NAV Snider

Previous name:
Subsequent name:                        VESTERVAG

Official Number                              187356

                                                                       
Class:                                              GATLING CLASS Armament Stores Carrier

   

Pennant No:                                    A 375       

Laid down:
Builder:                                             Lobnitz & Co Ltd, Renfrew
Launched:                                       16 November 1945
Into Service:                                     1946
Out of service:                                 1964

Fate:                                                  Sunk 24 December 1971

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

Background Information: - One of a group of five coasters which were not normally classed as RFA’s They are included here as the ancestors of the more modern ammunition ships These five ships were designed by the Director of Naval Construction to the requirements of the Naval Armament Department. They were designed for Pacific Operations to carry ammunition from larger ships offshore which were of too deep a draught to go close inshore to the coastal areas or small harbours and had their bottoms strengthened to permit grounding when loaded if required. This was a 1943 plan connected with a future invasion of Japan. As there was no requirement to carry large naval guns they were provided with two cargo holds. The order for them was placed in October 1944 and none of them was completed before the end of hostilities, which meant that only one of them (GATLING) was needed to proceed to the Far east to assist in the rehabilitation of Singapore. GATLING and NORDENFELT were completed to mercantile standards and were registered and classed with Lloyds Register and were run on National Maritime Board conditions, while the other three were on “Yard Craft” Dockyard agreements and were completed with naval style accommodation

16 November 1945 launched by Lobnitz & Co Ltd, Renfrew as Yard Nr 1088 named SNIDER

1946 completed with naval-type accommodation

March 1951 used to dump 25 tons of unserviceable ammunition in the Hurds Deep, off the Channel Island. Details given in an answer to a question in the House of Commons on 17 April 1951 and reported in Hansard

14 May 1964 purchased for £7,777 by Solent Power Units, Southampton

13 October 1964 removed from the Yard after sale

1966 owners now Nils Hummelsund, Bergen and renamed VESTERVAG

24 December 1971 capsized and sank 14 miles SW of Lista Light House whilst on passage from Holbaek to Bergen with a cargo of grain.

Notes:

1. Based at Priddy's Hard Naval Armaments Depot, Gosport between 1946 to 1959

Previous Name:

Subsequent name:                 IMROZ

Official Number:                      179065                                                              

Class:                                        King Salvor Salvage Class

Pennant No:                             W34 / A234

Laid down:                                29 July 1942

Builder:                                      William Simons & Co., Renfrew
Launched:                                1 November 1943
Into Service:                             24 November 1943
Out of service:                          1947
Fate:                                           Destroyed by fire & explosion

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

Background Data:  There were originally 13 ships in this Admiralty-designed Class, 12 of which saw service as RFA’s. The final unit in the Class was completed as a Submarine Rescue Vessel under the White Ensign. All were basically similar and were used as Ocean Salvage Ships. During wartime were armed with 4 x 20 mm AA guns

1 November 1943 launched by Wm Simons & Co Ltd, Renfrew as Yard Nr 763 named SALVAGE DUKE

24 November 1943 completed and placed under management of Risdon Beazely Ltd,. Southampton

6 December 1943 sailed Milford Haven in convoy KX12 arriving Gibraltar 15 December 1943

22 December 1943 sailed Gibraltar in convoy KMS035 to Augusta and thence Algiers

27 February 1944 sailed Algiers in convoy KMS042 which also contained RFA’s DEWDALE (1) and  ECHODALE, and detached to Augusta

2 March 1944 sailed Augusta in convoy AH28 to Bari arriving 4 March 1944

10 December 1945 together with RFA Prince Salvor took HMS LST3002 in tow after she had been rammed by ss Poland Victory 120 miles south of Suez . She was struck just about midships causing a hole about 44 ft wide on the upper deck and 32 ft wide at the keel and cutting the LST almost in two, leaving just about 10 ft to hold her together. One of the ship's boats was damaged in the collision and the other seemed reluctant to yield to gravity. The crew of the LST abandoned ship, being taken aboard Poland Victory by rope ladder while she held position embedded in the LST. One crew member lost his life in the accident. He was Able seaman Keith Larcombe and is buried in the Suez War Memorial Cemetery. LST3002 was still afloat next morning and a skeleton crew re-boarded her. The Prince Salvor and Salvage Duke towed the LST slowly back to Port Taufiq

1945/1946 salvaged the Japanese auxiliary cruiser "Shiratoka" - Lieutenant Commander Broomfield Jones RN in command

31 December 1946 sailed Singapore in company with RFA Salvictor for Portsmouth

5 February 1947 arrived at Malta from Singapore sailing again on 8 February 1947 for Portsmouth

19 February 1946 berthed at Portsmouth

1948 Chartered by the Turkish Navy ( Denizcilik Bankasi TAO, Istanbul, Managers) and renamed IMROZ while on loan from the Admiralty

13 January 1959 destroyed by fire and explosion at Iskenderon, Turkey while alongside a tanker Mirador. Her entire hull above the waterline was destroyed. Eleven of the crew were killed. Numbers missing initially greatly exceeded this figure (Reported in the Prescott Evening Courier and the Park City Daily News (American Newspapers) of this date)

Turkish Government replaced her by purchasing RFA Salviola and renaming her IMROZ II

Notes:

Previous name:
Subsequent name:   

Official Number:                     180379                                                                        

Class:                                      KING SALVOR Class Ocean Salvage Ship

Pennant No:                           A494

Laid down:                             7 January 1944
Builder:                                   Goole Shipbuilding & Repair Company
Launched:                              2 November 1944
Into Service:                           4 September 1945
Out of service:                        October 1955
Fate:                                         Broken up

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

Background Data: There were originally 13 ships in this Admiralty-designed Class, 12 of which saw service as RFA’s. The final unit in the Class was completed as a Submarine Rescue Vessel under the White Ensign. All were basically similar and were used as Ocean Salvage Ships. They had a complement of 72 and during wartime were armed with 4 x 20 mm AA guns

2 November 1944 launched by Goole Shipbuilding & Repair Co Ltd, Goole as Yard Nr 408 name  SALVALOUR

4 September 1945 completed

 April 1951 On charter to Mollers Towges Ltd, name unchanged

24 April 1951 arrived at Singapore towing from Hong Kong a seized tanker Yung Hao (intended to become RFA SURF PILOT) under the escort of HMS Charity having RASed with RFA Brown Ranger on three occasions during the passage

August 1952 took under tow to Hong Kong for docking the steam ship Plymouth Star which had grounded at Wenchow

October 1955 charter expired laid up in reserve at Singapore

25 November 1971 purchased by Robin Shipyard (Pte) Ltd, Singapore name unchanged

9 December 1971 handed over to her new owners

1974 purchased by Cia de Transportes Edna SA, Panama  name unchanged

February 1978 reported lying at Gadani Beach for demolition by Pakistani breakers