923 arrived at Plymouth

1926 purchased by W A Wilson, Southampton

1933 purchased by G B Figari, Antonio Maggiolo & Co., (Gio Batta Figari, Managers) Genoa – name unchanged

1940 purchased by G M Scotto, Genoa – name unchanged

23 March 1943 while on passge from Termini Imerese to Messina she was torpedoed by the submarine HMS SAHIB between Cape Orlando and Cape Milazzo

24 March 1943 sank 1 mile off Cape Calava