RFA Red Dragon

 

 

REDDRAGON1912

 

 

 

Previous name:                                       Y Ddraig Goch
Subsequent name:     

Official Number:                                      128936                                                                      

Class:                                                     Oil Fuelling Hulk

Pennant No:                                           X81  

Laid down:
Builder:                                                  Napier & Miller, Old Kilpatrick, River Clyde
Launched:                                              2 July 1912
Into Service:                                           April 1918

Out of service:                                        1952
Fate:                                                      Scrapped

 

Items of historic interest involving this ship: –

 

2 July 1912 launched by Napier & Miller Ltd, Old Kilpatrick as Yard Nr: 186 named Y. DDRAIG GOCH, a large four masted auxiliary 1,400 ton yacht, for Mr Godfrey Williams of Aberpergwm – a member of the Royal Yacht Squadron

22 August 1912 Lloyds List newspaper reported –

 

22 Aug 1912 Lloyds List Red Dragon

 

25 October 1912 at Swansea registered as Y. DDRAIG GOCH under reference number 13/12 in the Registry

6 April 1913 at Falmouth, Cornwall Seaman Alexander Smith discharged dead – drowned

9 April 1913 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west

9 April 1913 the Times newspaper published an article on the ship –

Times Press report 9 Ap 1913 Red Dragon

28 October 1913 berthed at Port Talbot

April 1918 entered Admiralty service

17 August 1918 Engineer Sub-Lieutenant Frederick L Angus DSM RNR appointed as officer in charge

Frederick L Angus2

Sub Lieutenant Frederick L Angus DSM RNR

11 December 1918 and 12 December 1918 at Devonport in No 3 Dock RFA PALMOL alongside pumping over her entire cargo of FFO

1919 used as an oil hulk at Devonport and Dartmouth

19 June 1919 at Devonport HMS CAMBRIAN alongside to refuel

HMS Cambrian

HMS CAMBRIAN

3 February 1920 at Plymouth HMS CICALA berthed alongside to refuel

HMS Cicala

1 June 1944 at Plymouth USS ATR-13 and USS ATR-54 alongside to refuel. USS ATR-13 received 25,009 gallons of fuel oil and 370 gallons of diesel fuel

21 June 1944 at Plymouth USS Threat (AM-124) and USS Broadbill (AM-58) alongside to refuel

22 June 1944 at Plymouth USS AUK (AM-57) alongside to refuel

13 July 1944 at Plymouth USS Auk (AM57) and USS Broadbill (AM58) alongside to refuel

5 October 1944 at Plymouth USS ATR4 alongside to refuel

17 October 1944 at Plymouth USS Peterson (DE-152) alongside to refuel

USS Peterson

USS Peterson (DE-152)

18 October 1944 at Plymouth a US Navy destroyer alongside to  refuel

26 October 1944 at Cremyll, Plymouth USS Thornhill (DE195) alongside to refuel

11 November 1944 at Plymouth USS Dale W Peterson and USS Roy O Hale (DE336) alongside to refuel

21 November 1944 at Plymouth USS O’Reilly (DE330) alongside to be refuelled

27 November 1944 at Plymouth USS Thomas J Gary (DE326) alongside to refuel – received 41,352 gallons of diesel oil

3 December 1944 at Jenny Cliff Bay, Plymouth USS Ramsden (DE382) alongside to refuel. Details of this evolution shown copied from her War Diary of the day but submitted on 31 December 1944 –

 

Red Dragon w diary 2

13 December 1944 at Plymouth USS Thornhill (DE195) alongside to refuel

15 December 1944 at Plymouth USS Rinehart (DE196) alongside to refuel

21 December 1944 at Jenny Cliff Bay, Plymouth USS Clarence L Evans, USS Stewart (DE238) and USS Price (DE332) alongside to  refuel

8 January 1945 at Plymouth USS Koiner (DE331) and USS Ricketts alongside to refuel

15 January 1945 at Jenny Cliff Bay, Plymouth USS Sellstrom (DE205) and USS Savage (DE386) alongside to refuel

29 January 1945 at Jenny Cliff Bay, Plymouth USS Earl K Olsen (DE765) alongside to  refuel

USS earl K Olsen

USS Earl K Olsen (DE765)

7 February 1945 at Jenny Cliff Bay, Plymouth USS Clarence L Evans (DE113), USS Edsall (DE129) and HMCS Mina alongside to refuel

28 March 1952 at Devonport moved from ‘moorings’ to No 1 buoy by RFA Careful

 

Notes

 

It was reported in the Times newspaper of 9 April 1913 that this vessel had an auxiliary engine which ran on gas produced on board from anthracite coal. The vessel had a six cylinder motor of 160 b.h.p. and drived a Bevis feathering propeller through a clutch. A smaller four cyclinder gas-engine drived dynamo which provided electrical power for lighting the ship and working the windlass and other deck machinery. The ship could carry sufficient anthacite to take her round the world under power alone.