RFA Empire Salvage (Oiler) 1940

This tanker was completed on the 17th April 1940 as ‘Papendrecht’ for Dutch owners Van Ommeren, she was seized by the Germans on the 14th November and converted to a German Naval Supply Vessel, renamed ‘Lothringen’.

The ship was deployed as a unit of Operation Rheinubung, the Bismarck, Prinz Eugen Fleet.

ON THE 15TH June 1941 she was attacked and slightly damaged by aircraft from HMS Eagle, later intercepted by HMS Dunedin, complete with her oiling at sea gear, a prize crew was put aboard and the ship was taken to Bermuda, where a prize court awarded her to Britain, she was allocated to the Ministry of War Transport who renamed her Empire Salvage.

Convoy                 Depart                 Arrive

HX.153     Halifax 5th October 1941 – Liverpool 19th October 1941
                 (To the Clyde with general cargo)

WN.228     Oban 6th January 1942 – Methil 9th January 1942

FS.696      Oban 6th January 1942 – Methil 10th January 1942
                  (Detached to the Tyne)

FN.704     Southend 10th May 1942 – Methil 12th May 1942
                 (Joined from the Tyne)

EN.84       Methil 13th May 1942 – Oban 15th May 1942

ON.95       Liverpool 15th May 1942 – Halifax
                  (Ship arrived at Halifax after straggling)

HJ.3          Halifax 29th May 1942 – St John’s Nova Scotia 31st MAY 1942

HX.224     New York City 22nd January 1943 – Liverpool 5th February 1943
                  (Detached to Loch Ewe with a cargo of FFO)

WN.393    Loch Ewe 9th February 1943 – Methil 11th February 1943
                 (To Scapa Flow)

WN.397    Loch Ewe 22nd February 1943 – Methil 24th February 1943
                 (Joined from Scapa Flow)

FS.1048    Methil 25th February 1943 – Southend 27th February 1943
                  (Detached to the Tyne)

EN.228      Methil 12th May 1943 – Loch Ewe 14th May 1943

ON.184      Liverpool (no date) – New York City 31st May 1943

UGS.10     Hampton Roads 13th June 1943 – Port Said 10th July 1943
                   (Detached for Algiers)

KMS.23     Gibraltar 18th August 1943 – Port Said 30th August 1943
                   (Ship joined from Algiers, bound for Bizerta)
NV.4      Naples 19th October 1943 – Malta 21st October 1943

UGS.22  Hampton Roads 25th October 1943 – Port Said 22nd October 1943
              (Joined from Bizerta, bound for Augusta)

AH.10   Augusta 26th November 1943 – Brindisi 28th November 1943
             (Detached for Taranto)

HA.18   Bari 14th January 1944 – Augusta 16th January 1944
              (Joined from Taranto)

VN.16    Augusta 17th January 1944 – Naples 18th January 1944

NV.36    Naples 2nd May 1944 – Augusta 3rd May 1944

GUS.39  Port Said 4th May 1944 – Hampton Roads 29th May 1944
              (Joined from Algiers)

HX.295   New York City 10th June 1944 – Liverpool 24th June 1944
               (Detached to Lock Ewe with US Navy fuel)

WN.600   Loch Ewe 26th June 1944 – Methil 28th June 1944
                (Ship detached for Rosyth)

FS.1499  Methil 30th June 1944 – Southend 2nd July 1944
                (Detached for the Tyne)

FN.1477  Southend 11th September 1944 – Methil 13th September 1944
                (Joined from the Tyne)

EN.435    Methil 14th September 1944 – Loch Ewe 16th September 1944
                (Detached for Scapa Flow)

EN.437    Methil 20th September 1944 – Loch Ewe 22nd September 1944

OS.90/KMS.64  Liverpool 24th September 1944 – Convoy split 1st October 1944
                (Detached for Port Said)

KMS.64G  ex OS.90/KMS.64 1st October 1944 – Gibraltar 2nd October 1944

KMS.64   Gibraltar 2nd October 1944 – Port Said 12th October 1944

The ship was handed back to her Dutch owners in 1946.