Previous name: Karpat
Subsequent name: Polish Monarch, Izabran, Dunav, Ljubljana
Official Number: 136772
Class: Water Carrier / Collier
Pennant No: Y3.1102 / B 2086
Laid down:
Builder: W. Dobson & Co, Newcastle
Launched: 29 August 1912
Into Service: 1915
Out of service: 1921
Fate: Sold out of service
Items of historic interest involving this ship: –
Background Data:
Some official lists, marked as “Lists of RFA’s” show vessels which spent some time as RFA’s during the First World War. These records are extremely sketchy and some of these vessels were “Yard Craft”, partially or wholly Dockyard manned, partly by RNR or Reserve Fleet personnel. Some of the Depot Ships staffed by skilled civilian Dockyard workers were for a time White Ensign. The Director of Stores was understood to be concerned with their manning and operationally they remained under Admiralty control
29 August 1912 launched by W. Dobson & Co, Newcastle as Yard Nr: 180 named KARPAT for Hungarian Levant Steamship Co Ltd, Budapest
23 October 1912 completed builders trials returning to the River Tyne this day
24 October 1912 sailed the River Tyne
22 December 1912 passed Gibraltar sailing east
5 June 1913 sailed from Marseilles for Newport
10 September 1913 passed Gibraltar sailing west
16 December 1913 arrived at Maderia when on passage from Barry to Buenos Ayres
3 May 1914 arrived at Suez while on passage from Rangoon for Fiume
August 1914 seized at South Shields on the outbreak of WW1
12 December 1914 the Shields Daily News reported that –
18 December 1914 the Newcastle Journal reported that …
1915 requisitioned by the Admiralty and renamed POLMONT under management of Everett & Newbiggin, Newcastle
1915 the Admiralty commenced censorship of mail from ships at the start of World War 1. Stamps showing an item had been censored were applied to the outside of the envelope
1 July 1915 Lieutenant Herbert S Reavley RNR appointed in Command and Engineer Thomas A Bertram RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
25 January 1916 Stoker William D Griffiths discharged dead. He is buried in Swansea (Cwmgelly) Cemetery in grave D 19 965
13 March 1916 served as a water carrier
30 April 1916 became a collier.
1916 her management was moved to another company and the ship was renamed Polish Monarch
15 August 1916 at the European General Hospital, Aden Fireman Joseph Robson discharged dead from an appendicitis. He had entered the hospital on 18 July 1916
27 October 1916 to 29 March 1917 served as a Transport carrying wheat from Australia
6 November 1916 at the European General Hospital, Aden Seaman John Christopher Moar discharged dead from enteric. He had entered the hospital on 5 November 1916
30 March 1917 served as a collier again until 20 September 1917
11 August 1917 at Sierra Leone alongside the Armed Merchant Cruiser HMS MARMORA amd supplied 300 tons of bunker coal
HMS MARMORA
21 September 1917 until 28 January 1918 served as an Expeditionary Force Transport
18 November 1917 at sea Able Seaman Ernest Welsh discharged dead from blood poisoning
29 January 1918 until 3 March 1918 with the Commercial Branch as a Transport carrying kerosene (cased)
4 March 1918 until 29 April 1918 served as a transport carrying wheat from Canada
30 April 1918 until June 1918 became a collier again
8 June 1918 to 28 November 1918 served as a Transport carrying wheat from the Argentine
29 November 1918 served as an Expeditionary Force Transport carrying stores from Canada to France and then British hay and oats
26 February 1919 at 39.53N 29.41W 2nd Officer Nicholas Grunnah discharged dead from drowning
27 October 1919 and 28 October 1919 alongside HMS SOUTHAMPTON delivered 880 tons of bunker coal to the warship
HMS SOUTHAMPTON
16 November 1919 at Port Stanley, Falkland Islands – a work party from HMS SOUTHAMPTON used to unload coal
29 November 1919 at Punta Arenas alongside HMS SOUTHAMPTON delivered 615 tons of bunker coal to the warship
8 December 1919 at Punta Arenas, Chile Chief Engineer Officer William P Love discharged dead from pneumonia
Chief Engineer Officer William P Love
1921 purchased by Soc di Nav Marittima ‘Levant’, Fiume
1922 purchased by Navigazione Libera Giovanni Raccich & Ci, Dubrovnik and renamed IZABRAN
20 May 1922 on passage from Bombay to Port Said
2 June 1922 signalled she was in distress at 15°20N 40°45E – on fire – an Italian warship had sailed to her assistance
30 September 1923 arrived at Falmouth from Savona
1925 owners restyled as Atlantska Plovidba Ivo Racic A.D, Dubrovnik
27 June 1927 sailed Montevideo for St Vincent, Cape Verde Islands
17 July 1927 sailed St Vincent, Cape Verde Islands for San Nicholas
20 November 1927 sailed St. Vincent, Cape Verde Islands for Buenos Aires
1929 owners became Jugoslavenski Lloyd A.D, Dubrovnik name unchanged
12 September 1932 ran aground at Arroyseco but was succesfully refloated
1936 purchased by Brodarsko Akcionarsko Drustvo ‘Oceania’, Split and renamed DUNAV
1941 placed under management of Robert Ropner & Co Ltd, London name unchanged
28 November 1941 sailed Trinidad to Halifax independently arriving 11 December 1941
15 December 1941 sailed Halifax to New York independently arriving 19 December 1941
25 February 1942 sailed New York to Halifax independently arriving 2 March 1942
6 March 1942 sailed Halifax in Convoy SC 73 to Liverpool arriving 24 March 1942
14 April 1942 sailed Liverpool in Convoy ON 86 to Cape Cod Canal arriving 29 April 1942
29 April 1942 sailed Cape Cod Canal to New York independently arriving 1 May 1942
14 May 1942 sailed New York to Sydney, Cape Breton independently arriving 20 May 1942
29 May 1942 sailed Sydney, Cape Breton to Loch Ewe in Convoy SC 85 and then in Convoy WN 295 to Methil arriving 13 June 1942
15 June 1942 sailed Methil to Southend in Convoy FS 830 arriving on 17 June 1942
28 June 1942 sailed Southend to the Tyne as part of Convoy FN 746 arriving on 30 June 1942
2 July 1942 sailed the Tyne to Methil joining Convoy FN 749 which had sailed Southend on 1 July 1942 and arrived at its destination on 3 July 1942
3 July 1942 sailed Methil to Loch Ewe in an unescorted Convoy EN 106 arriving 5 July 1942
6 July 1942 sailed Liverpool to Boston in Convoy ON 110 arriving on 26 July 1942
14 August 1942 sailed Boston to Halifax in Convoy BX 33 arriving on 16 August 1942
22 August 1942 sailed Halifax to to Liverpool in Convoy SC 97 arriving on 7 September 1942
9 September 1942 sailed Belfast Lough to Holyhead independently arriving the next day
10 September 1942 sailed Holyhead to Milford Haven in Convoy HM 23 arriving the next day
14 September 1942 sailed Milford Haven to Dartmouth in Convoy WP 218 arriving the next day
17 september 1942 at Southampton
27 September 1942 joined Convoy PW 224 (from Portsmouth) to Cardiff arriving 29 September 1942
30 September 1942 sailed Cardiff independently to Swansea arriving the next day
7 October 1942 sailed Swansea to Milford Haven independently arriving the next day
9 October 1942 sailed Milford Haven and joined Convoy ON 138 to Halifax arriving 31 October 1942
23 November 1942 sailed Halifax to St John’s, New Brunswick in Convoy HF 16 arriving 25 November 1942
8 December 1942 sailed St John’s, New Brunswick to Halifax in Convoy FH 20 arriving the next day
16 December 1942 sailed Halifax and joined Convoy SC 113 (from New York) to Belfast Lough on 2 January 1943
4 January 1943 sailed Belfast Lough to Liverpool independently arriving the next day
12 February 1943 sailed Liverpool to Belfast Lough independently arriving the next day
13 February 1943 sailed Belfast Lough to New York joining Convoy ON 167 (from Liverpool) arriving 9 March 1943
30 March 1943 sailed New York to Boston independently
4 April 1943 sailed Boston to Halifax in Convoy BX 41 arriving 6 April 1943
8 April 1943 sailed Halifax to Loch Ewe in Convoy SC 126 arriving 23 April 1943
23 April 1943 sailed Loch Ewe to Methil in Convoy WN 419 arriving 25 April 1943
25 April 1943 sailed Methil to the River Tyne independently arriving the next day
29 May 1943 sailed the River Tyne independently arriving Methil Roads the next day
1 June 1943 sailed Methil Roads to Oban in Convoy EN237 arriving 4 June 1943
9 June 1943 sailed Oban to St Johns, Newfoundland joining Convoy ONS 10 (Liverpool to Halifax) arriving 25 June 1943
25 June 1943 sailed St. Johns, Newfoundland to Botwood in Convoy JN 32 arriving the next day
3 July 1943 believed sailed Botwood to St. Johns, Newfoundland in Convoy NJ 32 arriving the next day
10 July 1943 sailed Halifax to Loch Ewe in Convoy SC 136 arriving 23 July 1943
23 July 1943 sailed Loch Ewe to Methil in Convoy WN 458 arriving 25 July 1943
26 July 1943 sailed Methil to Rochester joining Convoy FS 1178 (Methil to Southend) arriving 29 July 1943
7 August 1943 sailed Rochester to Southend independently arriving the same day
8 August 1943 sailed Southend to the River Tyne as part of Convoy FN 1094 (Southend to Methil) arriving the next day
10 August 1943 sailed the River Tyne to Methil joining Convoy FN 1095 (Southend to Methil) arriving the next day
14 August 1943 sailed Methil to Oban joining Convoy EN 268 (Methil to Loch Ewe) arriving 17 August 1943
20 August 1943 sailed Oban to Halifax joining Convoy ONS 16 (Liverpool to Halifax) arriving 1 September 1943
9 September 1943 sailed Halifax to Pugwash joining Convoy HS 106 (Halifax to Sydney, Cape Breton) arriving 11 September 1943
20 September 1943 sailed Pugwash to Halifax arriving 23 September 1943
28 September 1943 sailed Halifax to Loch Ewe in Convoy SC 143 (Halifax to Liverpool) arriving 12 October 1943
12 October 1943 sailed Loch Ewe to Methil in Convoy WN 492 arriving 14 October 1943
14 October 1943 sailed Methil to Southend in Convoy FS 1246 arriving 16 October 1943
17 November 1943 sailed Southend to the River Tyne joining Convoy FN 1181 (Southend to Methil) arriving 19 November 1943
12 December 1943 sailed the River Tyne to Blyth arriving the same day
18 December 1943 sailed Blyth to the River Tyne arriving the same day
20 December 1943 sailed the River Tyne to Methil joining Convoy FN 1210 (Southend to Methil) arriving the next day
21 December 1943 sailed Methil to Oban joining Convoy EN 322 (Methil to Loch Ewe) arriving 24 December 1943
25 December 1943 sailed in Convoy OS 63/KMS 37 to Gibraltar passing on 9 January 1944 to Phillipville arriving 12 January 1944
29 January 1944 sailed Phillipville to Casablanca joining Convoy MKS 38 (Port Said to Gibraltar) arriving 3 February 1944
20 July 1944 sailed Casablanca to Gibraltar joining Convoy SL 164 (Freetown to Gibraltar) arriving 23 July 1944
7 August 1944 sailed Gibraltar to Loch Ewe in Convoy XK 18 (Gibraltar to Liverpool) arriving 20 August 1944. RFA DERWENTDALE was also in this Convoy being towed back to the UK by HMS Hesperia
24 August 1944 sailed Loch Ewe to Methil independently
25 August 1944 sailed Methil to the River Tyne in Convoy FS 1555 (Methil to Southend) arriving 27 August 1944
22 April 1945 sailed the River Tyne joining Convoy FN 1693 (Southend to Methil) arriving 23 April 1945
2 May 1945 sailed Methil to Southend in Convoy FS 1795 arriving on 4 May 1945
4 May 1945 sailed Southend to St Helens Roads in Convoy TBC 148 (Southend to Milford Haven) arriving 7 May 1945
8 May 1945 sailed St Helens Roads to Algiers in Convoy OS 127 KM (which dispersed 13 May 1945) arriving 18 May 1945
22 May 1945 sailed Algiers to Gibraltar independently arriving 25 May 1945
25 May 1945 sailed Gibraltar to Casablanca independently arriving the next day
29 May 1945 sailed Casablanca to Middlesborough via Southend independently arriving 7 June 1945
15 June 1945 sailed Middlesborough to Immingham independently arriving the next day
23 June 1945 sailed Immingham to Casablanca independently arriving 1 July 1945
5 July 1945 sailed Casablanca to Dundee independently arriving 15 July 1945
29 July 1945 sailed Dundee to Rimouski independently arriving 15 August 1945
28 August 1945 sailed Rimouski to Quebec independently arriving 29 August 1945
31 August 1945 sailed Quebec to Almeria independently arriving 14 October 1945
20 October 1945 sailed Almeria to Barrow independently
1 November 1945 berthed at Barrow to discharge cargo
11 November 1945 sailed Barrow to Aguilas independently arriving 20 November 1945
24 November 1945 sailed Aguilas to Workington independently arriving 29 November 1945
11 December 1945 sailed Workington to Barry independently arriving 13 December 1945
14 December 1945 sailed Barry to Melilla independently arriving 24 December 1945
27 December 1945 sailed Melilla
4 January 1946 berthed at Cardiff
1946 returned to her owners
1946 taken over by State Enterprise Jugoslavenska Linijska Plovidba, Rijeka (Yugoslav Line) and renamed LJUBLJANA
1956 owners became Splosna Plovidba, Piran name unchanged
19 September 1963 arrived Split for demolition by Brodospas
Notes:
1. The above photo is of the Karpat before she became an RFA and was named Polmont. The Karpat was seized in August 1914 at South Shields and was allocated to the Admiralty in 1915 when she became an RFA.