Subsequent name:
Official Number: 167870
Class: KIN CLASS Coastal Salvage Vessel
Pennant No: A505
Laid down: 10 February 1943
Builder: Smith’s Dock, South Bank, Middlesborough
Launched: 18 August 1943
Into Service: 3 March 1944
Out of service: 6 September 1973
Fate: Broken up
Items of historic interest involving this ship: –
Background Data: Originally a class of eleven ships was planned but two were cancelled and of the remaining nine, seven saw brief service as RFA’s. They were re-rated as Mooring, Salvage and Boom Vessels in 1971. All were equipped with lifting horns and heavy rollers forward which enabled them to lift 200 tons dead-weight over the bows. In wartime they were armed with 2 x 20 mm AA guns and had a complement of thirty four
13 August 1942 ordered
10 February 1943 laid down
18 August 1943 launched by Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, South Bank, Middlesbrough as Yard Nr: 1120 named HMS SUCCOUR
3 March 1944 completed
9 June 1944 sailed Southend in convoy ETC 5 to Seine Bay arriving 11 June 1944
26 July 1944 sailed Seine Bay in convoy FTC48 towing HMT Star of Britain to Southend – souce Admiralty War Diary of this date on page 1211
18 August 1944 sailed Portland in convoy EPM39 to Seine Bay arriving the same day. Acted as convoy escort together with HMS HARGOOD
HMS HARGOOD
September 1944 clearance ops from Caen-Ouistreham Canal, then to Le Havre and Rouen.
8 January 1945 sailed Southend in convoy TAM42 to Antwerp arriving the next day
January 1945 in Antwerp then Terneuzen
March 1945 arrived Terneuzen
1 March 1946 arrived at Sunderland
23 March 1946 arrived at Hartlepool from the River Tyne
19 April 1946 arrived River Tyne
30 October 1946 sailed the River Tyne
1946 based at Rosyth
1 March 1948 Mr R C Wood appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
26 April 1948 Captain John Ivory appointed as Master
9 May 1948 arrived at Loch Alsh from Greenoch to be involved in the raising of the trials cruiser HMS EMERALD
July 1948 to September 1948 involved in trials at the Kyle of Lochalsh with HMS/m VARNE and STOIC
21 February 1950 Mr J S Clark appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
22 March 1951 weather bound in the Firth of Forth
21 April 1950 the Dover Express newspaper reported …
31 October 1951 Mr E J Blythe appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
25 April 1952 Captain Roy Souter appointed as Master
April 1952 off the River Tyne working on the tanker British Officer which had been mined and sunk on 1 December 1940 ½ mile east of the North Pier Light at the river entrance
12 November 1952 with RFA UPLIFTER sent to the Hook of Holland to attempt to remove wreckage of Panamanian vessel Faustus which sank in a gale blocking the channel to Rotterdam
12 November 1952 the Portsmouth Evening News reported …
6 August 1953 sailed Rosyth for Scapa arriving the next day to remove the high parts of the hired minesweeper Roedean which had been mined and sunk on 13 January 1915 off Longhope, Scapa.
20 September 1953 sailed Scapa to the Clyde.
24 September 1953 with 2 Bar class Boom Defence vessels and Admiralty’s Lifting Craft LC 8, 10, 11, 23 and 24 was involved in the salvage of French Destroyer Maillé Brézé which had been sunk on 30 April 1940 by an internal explosion off Greenock on the River Clyde. The vessel was lifted and handed over to ship breakers on 15 September 1954. It is believed this was the largest tidal lift ever undertaken.
FS Maillé Brézé
15 December 1953 during the above salvage work diverted to the Sound of Mull to search for and recover a crashed Shackleton aircraft
December 1953 returned to the Clyde to undergo a boiler clean
11 January 1954 to April 1954 returned to working on the French Destroyer Maillé Brézé.
15 January 1954 sailed to continue salvage work on the French Destroyer Maillé Brézé sunk on a sandbank off Greenock but had to return to harbour due to a severe gale which hit the area
11 February 1955 arrived at the River Tyne from Rosyth
5 March 1955 the Shields Daily News reported –
24 March 1955 was at Milford Haven when deployed to assist with the salvage of the Norwegian ship mv Venus which had grounded at Plymouth after dragging her anchor. The ship was pulled clear by local tugs and there was no need to salvage her further.
28 March 1955 sailed Plymouth for Milford Haven.
May 1955 at the Kyle of Lochalsh to recover mines from the minelayer Port Napier which had sunk in a gale on 27 November 1940 after catching fire and exploded. With the assistance of BDV Barglow 440 mines were recovered up and until October 1955
14 December 1955 in Aberdeen Harbour broke adrift from her moorings, together with two trawlers, in a very strong gale. With the aid of two tugs re-berthed without any damage being caused
12 June 1956 involved in further salvage operations on the wreck of the ss Roedean at Long Hope, Scapa Flow until 22 June 1956
22 June 1956 sailed Scapa for Kyle of Lochalsh for further work on the Port Napier recovering a further 86 mines and some 6,000 tons of scrap metal from the wreck.
3 September 1956 at Greenock until 20 October 1956 then back to the Kyle of Lochalsh before deploying to Devonport
12 November 1956 arrived Devonport to prepare for Operation Musketeer duties
29 November 1956 was deployed on Operation Musketeer – the Suez Crisis – until 22 December 1956. – the entire crew qualified for Naval General Service Medal with the “Near East” Bar
1 December 1956 arrived Port Said for Wreck Clearance Operations
16 January 1957 with RFA SEA SALVOR and RFA SALVEDA raised the 3,500 ton suction dredger Paul Solenté in Suez Harbour which was blocking the Suez Canal
23 January 1957 sailed Port Said on completion of Suez Canal Clearance duties
15 February 1957 returned to the UK (Sheerness)
23 September 1957 Captain R Souter RFA appointed as Master
March 1958 at Chatham under going a boiler clean
24 February 1959 sailed from Chatham Dockyard into the River Medway and to sea
24 March 1959 sailed from Chatham Dockyard into the River Medway
July 1959 at Chatham under going a boiler clean
September 1959 at Devonport
12 September 1960 at Devonport moved from Plymouth Sound to Slip Jetty on Cable Ship Bullfinch
15 September 1960 at Devonport moved from Slip Jetty on Cable Ship Bullfinch to Plymouth Sound
19 October 1960 at Devonport moved from Plymouth Sound to Slip Jetty on Cable Ship Bullfinch later moving back to Plymouth Sound
22 October 1960 at Devonport moved from Plymouth Sound to No: 4 basin returning later to Plymouth Sound
26 October 1960 at Devonport moved from Slip Jetty to Plymouth Sound
10 November 1960 at Devonport moved from No: 1 jetty to No: 2 jetty
1960 to 1963 at Dover and Portland
5 February 1961 Jack Solan, Fireman killed while attempting to board RFA SUCCOUR at Dover when he fell into the Harbour. Three others who also fell into the Harbour were rescued
17 February 1961 arrived at Dungeness to salvage the Naval Tanker C632 (non RFA) which had run aground
23 February 1961 sailed from the River Medway into Chatham Dockyard
10 March 1961 sailed from Chatham Dockyard into the River Meday
13 March 1961 at Devonport Dockyard moved from Plymouth Sound to No: 2 jetty alongside Cable Ship Bullfinch
14 March 1961 at Devonport Dockyard moved from No: 2 jetty alongside Cable Ship Bullfinch to Plymouth Sound
22 March 1961 at Devonport Dockyard moved from No: 3 jetty to Plymouth Sound
8 September 1961 at Devonport Dockyard moved from Plymouth Sound to No: 4 basin
11 September 1961 at Devonport Dockyard moved from No: 4 basin to No: 3 jetty on RFA BUSTLER
12 September 1961 at Devonport Dockyard moved from No: 3 jetty on RFA BUSTLER to Turnchapel alongside Cable Ship St Margarets
14 October 1961 sailed Dover for Devonport
30 October 1961 at Devonport Dockyard moved from No: 3 jetty to Plymouth Sound
13 November 1961 at Rosyth in refit until 19 January 1962
27 January 1962 following post refit trials was operational again
27 April 1962 at Dover under going a self-boiler clean at Granville Dock until 11 May 1962
2 July 1963 Mr A King appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
14 October 1963 to 29 November 1963 at Rosyth underwent a limited refit
January 1964 attended on HMS/m TIPTOE grounded off Greenock and hauled her free.
March 1964 hired to the Liverpool and Glasgow Salvage Association for the salvage of the motor trawler Irvana which had grounded in Red Bay near Cushendun, Co. Antrim on 23 March 1964. The trawler was refloated the next day
22 June 1964 involved in a 10 day salvage exercise in Kames Bay, Bute with HMS BARRINGTON. the laid up submarine HMS/M SCOTSMAN was deliberately sunk in 50 feet of water and then raised. The submarine was then sent for scrap
HMS BARRINGTON
17 August 1964 at Rosyth commenced full refit – completed due to labour problems on 5 March 1965
22 March 1965 operational again after her refit
November 1965, while on hire to Duncan Logan Ltd., damaged with her sternpost and frames fractured
6 December 1965 to 9 December 1965 at Rosyth being repaired
January 1966 a Board of Enquiry was convened following the damage
5 April 1966 to 27 May 1966 at Caledon’s Yard at Dundee for underwater repairs following the damage
June 1966 at Greenock in Exercise Casino Royale
27 June 1966 at Rosyth
11 November 1966 towed the capsized car ferry mv Isle of Gigha into Greenock
9 December 1966 raised the tug Flying Dipper which had been sunk on 18 October 1966 when assisting the British Cargo liner Doric in Stephen’s Basin. The tug was struck by one of the Doric’s propellers, was holed and sank without loss of life
15 January 1967 in collision with Boom Defence Vessel HMS BARRAGE on the Clyde and damaged her starboard horn
HMS BARRAGE
April 1968 laid up at Greenock
1972 transferred to the RMAS
January 1972 to April 1972 refiting at Rosyth
31 January 1972 removed from Lloyds Classification
February 1973 approval for disposal obtained
September 1973 sold for breaking up.
25 September 1973 handed over to W.H. Arnott Young & Co Ltd for demolition at Dalmuir
Notes:
Was managed by Metal Industries Ltd during WW2