Subsequent name: Huntball, Phorus
Class: Kite Balloon ship
Official Number: 112782
Pennant No: 4.17
Signal Letters: SDGP (1919)
Laid down:
Builder: Sir James Laing & Sons Ltd., Deptford Yard
Launched: 25 September 1900
Into Service: 20 August 1917
Out of service: 1920
Fate: Sold commercially
Items of historic interest involving this ship: –
25 September 1900 launched at Sunderland
27 September 1900 berthed at Hartlepool from Sunderland
11 October 1900 Lloyds List newspaper reported –
24 December 1900 sailed Middlesborough for Gravesend
29 December 1900 sailed West India Import Dock, London for Cape Town and East African Ports
4 January 1901 from London passed Beachy Head
5 January 1901 sailed Dartmouth to Maderia, St. Helena and Cape Town
10 January 1901 sailed Teneriffe
24 January 1901 sailed St Helena
31 January 1901 arrived Table Bay
5 March 1901 sailed from Table Bay for Algoa Bay
15 April 1901 arrived at Port Natal
17 June 1901 arrived Algoa Bay from Table Bay
7 September 1901 Captain Edward D Jenkins was the Master
26 November 1901 arrived at Colombo from Calcutta
22 December 1901 sailed from Algiers
9 January 1902 arrived at New York from Calcutta
23 February 1902 sailed Table Bay for East London
14 June 1902 passed Las Palmas when on passage from East London for London
1 July 1902 berthed on the River Tyne at Middle Dock Buoys
9 August 1902 sailed Millwall Docks, London to Maderia, St. Helena and Cape Town
15 August 1902 sailed Las Palmas
28 August 1902 arrived at St. Helena
21 September 1902 arrived at Simon’s Town Bay
7 December 1902 sailed Algiers when on passage from Calcutta to New York
21 January 1903 sailed from New York
4 March 1903 sailed from St Vincent
19 April 1903 arrived at Calcutta from Delagoa Bay
28 May 1903 when on passage to New York from Calcuta passed Malta
20 June 1903 arrived at New York
22 September 1903 sailed Delagoa Bay
5 December 1903 sailed Algiers while on passage from Boston to Calcutta
25 March 1904 arrived at Natal from New York
9 August 1904 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on Flamborough Head sailing north
13 August 1904 berthed at Brigham & Cowan’s Quay on the River Tyne
29 September 1904 when on passage from London to Yokohama passed Cape Spartel
28 October 1904 berthed at Singapore from London
9 November 1904 arrived at Hong Kong
30 December 1904 berthed at Singapore from Hong Kong
8 May 1905 arrived at Colombo
16 May 1905 sailed Singapore for Hong Kong
12 July 1905 berthed at Singapore from Hong Kong
2 November 1905 sailed Singapore for Hong Kong and Japan
11 November 1905 arrived at Hong Kong
17 April 1906 arrived Singapore from London
25 April 1906 arrived at Hong Kong from Middlesborough sailing the same day for Yokohama
3 August 1906 passed Perim
30 August 1906 while on passage from Calcutta to Philadelphia suffered engine failure while off Nantucket. Signalled the Cunard Mail Steamer Carmania which reported the situation on the Liners arrived at Queenstown on 4 September 1906
31 December 1906 sailed South Africa (port not listed) to Port Pirie, Australia to load
22 February 1907 sailed Sydney, NSW, Australia for Dunkirk and London
17 April 1907 berthed at Dunkirk
19 April 1907 berthed at the Port of London to discharge
26 April 1907 before Grays Petty Sessions George Burgess, a Tilbury Docks winch driver was charged with stealing two ignots of copper from the ship and worth £2. He pleaded Not Guilty. The Magistrates’ found him Guilty and sentenced him to one months imprisonment with hard labour. The defendant asked to pay a fine instead but this was refused
23 June 1907 arrived at Mozambique from Dar es Salam
24 June 1907 sailed from Mozambique
12 October 1907 passed Perim while on passage from Calcutta to Boston
19 October 1907 at a hospital at Suez Lascar Seaman Chance Golamp discharged dead from pneumonia
9 February 1908 sailed Singapore for Taku, Muroran and Otora
24 May 1908 at sea at 5°48N 36°33E Fireman Osmanelle, Coal Trimmer Mohd. Bessie and Fireman Mushrullee Camil all discharged dead from berri beri
26 May 1908 sailed Colombo, Ceylon for St Nazaire
30 May 1908 at sea Coal Trimmer Asmatallee Mahomed discharged dead – missing believed drowned
4 June 1908 arrived at Beria
5 June 1908 sailed Beria
28 July 1908 four crew members removed from the ship at the River Tyne
29 July 1908 the Yorkshire Post reported
17 June 1909 arrived Beira
21 June 1909 sailed from Biera
8 August 1909 sailed Gravesend for Beria
15 September 1909 sailed Beira for London
13 December 1909 arrived at Gibraltar from Saigon
29 December 1909 Lloyds List newspaper reported –
29 January 1910 at South West India Dock, Port of London loading for Natal, Dalgoa Bay and Beira
27 April 1910 sailed Galle
25 July 1910 arrived at Natal from London
28 August 1910 berthed at Port Adelaide, Australia
3 September 1910 prior to sailing from Port Adelaide a crew muster revealed two of the crew were missing – one from Colombo, Ceylon and the other an African American who had jumped ship
13 September 1910 sailed Sydney, NSW, Australia for other Australian and South African ports
22 September 1910 the Master, Francis O Potts appeared before Port Adelaide Police Court charged with having allowed the two missing crew members – prohibited immigrants – to enter Australia. He was fined £100 in respect of each prohibited immigrant and 20/- costs
22, 23 and 24 September 1910 the details of the two crew members who had jumped ship were advertised with the offer of a reward of £10 each in both The Register and The Advertiser – two newspapers in circulation in Adelaide, South Australian over three days
24 September 1910 both former crew members and as such prohibited immigrants arrested some distance from Adelaide on a farm.
26 September 1910 the two former crew members who had jumped ship – Frank Dean and Pitchary Kandiah appeared before Port Adelaide Police Court charged with desertion – they both pleaded guilty and were sent to prison for seven days
23 December 1910 sailed from Cuddalore for Marseilles and Dunkirk
25 January 1911 passed Gibraltar while on passage from Calcutta for Dunkirk
15 June 1911 sailed Melbourne for Delagoa Bay
14 July 1911 sailed Delagoa Bay
11 August 1911 sailed East London, South Africa
18 September 1911 sailed Colombo, Ceylon
28 October 1911 arrived at Suez when on passage from Calcutta to Dunkirk
15 January 1912 arrived at Delagoa Bay from London
18 January 1912 arrived at Beira
20 January 1912 sailed Beira for Melbourne
13 February 1912 berthed at Melbourne
2 April 1912 at Durban, South Africa
7 July 1912 sailed from Gravesend to Cape Town passed Dover
13 August 1912 sailed Durban, South Africa
3 September 1912 berthed at Albany from Natal
7 September 1912 sailed Melbourne for Sydney
9 September 1912 arrived at Sydney, NSW from Natal
11 October 1912 arrived at Surbaya from Newcastle, NSW
21 October 1912 sailed Surabaya for Tanjong Prick
15 November 1912 sailed Port Pirie, South Australia for Sydney, NSW to load cargo
18 November 1912 the Daily Commercial News – a Sydney, NSW newspaper reported –
11 December 1912 sailed Sydney for Melbourne
11 January 1913 arrived Colombo from Melbourne
24 January 1913 arrived at Suez
16 February 1913 arrived Antwerp
26 April 1913 sailed Delagoa Bay for Adelaide
4 June 1913 sailed Melbourne
7 June 1913 arrived Wallaroo from Melbourne
17 June 1913 sailed Port Adelaide for South African ports
28 July 1913 arrived Durban from Australian ports
31 July 1913 sailed Durban for Cape ports
27 September 1913 arrived Bunbury from Cape Town
13 October 1913 sailed Bunbury
21 November 1913 arrived at Durban from Bunbury
22 November 1913 sailed Durban for Sydney, NSW
15 December 1913 berthed at Sydney, NSW from Natal
21 February 1914 arrived at Colombo from Melbourne
28 February 1914 Trimmer Ramazaalla Mozaffualla discharged dead – missing at sea
6 March 1914 arrived at Suez from Colombo
19 March 1914 arrived at Dunkirk
28 April 1914 loading at Manchester in No: 9 Dock
28 July 1914 passed Malta
31 July 1914 arrived at Marseilles from Karachi
3 August 1914 sailed from Marseilles for London
16 November 1914 arrived at Adelaide, Australia from Beira
5 December 1914 sailed Sydney, NSW, Australia
12 December 1914 sailed from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
19 December 1914 sailed from Adelaide, Australia
25 January 1915 at Sea Donkeyman Eana Doolla discharged dead – missing believed drowned
8 February 1915 arrived at Dartmouth
11 February 1915 passed Beachy Head sailing east bound
12 February 1915 arrived at Port of London from Port Natal, South Africa
11 March 1915 hired as a Kite Balloon ship by the Admiralty – at a time she was unloading a cargo of copper bars, bales of sheepskins, bales of wool, drums of crude glycerine and manure from Sydney, NSW, Australia
22 March 1915 commissioned as HMS MANICA with RNR Officers and MMR crew. Engineer Lieutenant Robert A Mackenzie RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
Engineer Lieutenant Robert A Mackenzie RNR
25 March 1915 Chief Steward Joseph Clement Dent discharged dead – natural causes. He is buried in Birkenhead (Flaybrick Hill) Cemetery and remembered on a screen wall
Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project
28 March 1915 sailed the UK for the Eastern Mediterranean
13 April 1915 arrived off Lemnos
14 April 1915 balloon raised in a trial ascent to 2,000 feet
A ‘Drachen’ type balloon is held steady aboard while its observer waits to climb into the basket, off the Gallipoli coast, summer 1915.
Image of Manica’s balloon on deck from the Illustrated War News in 1915
16 April 1915 further trial flight of the baloon
21 April 1915 a third trial flight of the baloon
19 April 1915 spotters from Manica’s balloon directed shelling onto a Turkish encampment
24 April 1915 spotters directed fire onto Gaba Tepe, where the Turkish Barracks were destroyed
25 April 1915 the balloon, with its two observers, was in the air from 0521hrs to 1405hrs constantly reporting on the activities associated with Anzac Cove for almost nine hours, while the ANZAC troops were scrambling up the cliffs, one of the observers sighted the Turkish battleship TURGUT REIS (ex-German SMS WEISSENBURG) in the Narrows. HMS TRIUMPH was contacted by wireless, and it’s balloon-directed fire forced the Turkish warship to withdraw
Turkish battleship TURGUT REIS
26 April 1915 the ships balloon made seven ascents in support of the ANZAC operations
The Manica with baloon aloft at Gallipoli in 1915
27 April 1915 the observers was also spotting for HMS TRIUMPH and HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH the Royal Navy’s newest and most powerful battleship, and the first in the world to mount 381 millimetre (15 inch) guns – during the afternoon QUEEN ELIZABETH blew up an armament store at Kojadere.
HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH in 1915
The same day the balloon’s crew sighted Turkish transport ships near Najara, apparently heading for Maidos or Kilia Liman. HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH was put on to the largest ship, the SCUTARI which was hit and sunk after three shots, at a range of 11.3 kilometres (7 miles)
28 April 1915 while spotting for British battleships – two field batteries silenced and several guns destroyed
30 April 1915 while spotting for British battleships – Chanak shelled which burnt for two hours. Subject to enemy fire – balloon recovered and steamed out of range
2 May 1915 while spotting for British battleships – battery of 8″ guns shelled – three direct hits
3 May 1915 at Gaba Tepe attacked by enemy aircraft attacked and dropped three bombs all missed
8 May 1915 while spotting for British battleships – four batteries silenced
12 May 1915 while spotting for British battleships – a house reported to be the Turkish headquarters destroyed
25 June 1915 HMS LORD NELSON fired 55 shells at Chanak with Manica spotting for her
HMS LORD NELSON
10 July 1915 unable to spot for the British Battleships due to high winds
2 August 1915 sailed from Kephalo Bay arriving at Suvla Bay at 20:00hrs
11 August 1915 at Suvla a Taube fighter bomber dropped one bomb which fell between HMS CHATHAM and MANICA
HMS CHATHAM
12 August 1915 while supporting the landings at Suvla was subject to a torpedo attack by the German submarine UB-8 which missed. The torpedo was fired from 500 yards and passed under the ship, two days later a similar attack with two torpedoes also failed
14 August 1915 arrived at Kephalo Bay
27 November 1915 with the ship in refit the First Sea Lord was planning for her deployment off German East Africa – this was at the request of General Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien GCB etc who had been chosen to lead an expedition against German East Africa and did not have sufficient equipment
25 December 1915 Commander Wallace E Whittingham RNR appointed in command
Commander Wallace E Whittingham RNR
18 February 1916 at Birkenhead in No 4 dry dock at Camell Lairds. Recommissioned
19 February 1916 floated out of dry dock and towed by tugs to a berth alongside HMS CAMPANIA
21 February 1916 commenced loading bunkers
22 February 1916 loaded 994 tons of bunker coal
23 February 1916 at Birkenhead under repair in shipyard basin
6 March 1916 moved by 3 tugs from the basin. Anchored mid stream
10 March 1916 sailed Birkenhead for Gibraltar carrying a small seaplane in addition to her kite balloon
16 March 1916 arrived at Gibraltar and berthed
18 March 1916 while at Gibraltar, commenced loading bunkers
19 March 1916 finished bunkering – 169 tons of bunker coal received. Sailed from Gibraltar later the same day togther with MFA LADY CORY WRIGHT and HMS SNAPDRAGON to Port Said arriving 27 March 1916
23 March 1916 off Gozo sighted the HMHS DOVER CASTLE
HMHS DOVER CASTLE
28 March 1916 at Port Said commenced coaling – 411 tons received. At 14:00hrs commencing unmooring ship – port anchor fouled another ship’s anchor – 17:20hrs cleared port anchor – starboard anchor weighed – entered Suez Canal – transitted the Canal
30 March 1916 at Suez
31 March 1916 sailed Suez for Mombasa arriving 11 April 1916 when she took on a local ‘Native’ crew. (To quote the wording of the ships Official Log for the period)
14 April 1916 sailed Mombasa to Zanzibar
15 April 1916 at Zanzibar – collier ‘Anglier’ came alongside to commence bunkering
Collier Anglier
21 April 1916 sailed Zanzabar on operation duties to deploy balloon off German East Africa
1 May 1916 anchored off Zanzibar
9 May 1916 sailed Zanzibar
12 May 1916 off German East Africa hoisted out her sea plane for a trial flight
15 May 1916 returned to Zanzibar and hoisted out her sea plane for a flight
16 May 1916 at Zanzibar hoisted out her sea plane for a flight
19 May 1916 off German East Africa her balloon ascended to observe the town of Lindi
20 May 1916 while on patrol off German East Africa ran aground. On being towed off by HMS HYACINTH and HMS CHALLENGER the towing cable fouled the propellor – cleared in 32 minutes
HMS HYACINTH HMS CHALLENGER
22 May 1916 off Lindi, German East Africa hoisted out her sea plane for observation purposes
23 May 1916 HMS THISTLE alongside
27 May 1916 balloon ascended
29 May 1916 twice hoisted out her sea plane for observation purposes
22 June 1916 arrived at Zanzibar
23 June 1916 sailed Zanzibar
30 June 1916 arrived at Zanzibar and sailed the same day
3 July 1916 arrived at Zanzibar
7 July 1916 during air operations the ship’s sea plane was hit by anti aircraft fire and one of it’s floats was damaged
8 July 1916 at Tanga Bay received onboard a wounded officer from HMS SEVERN with that ships surgeon
9 July 1916 returned to Tanga Bay – balloon raised
10 July 1916 sailed Tanga Bay
11 July 1916 at Zanzibar moved alongside collier ‘August Belmont’ to coal ship. Cast off to anchorage the next day
Collier August Belmont
13 July 1916 near Karange Island in company of HMS TALBOT
14 July 1916 at Karange Island – balloon raised
20 July 1916 at Tanga – sailed
1 August 1916 at Sadani
3 August 1916 at Sadani – balloon raised
6 August 1916 Fireman Hugh Patrick Foy. MMR discharged dead. On returning to the ship via the liberty boat he fell between the boat and the ship and was drowned. He is buried in Dar es Salaam War Cemetery
Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project
14 August 1916 sailed Zanzibar in company of HMS VENGEANCE (Flag) and HMS CHALLENGER for Bagamoyo arriving the next day and anchored.
HMS VENGEANCE
HMS CHALLENGER
15 August 1916 at Bagamoyo raised her kite balloon for spotting. The ship’s seaplane took off but through an engine defect landed at the mouth of the Kingangi River but returned to the ship undamaged
22 August 1916 at Zanzibar sailed returning the same day
25 August 1916 under way from Zanzibar exercising raising balloon
26 August 1916 collier “Queen Alexandra” alongside at Zanzibar to re-coal ship all day
Collier Queen Alexandra
27 August 1916 arrived Bagamoyo sailing the same day
29 August 1916 water boat alongside at Zanzibar received 40 tons of water
2 September 1916 anchored off Mbudya Island – balloon up
13 September 1916 together with boats from HMS’s VENGENANCE, TALBOT, HIMALAYA and PRINCESS assisted by the Gunboats HMS’s THISTLE and RINALDO and the transport BARJORA when 200 Marines, 700 Indian Troops, 200 Zanzibar and Mafia African Rifles 12 Naval Machine Guns, 2 Hotchkiss guns and 950 porters were landed at Mikindani (Reference a Supplement to the London Gazette of 15 June 1917 page 5960)
15 September 1916 anchored off Simba Uranga
16 September 1916 still anchored off Simba Uranga – sailed with balloon up
17 September 1916 anchored at Mohoro Bay
27 September 1916 while berthed at Zanzibar a court of enquiry held onboard into the death of Fireman Hugh Patrick Foy (see above)
10 October 1916 arrived at Kilwa Kivinje and anchored
17 October 1916 a member of the native crew died of typhoid malaria – buried at sea at 7° 50S. 39° 40E.
23 October 1916 a member of the native crew died of typhoid malaria – buried at sea off Mafia Island, German East Africa
4 November 1916 off Rufugi – diver from Flagship employed to clear obstructions to hull
13 Movember 1916 off Rufugi – seaplane propeller damaged through rough water – seaplane recovered and housed.
14 November 1916 off Rufugi – received stores and water from collier
20 November 1916 at Zanzibar – received 263 tons of water from a water boat
21 November and 22 November 1916 at Zanzibar – collier alongside re-coaled ship
30 November 1916 sailed from Tirene Bay
10 December 1916 HMS SEVERN secured alongside
12 December 1916 arrived at Niororo Island
17 December 1916 sailed from Tirene Bay
21 December 1916 arrived at Niororo Island and sailed the same day
December 1916 the ships company produced a sods opera –
29 December 1916 arrived at Tirene Bay
30 December 1916 arrived at Niororo Island with HMS TRENT
1 March 1917 at Kilwa Kisiwani the ships Sea Plane landed by HMS PRINCESS which was at anchor having just coaled
Medals awarded to Petty Officer (Air Mechanic) Thomas R Johnston DSM who served on Manica from June 1916 to April 1917. The DSM was Gazetted on 22 February 1918
(image courtesy of Dix Noonan Web)
21 March 1917 Air Mechanic 1st Class John D Woolger RNAS discharged dead. He is buried in Dar es Salaam War Cemetery in grave 2 G 16
25 March 1917 weighed and sailed from Zanzibar
Manica off German East Africa in 1917
13 May 1917 General Servant Edward Hewitt Buckley MMR 489728 discharged dead – having died from heat stroke. General Servant James Barton MMR 384357 discharged dead – having died from typhoid fever. Both are remembered with pride on the Plymouth Naval Memorial
16 May 1917 Air Mechanic 1st Grade Horace Thompson RNAS discharged dead from heat stroke – buried at sea. Remembered with pride on the Plymouth Naval Memorial
August 1917 converted into a tanker and renamed Huntball at Bombay
15 April 1918 purchased by the Admiralty and placed under commercial management
30 December 1918 arrived at Singapore from Colombo
2 February 1919 arrived at Singapore from Balik Papan
11 March 1919 sailed Singapore
24 March 1919 arrived at Adelaide from Newcastle, Australia when 2nd Engineer Officer Robert Earnshaw was found to be suffering from pneumonia. He was removed to the Isolation Hospital at Torrens Island and the ship was placed in 7 days quarantine
7 April 1919 at the Isolation Hospital, Torrens Island, Port Adelaide, South Australia 2nd Engineer Officer Robert Earnshaw discharged dead – natural causes – pneumonia. He had signed on the ship in December 1918
2nd Engineer Officer Robert Earnshaw
9 April 1919 berthed at Fremantle for bunkers while enroute to Durban
27 June 1919 sailed Colombo for Singapore
1919 sold to Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Co Ltd
5 May 1920 in Kings Dock (Dry Dock) at Singapore
14 May 1920 alongside at Singapore
1920 renamed by Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Co Ltd as Phorus
ss Phorus
2 April 1921 berthed at Singapore from Bombay
19 October 1921 sailed from Balik Papan for Shanghai
27 November 1921 at Batavia
20 June 1922 at Singapore
24 August 1922 at Tarakan
7 September 1922 sailed Nagasaki for Saitozaki
28 September 1922 sailed Singapore for Bombay
16 November 1922 in dry dock at Singapore
29 December 1922 sailed Tarakan for Yokohama
11 January 1923 at Yokohama
15 February 1923 at Hong Kong
15 April 1923 arrived at San Francisco from Aamori
19 July 1923 sailed Yokohama for Hong Kong
23 August 1923 sailed from Tarakan for Table Bay
11 January 1924 arrived at Tarakan
13 January 1924 sailed Tarakan for Fremantle
4 February 1924 arrived at Balik Papan from Fremantle
19 February 1924 sailed Shanghai for Tarakan
29 February 1924 sailed Tarakan for Nagasaki
25 April 1924 at Tarakan
22 November 1924 sailed Fremantle for Tarakan
31 July 1925 in dry dock at Singapore
31 August 1925 sailed Singapore for Port Sudan
21 September 1925 sailed Perim for Port Sudan
23 October 1925 sailed Fremantle for Tarakan
3 December 1925 sailed Balik Papan for Singapore
23 December 1925 sailed Bombay for Singapore
16 February 1927 sailed from Tarakan for Fremantle, Western Australia
3 March 1927 sailed Fremantle, Western Australia for Balik Papan
19 July 1927 berthed at Singapore with a cargo of ‘liquid fuel’ from Tarakan – information from the Singapore Free Press
24 July 1927 sailed from Singapore for Tarakan
3 August 1927 sailed from Tarakan for Fremantle, Western Australia
6 September 1927 sailed from Hong Kong for Balik Papan
22 September 1927 sailed Singapore for Balik Papan
5 October 1927 sailed Balik Papan for Mombasa
17 December 1927 sailed Manila for Tarakan
14 June 1928 arrived at Wellington, New Zealand to discharge a cargo of petrol – Captain Victor R Trigg in command
Captain Victor R Trigg
30 December 1928 sailed Melbourne for Tarakan to load
14 March 1929 sailed Port Freemantle to Tarakan to load
24 April 1929 sailed Singapore for Auckland New Zealand – due 13 May 1929
14 May 1929 berthed Wellington from Auckland, New Zealand
16 May 1929 sailed Wellington, New Zealand for Borneo
27 May 1929 passed Thursday Island while on passage from New Zealand to Balik Papan
5 June 1929 berthed at Balik Papan
3 September 1929 berthed at Port Freemantle from Tarakan to discharge crude oil
5 September 1929 sailed Port Freemantle to Tarakan to load
8 January 1930 berthed at Port Adelaide from Tarakan and discharged 3,000 tons of crude oil
12 January 1930 berthed at Melbourne from Port Adelaide
5 May 1930 passed Thursday Island while on passage to Sydney, NSW
9 May 1930 the Daily Commercial News – a Sydney, NSW newspaper reported –
10 May 1930 berthed at Sydney, NSW from Tarakan
13 May 1930 sailed Sydney, NSW to Balik Papan
23 May 1930 the Brisbane Courier newspaper reported that –
24 May 1930 Miss Amy Johnson’s flight from the UK to Australia passed the ship at 11am South Australian time
26 November 1930 at Singapore
15 February 1931 at Nagasaki, Japan
3 July 1931 arrived Osaka, Japan to be broken up