RFA War Sudra

RFA War Sudra

 

 

Previous name:
Subsequent name:             Germaine 

Official Number:                   144527     

Class:                                    WAR CLASS Freighting Tanker

Pennant No:                         Y7.342 / X95

Laid down:
Builder:                                  Palmers, Hebburn

Launched:                            18 March 1920
Into Service:                          1921
Out of service:                      Sold 1951
Fate:                                       Broken up

 

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

Background Data: To combat the alarming losses of British merchant ships during WW1, the New Ministries and Secretaries Act was passed in December 1916, which provided for the appointment of a Shipping Controller with very wide powers “to take such steps as he thinks best for providing and maintaining an efficient supply of shipping”. On 20 December 1916, the first meeting of the Merchant Shipbuilding Advisory Committee took place where it was decided that an extensive shipbuilding programme should be started, the ships to be of a simple design and as far as possible to be of a standard type as regards hulls and engines. These new vessels for the Government were given a standard nomenclature, the prefix to their names being WAR. 821 vessels were ordered from U.K. yards and abroad and 416 were completed to Government order, 279 were sold and transferred to private owners before completion and the remainder were cancelled. Of the 416 completed to Government order, 15 were transferred to Admiralty service as oilers. They were all modified versions of the A and B Class standard dry cargo ships, known as the Z Class. All had 2 large dry cargo holds, 6 of them had 5 cargo tanks and the remaining 9 had 7 cargo tanks, specially designed for the carriage of heavy fuel oil. Most of them were initially under commercial management.

 

 

1920 placed under the managment of the British Tanker Company Limited by the Shipping Controller

27 July 1920 arrived Suez from Malta

29 August 1920 arrived Port Said for Malta

1921 taken over by the Admiralty but remained under commercial management

19 September 1921 sailed Port Arthur for Bermuda

19 January 1922 in collision with tug Clark. Reported in the records of the US Congress. Location of accident not known.

24 March 1922 in collision with steamship Dirigo. Reported in the records of the US Congress. Location of accident not known

29 January 1924 at Trincomalee alongside HMS REPULSE refuelling her

13 March 1924 sailed Simonstown for Trinidad

24 August 1924 while on passage from Bueno Ayres to Trinidad arrived at Montevideo

22 September 1924 sailed Trinidad for the Admiralty Oil Fuel Depot at Old Kilpatrick on the River Clyde

21 October 1924 took on charge an E Dent & Co Marine Chronometer No 55145 which had been purchased by the Admiralty in March 1910 and had not previously been issued. Landed off charge on 29 June 1927 at Hong Kong.

31 October 1924 arrived at Port Said while on passage from Old Kilpatrick, River Clyde to Abadan

16 January 1925 berthed at SIngapore from Abadan

20 January 1925 sailed Singapore for Abadan

7 July 1926 berthed at the Oil Wharf, Keppel Harbour, SIngapore

14 June 1927 berthed at the Oil Wharf, Keppel Harbour, SIngapore

10 November 1927 berthed at the Oil Wharf, Keppel Harbour, SIngapore from Abadan 

11 November 1927 sailed from the Oil Wharf, Keppel Harbour, SIngapore for Hong Kong

16 May 1929 berthed at  Singapore from Abadan

16 November 1931 Fireman Chai Foi discharged dead

15 October 1931 Captain J Davies RFA appointed as Master

22 December 1931 berthed at Malta

31 December 1931 arrived at Port Said

23 January 1932 arrived at Aberdan to load

19 February 1932 berthed at Malta

1 March 1932 arrived Port Said

22 March 1932 arrived at Abadan

17 April 1932 berthed at Malta

20 May 1932 berthed at Colombo, Ceylon

14 June 1932 berthed at Abadan to load

18 July 1932 arrived at Hong Kong

16 August 1932 arrived at Hong Kong

25 August 1932 arrived at Wei Hai Wei

2 November 1932 berthed at Portsmouth

19 July 1936 berthed at Malta from Alexandria

1936/7 Seaman Shi Zheng Di discharged dead. He is buried in Haifa (Jaffa Road) Cemetery, Israel. The exact date of death is not shown on the grave stone

 

© Michael Robson

 

Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project

Grave refurbished by the CWGC

16 August 1936 berthed at Grand Harbour, Malta from Haifa landing 7,827 drums of fuel oil and 18 packages of Naval stores

8 December 1936 berthed at Grand Harbour, Malta from Abadan and Port Said

1937 transferred to Admiralty management and manning as an RFA

20 August 1937 Captain Benjamin N Beasley RFA appointed as Master and Mr W S Ritchie RFA (Engineer Lieutenant Commander RNR (retd)) appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

11 December 1938 berthed at Grand Harbour, Malta from Port Said

14 December 1938 sailed Grand Harbour, Malta

June 1939 Captain Stanley C Kernick RFA appointed as Master

29 August 1939 Captain J Gow RFA appointed as Master

31 August 1939 Mr G T Beed RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

2 December 1939 at 0520hrs alongside HMS HOOD at anchor in the Firth of Clyde refuelling her - cast of at 13.00hrs the same day. RFA PRESTOL was alongside on the other side of HMS HOOD at the same time

11 December 1939 at 13.20hrs alongside HMS HOOD at anchor in the Firth of Clyde refuelling her

18 December 1939 at Greenock at 0850hrs alongside HMS HOOD at anchor on her port side refuelling her

6 January 1940 at Greenock at 1135hrs alongside HMS HOOD at anchor on her port side refuelling her - cast of 7 January 1940 at 0945hrs

14 January 1940 at Greenock at 1400hrs alongside HMS HOOD at anchor on her port side refuelling her - cast of at 1610hrs the same day

25 January 1940 at Greenock alongside HMS WARSPITE refuelling her with 2,087 tons of FFO

22 July 1940 to 28 April 1942 used as an anchored fuel depot ship variously at Tail of  Bank, Scapa and at Reykjavik, Iceland.

26 August 1940 in collision with the French sloop FS SAVORGNAN DE BRAZZA

September 1940 Mr D H Evans RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

30 September 1940 Captain A Edwards RFA as Master

27 June 1941 sailed the Clyde in convoy WN146 to Loch Ewe arriving on the 29 June 1941 and Methil on 3 July 1941

5 July 1941 Captain E M Rae RFA appointed as Master

17 July 1941 sailed Scapa Flow escorted by the destroyer HMS HEYTHROP

20 July 1941 arrived Seidisfjord, Faroe Islands

22 July 1941 was involved as an oiler in Operation EF (attacks by British carrier borne aircraft on German shipping in the waters adjacent to Kirkenes (Norway) and Petsamo (Finland). Was based at Seidisfiord,  Faroes. Replenished the RN destroyers and RFA Black Ranger. RFA Aldersdale also involved.

20 December 1941 sailed in convoy RU1 from Reykjavik, Iceland to the Clyde arriving on 26 December 1941

22 February 1942 sailed Oban in Convoy WN249 arriving Scapa Flow the next day

3 August 1942 Captain D A Rees RFA appointed as Master

8 September 1942 Mr T McGregor RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

4 February 1943 arrived the Tyne for repairs sailed on 5 March 1943

13 March 1943 sailed Methil in Convoy EN204 arriving Scapa Flow the next day

26 April 1943 in collision with RFA Prestol

27 March 1944 sailed Kirkwall to Methil in convoy WN562 arriving the next day

28 March 1944 sailed Methil to Scapa Flow in convoy EN364 arriving the next day

1 September 1944 arrived Leith for repairs - completed 17 October 1944

22 October 1944 back at Leith for more repairs - sailed 10 November 1944

26 August 1945 Captain W G Gilmore RFA appointed as Master

3 April 1946 Mr G W Martin RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

4 April 1946 sailed Gravesend to Melbourne

1946 became a floating storage depot ship at Hong Kong

1946 transferred to MOT for disposal.

1948 Purchased by Union Maritime & Shipping Co Ltd (Oak Shipping Co. London - Managers)

1951 Name changed to Germaine by Cia Maritima Iguana, Panama

December 1954 arrived for breaking up at Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht, Holland by Arie Rijsdijk Boss en Zonen.