Previous name:                    Ohio

Subsequent name:               Standfast

Official Number:                   146614                                                             

Class:                                 Mooring Vessel

Pennant No:                        X17 (1916) X68 (Jan 1918)

Signal Letters                      GTWF (1919)

Laid down:
Builder:                               Skinner Shipbuilding & Drydock Co, Baltimore
Launched:                           1906
Into Service:                        January 1915  
Out of service:
Fate:                                   Sold May 1922

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

Career Data:

1906 launched by Skinner Shipbuilding & Drydock Co, Baltimore as Yard Nr       named OHIO for Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Co, Baltimore.

1906 completed.

November 1915 purchased by the Admiralty for service as a Mooring Vessel

6 November 1915 Engineer Lieutenant Robert B Crawford RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

9 November 1915 at Rosyth lifted another damaged vessel

27 November 1915 Lieutenant George Davis RNR appointed in command

26 December 1915 together with RFA THRUSH at Rosyth salvaged the dredger Venezia

25 July 1916 Lieutenant Frederick J Sweeting RNR appointed in command

6 November 1917 renamed STANDFAST. On Boom Defence duties at Granton

15 February 1918 Lieutenant Silvester Platts RNR appointed in command

Lieutenant Silvester Platts RNR

May 1922 purchased by Maritime Salvors Ltd ( M. Rush, Manager) London name unchanged.

August 1928 purchased by Mr Joseph O’Boyle, New York name unchanged.

1930 still extant.

Ships of the same name

Steadfast. An “S” class destroyer by Palmers, Hebburn, launched on the 8 August 1918.  The ship was sold to Metal Industries, Charlestown on the 28 July 1934.

Steadfast. A minesweeper of the “Catherine” class built by the Gulf Ship Building Co, Chickasaw in January 1943 under the lend-lease programme.  Returned to the US on the 24 December 1946 and sold to the Greek navy.

Battle Honours for this Vessel: NORMANDY 1944, ATLANTIC 1944.