RFA Ruthenia

RFA Ruthenia

 

 

 

Previous name:                  Lake Champlain HMS King George V (dummy battleship)

Subsequent name:            Regina, Choran Maru    

Official Number:                 110650                                                     

Class:                                  Stores Ship / Water Carrier / Oiler

Pennant No:                        X06 / X60

Laid down:
Builder:                                Barclay Curle & Company, Glasgow
Launched:                           31 March 1900
Into Service:                        1915
Out of service:                    1942 (but see below)
Fate:                                     Scuttled at Singapore. during Japanese invasion. Salvaged, repaired and used as Japanese troopship.

 

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

 

Background Data:

 

She was originally built as a passenger ship for commercial owners and had the distinction of being the first British liner to leave on a North Atlantic crossing with a permanently-installed W/T set up. On the outbreak of WW1 she was initially requisitioned then later purchased by the Admiralty whom she served in a variety of roles before ending her days as an oil fuel jetty and pumping station at Singapore, where she was deliberately scuttled on the Japanese invasion

 

31 March 1900  launched by Barclay Curle & Co Ltd, Whiteinch as Yard Nr 422 named LAKE CHAMPLAIN for the Beaver Line Service to Canada of Elder Dempster & Co Ltd, Liverpool. The nominal owners were the British & African Steam Navigation Co Ltd.

4 May 1900 completed. Carried 100 x 1st, 80 x 2nd and 500 x Steerage Class passengers

15 May 1900 sailed on her maiden voyage from Liverpool to Qubec and Montreal

19 June 1900 sailed  from Liverpool to Qubec and Montreal

28 August 1900 sailed  from Liverpool to Qubec and Montreal

14 September 1900 sailed Montreal to Liverpool

2 October 1900 sailed  from Liverpool to Qubec and Montreal

6 November 1900 sailed  from Liverpool to Qubec and Montreal

12 December 1900 The Royal Canadian Regiment embarked at Liverpool and sailed for Canada via Queenstown

8 January 1901 arrived at Queenstown from Halifax and St. Johns

22 January 1901 sailed  from Liverpool to Qubec and Montreal

21 May 1901 she made history by leaving Liverpool as the first British liner to leave on a North Atlantic crossing with a permanently-installed wireless telegraphy setup. Among the passengers were a number of Mennonite immigrants. 

2 June 1901 berthed at Qubec, PQ

25 June 1901 sailed  from Liverpool to Qubec and Montreal

 

 

30 July 1901 sailed  from Liverpool to Qubec and Montreal

17 May 1902 berthed at Montreal from Liverpool

17 June 1902 passed Cape Race while on passage from Liverpool to Monteal

25 August 1902 passed Cape Magdelen while on passage from Liverpool to Monteal

23 September 1902 sailed Liverpool to Quebec arriving 2 October 1902. Among the passengers were a number of Mennonite immigrants.

3 October 1902 sailed Monteal to Liverpool

1902 she was taken up for Boer War Transport duties to South Africa

6 April 1903 ownership passed to Canadian Pacific Railway Co, Liverpool - name unchanged

14 April 1903 made her first Canadian Pacific sailing

24 June 1903 passed Rathlin Island while on passage from Liverpool to Montreal

28 July 1903 sailed Liverpool for Canada

10 November 1903 sailed Liverpool for Canada

22 December 1903 sailed Liverpool for Canada

13 April 1904 berthed at Liverpool from Canada

2 October 1904 berthed at Liverpool from Canada

1906 converted to carry 150 x 2nd and 1000 x 3rd Class passengers

 

 

13 February 1906 sailed Liverpool for Canada

5 March 1906 sailed Haliafx to Liverpool arriving 15 March 1906

8 May 1906 sailed Liverpool for Canada

19 May 1906 berthed at Quebec from Liverpool

21 November 1906 sailed Liverpool with 77 immigrants organised by the Salvation Army

13 February 1907 sailed Liverpool for Canada with a party of immigrants organised by the Salvation Army

8 May 1907 sailed Liverpool to Canada

31 July 1907 sailed Liverpool to Canada with a party of 176 immigrants from Woolwich

23 October 1907 sailed Liverpool to Canada

26 February 1908 sailed Liverpool to Canada

8 April 1908 sailed Liverpool to Canada

1 June 1908 berthed at Quebec from Liverpool

7 May 1909 damaged by ice and put into St John's, Newfoundland

April 1911 in collision with an iceberg which caused little damage and she proceeded to St  John’s, Nova Scotia

7 March 1913 renamed RUTHENIA after an Austrian Province as her owners had negotiated an  agreement with the Austrian State Railways for a passenger and cargo service from Trieste to St John, N.B. and she was transferred to this new run

26 March 1913 during an Atlantic crossing saw a very large iceberg at 44^o23'N 43^o43'W

24 November 1913 sailed Trieste, Palermo and Naples to Montreal and Quebec

August 1914 was hired by the Admiralty in  for service as a British Expeditionary Force transport and was renamed REGINA for a short while

29 September 1914 17th Battalion (Nova Scotia Highlanders) embarked with a compliment of 39 officers and 717 other ranks, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel S.G. Robertson and sailed on 3 October 1914

14 October 1914 arrived at Plymouth and the Canadian troops disembarked at Devonport on 21 October 1914

4 November 1914 she arrived Belfast for conversion into the Dummy Battleship HMS KING GEORGE V and on completion of conversion was based at Loch Ewe.

6 July 1915 she paid off at Govan on disbandment of the DBS Squadron, was converted into a Stores Ship and Water Carrier and served at Scapa Flow under her previous name RUTHENIA.

20 October 1915 Engineer Lieutenant Commander William Gibb RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

5 January 1916 Lieutenant  Alexander C Birch RNR appointed in command

29 January 1916 she was purchased outright by the Admiralty

1918 was fitted with cylindrical tanks to carry 5,000 tons of oil

24 March 1919 at anchor at Longhope, Scapa Flow with RFA Isleford alongside

1919 as an oiler and was sent to the China Station where she spent the winters at Hong Kong and the summers at Wei-Hai-Wei.

28 June 1920 Mr Thomas Perrett RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

27 July 1920 Captain Percival Skone-Rees RFA appointed as Master

 

Captain Percival Skone-Rees RFA

 

18 April 1921 at Hong Kong moored alongside HMS Hawkins to replenish her

6 April 1922 at Hong Kong alongside HMS Durban to replenisher her

5 July 1922 at Wei-hai-Wei alongside HMS Hawkins to refuel her

27 June1923 at Wei-Hai-Wei received stores party onboard from HMS Durban then moved alongside HMS Despatch causing damage to the cruiser

13 and 14 August 1923 at Wei-Hai-Wei received stores party onboard from HMS Durban

16 June 1924 Captain R D Williams RFA appointed as Master

5 December 1924 Hong Kong Police searched the ship resulting in a large quantity of opium valued at $4,000 being seized. Two members of the crew - a sailor and a fireman were taken into custody to be charged before the local Magistrate in due course

1927 she was laid up at Singapore with worn out boilers and converted for service as an oil fuel jetty and pumping station at the Woodlands Naval Tank Storage facility near the Johore Causeway

16 January 1940 at Singapore with RFA Pearleaf (1) alongside her and with HMS Falmouth alongside being refuelled by Pearleaf

16 February 1942 was deliberately scuttled on the Japanese invasion but was raised by them, her tanks were removed, primitive accommodation was added and she was put back into service as a troopship named CHORAN MARU.

1945 was recovered by the Royal Navy at Singapopre and was used to transport POW's and her name reverted to RUTHENIA

30 October 1946 she ran aground off Pladjoe in the Moesi River and 3 attempts were made by the tugs EMPIRE COURIER and GRIPER to pull her off

12 November 1946 she was finally refloated with the united efforts of 3 tugs, an Indonesian dredger and much heavy ground tackle and repairs were effected.

12 March 1949 after serving at Vladivostock, she returned to Singapore and was sold to BISCO for scrap.

3 April 1949  sailed Singapore in tow of the tug ENGLISHMAN  

18 June 1949 arrived at Dalmuir for partial breaking up by W.H. Arnott Young & Co Ltd.

18 July 1949 was towed to Troon for final demolition

 

Notes:

When Elder Dempster sold their Canadian interests (Beaver Line) to the Canadian Pacific Railway Co for the sum of £1,417,500, a total of 14 ships plus 3 tugs were involved in the deal and these were as follows: LAKE CHAMPLAIN (RUTHENIA), LAKE ERIE(SAXOL), LAKE MANITOBA, LAKE MICHIGAN, MILWAUKEE, MONTCALM(CRENELLA), MONTEAGLE, MONTEREY, MONTEZUMA (ABADOL), MONTORT, MONTREAL, MOUNT ROYAL(RANGOL), MOUNT TEMPLE & MONTROSE and the 3 Liverpool tugs AFRICAN, BEAVER & OTTER