Official Number:                       102873 

Laid down:

Builder:                                   J L Thompson & Sons, North Sands, Sunderland

Pennant No:                            Y 3.139 / Q. 6

Launched:                               3 May 1894

Into Service:                            1 August 1914

Out of service:                         15 June 1917

Fate:                                      15 June 1917 torpedoed and sank while under tow

Items of historic interest involving this ship: –

Background Data:  One of a group of additional ships requisitioned by the Admiralty during WW1 to augment the RFA

Career Data:

3 May 1894 launched by J L Thompson & Sons, North Sands, Sunderland as Yard No: 317 named Zylpha for Turner. Brightman & Co., London

7 May 1894 the Shields Daily News newspaper reported …

June 1894 completed

1 August 1914 requisitioned for Admiralty service as a collier – name unchanged – until 18 September 1915

19 September 1915 re-deployed as a Commissioned Miscellaneous Vessel (Decoy Ship) as HMS ZYLPHA until …

11 June 1917 torpedoed and damaged by German submarine U-82 (Hans Adam) SW of Ireland in positioned 51°20N 11°00W with the loss of 1 life. Most of the remainer of the crew were rescued by the American Destroyer USS Warrington which had picked up the Q-Ship’s distress call

14 June 1917 taken in tow by the sloop HMS DAFFODIL

15 June 1917 sank in tow near Great Skellig Rocks off Bolus Head, Co Kerry, Irelan

Notes:

Was one of the three original Decoy Ships whose 1^st Lieutenant (Harold Auten) was later on to win the V.C. in a Q-ship of his own – HMS STOCKFORCE – which sank German Submarine UB-80