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Previous name: Empire Silver
Subsequent name:
Officlal Number: 168051
Class: 1st DALE CLASS Freighting Tanker
Pennant No: X 05
Laid down: 26 December 1939
Builder: Blythswood, Scotstun
Launched: 19 October 1940
Into Service: 30 January 1941
Out of service:
Fate: Broken up
Items of historic interest involving this ship: -
Background Data: Originally there were to have been 19 ships in this Class. The first 6 were purchased off the stocks fro the British Tanker Co Ltd whilst building at the instigation of the then Director of Stores, Sir William Gick, who was concerned at the age of the RFA Fleet and ships that were approaching the end of their economic lives. A further 2 ships were purchased from Anglo Saxon Petroleum Co Ltd for evaluation purposes. At the outbreak of WW2, a further 11 ships were acquired from the MoWT war programme although one of these, to have been named EPPINGDALE, which had been registered in London as EMPIRE GOLD on 21/02/43 and intended for transfer to the Admiralty for manning and management as an RFA and despite 5 Officers being appointed to her, the intended transfer was cancelled the following day and she thus never entered RFA service. 3 of this Class were converted into LSG’s and were then reconverted back into tankers at the end of the War
16 October 1940 Mr M N Carlyle RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
19 October 1940 launched by Blythswood Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Scotstoun as Yard Nr 62 named EMPIRE SILVER for the MoWT and originally intended for management by Eagle Oil Transport Co Ltd, London
30 December 1940 Acquired by the Admiralty and renamed DENBYDALE
3 January 1941 Captain Archibald Hobson RFA appointed as Master
30 January 1941 completed
16 February 1941 sailed the Clyde in and joined Liverpool convoy OB 287 which dispersed. Then sailed independently to Point a Pierre, Trinidad arriving 10 March 1941
30 March 1941 sailed Trinidad independently to Halifax arriving 9 April 1941
16 April 1941sailed Halifax in convoy HX121 carrying a cargo of petrol to the Clyde arriving 1 May 1941
2 May 1941 sailed the Clyde independently to Liverpool arriving the next day
4 May 1941 - 5 May 1941 bombed overnight at Liverpool, no injuries reported
15 May 1941 Mr Charles A Drummond RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
18 May 1941 sailed Liverpool in convoy OB324 which then dispersed. Then independently to Bermuda arriving 16 June 1941 for repairs
20 June 1941 sailed Bermuda independently to Curacao arriving 25 June 1941
29 June 1941 sailed Curacao independently to Gibraltar arriving 16 July 1941
19 September 1941 - 07:49 while lying alongside the Detached Mole at Gibraltar, she was attacked by 3 Siluro a Lenta Corsa (SLC) - slow running human torpedo / frogmen teams - from the Italian submarine SCIRE which had penetrated Gibraltar Bay. As a result her back was broken and she was partially sunk, fortunately without any casualties. She was patched up and spent the rest of her career as a fuelling and accommodation hulk at Gibraltar. Her main engine was dismantled and was sent back to the U.K. although some parts were lost en route when the carrying vessel was sunk. The remainder was later fitted to RFA DERWENTDALE (1). The oil depot ship FIONA SHELL was also sunk in this attack and the British steamer DURHAM was badly damaged
9 March 1942 Chief Officer George W Webster RFA appointed as Chief Officer-in-charge
17 February 1944 Chief Officer R Atkinson RFA appointed as Chief Officer-in-charge
5 October 1944 holed at Gibraltar when the minesweeping sloop HMS REGULUS struck her amidships
10 March 1945 was hit by Norwegian tanker 'Arena' while Denbydale was alongside in Gibraltar - no damage reported.
27 July 1955 towed from Gibraltar and broken up at Blyth by Hughes Bolckow Ltd.
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