RFA Mercedes

RFA Mercedes

 

 

 

 

Previous name:
Subsequent name:             Juan Olavarriaga,  Iberia,  Virgen de Begona,, Euzkera,  Elanchove

Official Number:                  114846

Class:                                    Collier 

Pennant No:                         P92 / X28 / Y3.1928

Laid down:                           1902

Builder:                                  Northumberland Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Howden-on-Tyne

Launched:                            27 November 1901
Into Service:                          1908
Out of service:                      1920

Fate:                                       Sold commercially

 

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

Background Data:  Soon after the turn of the 20th Century, the Admiralty acquired a number of small tankers and store ships and from the experiments conducted with these tankers was obtained  the experience which resulted in the building of a large number of tankers of various sizes which were especially designed for their task of refuelling warships. None of these early ships were sister ships, and they became the first Admiralty vessels to fall into the new RFA category on its inception in 1905

 

27 November 1901 launched by Northumberland Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Howden-on-Tyne as Yard Nr 97 named MERCEDES for Christie & Co Ltd, Cardiff

11 February 1902 ran trials on completion. She was designed for the carriage of coal and other goods from Australia and New Zealand to the West Coast of North America, Hong Kong  and Japan then back to New Zealand

16 February 1902 berthed at Westport, New Zealand

13 July 1902 berthed at Westport, New Zealand to load coal for Hong Kong

19 July 1902 Wah Chin, a native of Canton was found smothered and dead in the stoke hold, discharged dead. He was buried at sea while the ship was on passage to Hong Kong from Westport, New Zealand

31 July 1902 the Master reported to the authorities at Wellington, New Zealand he had been diverted to Wei-Hai-Wei to refuel 11 British warships. He also reported that plague was prevelant in Hong Kong and those who had succumbed could be seen floating in the harbour - he estimated that 30 - 40 deaths a day were occuring in the Colony

13 September 1902 passed Thursday Island while on passage from Hong Kong to Westport, New Zealand

30 September 1902 a member of the public in Westport, New Zealand was found in possession of uncustomed tobacco which he had obtained from a member of the crew. The member of the public was charged £6.00 triple the customs duty evaded in the local Magistrates' Court

11 October 1902 Captain Richard J Carter, the Master, appeared before Wellington Magistrates' Court, New Zealand charged with four breaches of the Shipping and Seaman's Act in that he left four member of the crew at Hong Kong with discharge certificates. He was fined £25 and costs of £3.17sh

20 December 1902 sailed Westport, New Zealand for Homg Kong

14 February 1903 berthed at Brisbane, Australia to replenish bunkers while on passage from Hong Kong to New Zealand to load cargo

5 March 1903 sailed Westport, New Zealand to Hong Kong with 3,000 tons of coal

4 May 1903 at the Magistrates' Court at Westport two Chinese crew members were fined £25 and £3 15sh respectively in default 6 months imprisonment for being in possession and attempting to sell uncustomed tobacco, cigars and cigarettes 

28 July 1903 berthed at Westport, New Zealand from Hong Kong

26 October 1903 while on passage from Hong Kong to Westport, New Zealand passed Goode Island this day

January 1904 vessel detained at Westport by the authorites for over one month - reason not known

31 January 1904 sailed Westport, New Zealand for Hong Kong

19 May 1904 passed Thursday Island while on passage to Hong Kong from New Zealand

31 May 1904 berthed at Hong Kong from New Zealand laden with 7,000 tons of coal to be discharged at Kowloon for the Admiralty - information from the China Mail

1 June 1905 at Mirs Bay with HMS Hogue - information from The Straits Times

27 November 1905 arrived at Hong Kong from Wei Hai Wei

1906 chartered by the Admiralty for  £ 23,336 for service as an MFA based on the China Station

23 May 1906 sailed from Woosung with the British China Squadron on its annual cruise ending at Wei Hai Wei on 17 August 1906

6 January 1907 berthed at Singapore from Hong Kong with coal for the British China Squadron  - Captain J S McGregor was Master

16 January 1907 at Singapore HMS Encounter alongside for coaling

20 October 1907 charter expired but was extended until 19/01/08

1908 purchased by the Admiralty for £ 37,250. She was based at Devonport, basically on  coal  freighting duties between Bristol, the Channel Area and Portland

17 March 1910 arrangements were made for the Crew to be paid weekly instead of monthly and the Master was instructed to cater into the bond for the safe custody of the money

September 1910 Fitted with a modified Metcalfe Rig ex TORRIDGE, a steam collier chartered from the Torridge Steamship Co Ltd (W.J. Tatem & Co, Managers) Cardiff  which operated  under Admiralty Orders an a Mercantile Fleet Auxiliary, for coaling-at-sea  experiments

2 October 1911 her Master queried whether or not he could issue railway passes to men proceeding  on leave but was informed that arrangements with the Railway Companies did not permit this

1912 conducted inconclusive coaling-at-sea trials with the battleship HMS DOMINION

April 1913 was fitted with W/T

September 1913 Captain John E Edwards RFA (Commander RD RNR) was Master

June 1914 Sailed to Birka Sound in the Baltic with part of the Grand Fleet. Her crew were entertained by Russians at Kronstadt. She then returned to the U.K. to take part in a  Naval Review.

15 January 1915 Stoker Frederick J Strickland discharged dead. He is buried in Osmondwall Cemetery, Island of Hoy

 

Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project

 

1915 during a refit at Cardiff, ballast tanks were fitted for carrying fuel oil and she then proceeded  to Loch Ewe where she acted as W/T ship

15 June 1915 Lieutenant  James D Ashworth RNR appointed in command

14 November 1916 Engineer Lieutenant Tom Perrett RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer. He remained in this appointment until 14 November 1917

19 February 1917 Lieutenant  W Watson RNR appointed in command until 18 December 1917

6 October 1917 Stoker J Stanley logged as deserted. He had signed on on the 15 July 1917 also Stoker James Murphy logged as deserted. He had signed on on 6 September 1916

October 1917 docked at Birkenhead to discharge mercantile Ratings then proceeded to Cardiff to be handed over to commercial managers

November 1917 placed under commercial management of H. Rees Jones & Co, Cardiff

15 August 1918 served as the Expeditionary Force Transport D 2618

2 December 1918 Expeditionary Force Transport duties ended

28 July 1920 purchased for £27,500 by Harris & Dixon Ltd, London., name unchanged

1921 sold to J.Olavarriaga and registered at Bilbao, Spain and renamed JUAN OLAVARRIAGA

1923 sold to F Sainz & Inchaustegui, same port of registry and renamed IBERIA

1925 sold to F Zugadi y Cia S en C, same port of registry and renamed VIRGEN DE BEGONA

1926 owners became Compania Naviera Euzkera, Bilbao with her previous owners as Managers and renamed EUZKERA. Later that year management was passed to Jesus de Azcarreta, Bilbao

7 September 1928 while on passage from Huelva to Bordeaux broke adrift and went ashore at Quoyrice Bank. 5 tugs failed to get the ship off the Bank and steps were taken to lighten the vessel and she was finally re-floated.

1934 sold to Cia Maritima Elanchove, same port of registry and renamed ELANCHOVE

25 October 1936 foundered in a storm 150 miles off Bilbao while on passage from Bilbao to Cardiff with a cargo of iron-ore, she broke in two. Only one member of the crew was rescued.