Previous name:                            HMS Victorious
Subsequent name:                      HMS Indus ii                                                              
Laid down:                                     28 May 1894 
Builder:                                           HM Dockyard, Chatham
Launched:                                      19 October 1895
Into Service:                                   22 February 1916
Out of service:                                March 1920
Fate:                                                 Sold for scrap 9 April 1923

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

Background Data:   Some official lists, marked as  “Lists of RFA’s” show vessels which spent some time as RFA’s during the First World War. These records are extremely sketchy and some of these vessels were “Yard Craft”, partially or wholly Dockyard manned, partly by RNR or Reserve Fleet personnel. Some of the Depot Ships staffed by skilled civilian Dockyard workers were for a time White Ensign. The Director of Stores was understood to be concerned with their manning and operationally they remained under Admiralty control

1893 - 4 Ordered under Naval Estimates and became one of  a Class of ten similar ships

28 May 1894 laid down

19 October 1895 Launched by H.M. Dockyard, Chatham as Yard Nr      named HMS VICTORIOUS

October 1896 began her sea trials

4 November 1896 completed at a cost of £955,312 and commissioned for service in the Reserve Fleet at Chatham Dockyard

8 June 1897 commissioned at Chatham for service in the Channel Fleet.

26 June 1897 took part in the Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Fleet Review at Spithead

January 1898 was transferred to the Mediterranean Station

14 February 1898 Whilst on passage for the China Station she ran aground near Port Said but was re-floated after coal was removed from her and served on the China Station until 1900

1900 refitted at Malta

16 May 1900 re-commissioned at Malta for the Mediterranean Station

8 August 1903 returned to Chatham to pay off and refit

2 February 1904 Became 2nd Flagship for the Channel Fleet and re-commissioned at Devonport

14 July 1904 was rammed by HMS TB 113 whilst in the Hamoaze, Devonport and sustained damage to her side plating

1 January 1905 under a reorganisation, the Channel Fleet became the new Atlantic Fleet

31 December 1906 her Atlantic Fleet service ended and she paid off at Devonport

1 January 1907 re-commissioned as a unit of the Nore Division of the Home Fleet

1908 was refitted at Chatham during which she was converted for oil fuel burning and had her main battery fire control and radio fitted

April 1909 was reduced to a nucleus crew, in commission in reserve

5 June 1910 suffered an internal explosion caused by spontaneous ignition of coal

January 1911 transferred to the Devonport Division Home Fleet

August 1911entered 3rd Reserve Fleet

14 July 1912 in collision with her sister HMS MAJESTIC during an exercise in fog and damaged  her stern walk

December 1913 commenced a short refit at Chatham

27 July 1914 as a precautionary mobilisation along with her sisters HM ships HANNIBAL, MAGNIFICENT and MARS she formed the 9th Battle Squadron, based on Grimsby, to defend the East Coast

7 August 1914 9th Battle Squadron was disbanded but VICTORIOUS remained on station as guard ship

December 1914 transferred to the Tyne to act as Guard Ship there

1 January 1915 decision taken to remove her armament for use on the new Monitor designs

4 January 1915 Arrived Elswick, Tyne and Wear  so that her 12” guns could be removed and  transferred to HMS PRINCE RUPERT and HMS GENERAL WOLFE

February 1915 to September 1915 laid up on the River Tyne

September 1915 to February 1916 re-commissioned at Jarrow and she proceeded to Scapa Flow to replace CARIBBEAN (q.v.) as the Repair Ship for the Grand Fleet

22 February 1916 taken over by the RFA as a repair ship for the Grand Fleet at Scapa Flow

22 April 1916 Quartermaster George Weaver MMR discharged dead. He is buried in Lyness Naval Cemetery, Scapa Flow in grave B20

22 April 1918 Chief Petty Officer Edward Robinson RFR discharged dead. He is buried in Lyness Naval Cemetery, Scapa Flow in grave D42

October 1918 to March 1919 her sister, the Destroyer Depot Ship HMS PRINCE GEORGE, was allocated to her renamed HMS VICTORIOUS 11

24 November 1919 Trimmer James Sabiston RNR discharged dead. He is buried in Hoy Old Churchyard, Hoy and Graemsay, Orkney.

23 December 1919 Carpenter Christopher Lock MMR discharged dead. He is buried in Fulford Cemetery, Yorkshire

March 1920 repair ship service ended renamed HMS Indus ll

28 March 1920 arrived at Devonport for refit

14 April 1920 paid off into a Care and Maintenance status while she awaited the beginning of her refit. These plans were cancelled and it was then proposed to fit her out as a Harbour Depot Ship at a cost of  £6,000

April 1922 this conversion was cancelled before completion and she was placed on the Disposal List

19 December 1922 sold for demolition to A.J. Purves of Channel Shipbreaking Co

1 March 1923 above sale cancelled

9 April 1923 sold for scrap and towed from Devonport for breaking up at Dover by  Stanlee Shipbreaking Co

As the Patrician before being taken over by the Admiralty

Previous name:                       Patrician, HMS Invincible, RFA Tarakol,

Subsequent name:                 British Vine, Busen

Official Number:                       113459                                                                  

Class:                                        Emergency Wartime Purchase LEAF Group Freighting Tanker

Pennant No:                            Y7.175

Laid down:
Builder:                                    C S Swan & Hunter, Wallsend

Launched:                               22 February 1901
Into Service:                            30 November 1914 hired by Admiralty
Out of service:                        12 July 1919 sold to commercial interests
Fate:                                         29 July 1935 arrived Genoa for breaking up

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

Background Data:

During WW1, 18 vessels of varying types were acquired second hand and converted or purchased and converted while on the stocks or in a few cases building as tankers. Some were converted after serving with the Dummy Battleship Squadron by the insertion of cylindrical tanks in their holds. All were originally intended to operate as RFA’s, however owing to reasons of international law and the operation of the US Neutrality Act, these oilers became Mercantile Fleet Auxiliaries, being renamed with the LEAF nomenclature and placed under civilian management, although operationally they remained under Admiralty control

22 February 1901 launched by C.S. Swan & Hunter Ltd, Wallsend as Yard Nr 261 named  PATRICIAN for Charente Steamship Co Ltd ( T. & J. Harrison, Managers)  Liverpool

3 April 1901 delivered at a cost of £114,221. Served on the Gulf of Mexico service to Mobile or New Orleans during the cotton season thence on to the Far east trade as a cargo liner

29 January 1902 berthed at New Orleans after passage from Liverpool

27 August 1902 sailed Liverpool to Calcutta

4 September 1902 at Malta

8 September 1902 entered Suez Canal southbound

27 November 1902 sailed Calcutta for Liverpool

13 February 1903 passed Gibraltar while on passage from Calcutta to Liverpool

6 March 1903 sailed Liverpool for Calcutta

26 April 1903 sailed Calcutta for Liverpool

12 June 1903 sailed Liverpool for Calcutta

5 August 1903 at Colombo on passage to Liverpool from Calcutta

15 September 1903 sailed Liverpool for Calcutta

23 September 1903 passed Gibraltar while on passage from Liverpool to Calcutta

11 December 1903 berthed at Liverpool from Calcutta and London

2 January 1904 arrived Port Said while on passage from Liverpool to Calcutta

8 June 1904 passed Gibraltar while on passage from Calcutta to London

23 March 1905 passed Sagres while on passage from Calcutta to London

23 May 1905 berthed at Calcutta from Liverpool

21 August 1905 passed Gibraltar while on passage from Liverpool to Calcutta

30 October 1905 arrived at Gravesend having sailed from Calcutta

26 November 1905 arrived at Port Said while on passage to Calcutta from Liverpool

February 1906 in collision with the Nourse Line sailing vessel FORTH  in the River  Mersey

30 May 1906 sailed Liverpool to Calcutta

8 August 1906 at Colombo while on passage from Calcutta to London

21 November 1906 sailed Colombo to London

4 December 1906 sailed Port Said to London

17 December 1906 passed Portland Bill while on passage from Calcutta to London

28 January 1909 in collision with the steamer STANLEY HALL in the Suez Canal

November 1912 in collision with the French schooner CAPRICIEUSE in the Mediterranean  while on passage from Port Said to London

2 March 1913 towed the disabled German vessel BATAVIA into Cascais Bay, Portugal

30 November 1914  was hired by the Admiralty for conversion into the Dummy Battle Cruiser HMS INVINCIBLE and on completion of conversion was initially based at Loch Ewe 

February to June 1915 deployed in the Aegean

6 July 1915, on disbandment of the DBS Squadron, she was purchased by the Admiralty for £65,000, and after having had cylindrical tanks fitted into her holds, she entered service as the oiler RFA TARAKOL.

1917 her management was transferred to Lane and MacAndrew and she became the oiler transport VINELEAF. Base port Portsmouth

1 February 1917 berthed at Norfolk Virginia

17 May 1918 berthed at New York

11 January 1919 berthed at Norfolk

13 January 1919 sailed Norfolk

21 January 1919 at Tampa, Florida

29 January 1919 berthed at Norfolk

1 February 1919 sailed Norfolk

14 February 1919 passed the Lizard

17 February 1919 berthed at Thames Haven

25 February 1919 passed Beachy Head

13 March 1919 at Norfolk

21 March 1919 at Tampa

23 March 1919 sailed Tampa

29 March 1919 berthed at Norfolk

1 April 1919 sailed Norfolk

15 April 1919 passed the Lizard

6 May 1919 passed Dover

10 May 1919 at Hull

12 July 1919 was purchased by British Tanker Co 

8 October 1919 renamed  BRITISH VINE

17 December 1919 Captain F J Simonds as Master

4 May 1920 sailed Portland, Dorset for New York

14 June 1920 sailed Norfolk, Virginia to Avonmouth

16 September 1920 arrived the Clyde from the USA

31 December 1920 while 100 WSW the Fasnet Rock suffered a broken rudder stock and damage to her propeller. Tugs were sent from Queenstown.

3 January 1921 towed into Queenstown Harbour, Ireland and entered dry dock for repairs

5 February 1921 repairs completed and sailed for Newport News

16 April 1921 sailed Lisbon

6 May 1923 berthed at New York having sailed from Newcastle on Tyne - Captain Benjamin Collie was in command

17 June 1923 berthed at New York saling from Liverpool on 31 May 1923

29 August 1923 Purchased for £37,000 by A/S Tonsberg Hvalfangeri ( H. Borge, Manager ) Tonsberg, Norway converted into a whale oil tanker and was renamed BUSEN for the carriage of whale oil to Europe

3 February 1931loaded 23,275 bags of whale guano from South Georgia and conveyed them to Curis Bay for the Standard Guano Company

June 1935 sold to Italian breakers for scrap

29 July 1935 arrived Genoa for breaking up

Previous name:
Subsequent name:               FRECCIAMARE

Official Number:              139143

Class:                                      SECOND 1000 t CREOSOL CLASS Harbour Oiler

Pennant No:                            N 09 / X 75 / A275

Laid down:
Builder:                                    Craig Taylor, Stockton
Launched:                               21 February 1916
Into Service:                            August 1916

Out of service:                        Sold commercially 1950
Fate:                                         Broken up 1982

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

Background Data:  On the outbreak of WW1, the Admiralty embarked on a further programme of tanker construction for the newly-formed RFA Service. Eventually there were 18 ships in this Class, 12 of which were named after trees with the OL suffix, while the remainder had names connected with the oil industry also with the OL suffix. 4 of the Class were diesel engined and were sold after the Armistice but the rest, being triple expansion steamers, had long and successful lives.

8 February 1916 Engineer Lieutenant William Shaw RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

21 February 1916 launched by Craig Taylor & Co Ltd, Stockton as Yard Nr 181 named VISCOL

31 July 1916 completed at a cost of £68,523

16 October 1916 Lieutenant W. Distant RNR  appointed in command. Remained in command until 12 August 1917 when he took command of RFA Ebonol.

13 August 1917 Lieutenant William E. Rousell RNR appointed in command Remained as such until 1 November 1917. He had come from RFA Attendant and when left he then took command of RFA Ebonol

28 September 1917 Engineer Lieutenant Benjamin D Smith RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer. Remained in appointment until 10 August 1918 when he was appointed to RFA Petrella.

1 November 1917 Captain Thomas Sunley RFA appointed as Master. Remains as Master until 30 June 1918 when he took command of RFA Kharki

24 December 1917 Stoker S P Maher logged as deserting from the ship. He had signed-on on 25 July 1916.

13 June 1918 Took on charge a Kendal & Dent Marine Chronometer No 6584 which had been purchased by the Admiralty in February 1895. Taken off charge on 16 October 1922 at Gibraltar.

1 July 1918 Captain J Weir RFA appointed as Master. Remains as Master until 3 March 1919. He had come from RFA Scotol and when left he took command of RFA Birchol.

11th February 1919 Engineer Sub-Lieutenant Sidney Willetts Russum RNR, aged 29, discharged dead. He had signed on the ship on 3 November 1917 and was buried in the Glasgow Western Necropolis in grave R 630.

17 February 1919 Able Seaman William North, aged 33 discharged dead. He was buried in Nunhead (All Saints) Cemetery, London in an unmarked grave but is remembered on Screen Wall  23 No: 9670

Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project

4 March 1919 Captain  W A Wooster RFA appointed as Master. Remains as Master until 31 July 1919. He had come from RFA Birchol and when left he took command of RFA Montenol.

7 March 1919 Engineer Lieutenant J G Fothergill RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

23 March 1919 Able Seaman S Bennett MMR 957642 logged as deserting from the ship. He had signed on 9 March 1919.

24 March 1919 Fireman E Munt MMR 898870 logged as deserting from the ship. He had signed on 9 March 1919.

27 May 1919 Engineer Lieutenant Ralph Watson RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

20 July 1919 Able Seaman C Legare MMR 870652 logged as deserting. He had signed on 9 March 1919.

20 July 1919 at Gibraltar alongside HMS Colombo  which had arrived from Devonport on No16 buoy to refuel her - 290 tons of FFO supplied

1 August 1919 Captain A Kirby RFA appointed as Master. Remains as Master until 30 April 1920 when he was discharged to HMS Cormorant at Gibraltar to await passage to England. Remained on pay until 20 June 1920

1 August 1919 Able Seaman M Wiswill MMR 970989 deserted. He had signed-on on 4 March 1919

1 April 1920 Mr W Maybray RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

19 April 1920 Captain E M Richards RFA appointed as Master

17 July 1920 at Gibraltar alongside HMS Torch refuelling her with 156 tons of FFO

7 October 1920 Captain James P Downie RFA appointed as Master

10 December 1920 alongside HMS Malaya at Gibraltar refuelling her 

24 March 1921 alongside HMS Malaya at Gibraltar refuelling her - 590 tons FFO

7 and 8 November 1922 alongside HMS Hood at Gibraltar refuelling her

21 November 1921 alongside HMS Durban at Gibraltar refuelling her

30 January 1923 alongside HMS Hood at Gibraltar refuelling her

September 1924 Captain R T Gallon RFA appointed as Master

1 October 1924 Mr H M Scott RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

4 March 1926 Captain E Parker RFA appointed as Master

9 September 1926 Mr A H Ireland RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

25 May 1928 Captain C R Rosen RFA appointed as Master

6 September 1928 Mr M Blair RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

6 March 1930 Captain T C Robinson RFA appointed as Master

8 August 1930 Mr T W Robinson RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

3 March 1932 Captain W H Farrow RFA (Commander RN (ret.)) appointed as Master

30 August 1932 Mr A C Fraser RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

2 May 1934 Captain B Ellis RFA appointed as Master

18 July 1935 Mr J B Russell RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

4 March 1937 Mr F Johnstone RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

26 August 1937 Captain S P Sice RFA appointed as Master

3 April 1939 Mr R W Cook RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

26 May 1939 Captain A Edwards RFA appointed as Master

August 1939 Captain Robert Grimer RFA appointed as Master

3 September 1939 at Gibraltar on the outbreak of WW2

21 February 1941 Captain Emil E Sigwart RFA appointed as Master

13 November 1941 Mr A A Woodley RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

8 November 1942 Served during Operation Torch - the Allied Invasion  of French North Africa along  with RFA’s ABBEYDALE, BROWN RANGER, DERWENTDALE (1),  DEWDALE (1), DINGLEDALE, ENNERDALE (1) and  NASPRITE. Was awarded the North Africa 1942 Battle Honour

1 December 1942 Captain R M Shaw RFA appointed as Master

5 February 1943 Mr Philip E Bassadona RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

12 February 1943 4th Engineer Officer W. D. Evans RFA discharged dead

16 February 1945 Mr P Mills RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

12 June 1945 used as an oil hulk at Gibraltar - repaired at Gibraltar

4 May 1946 returned to service as a Fleet Attendant oiler at Gibraltar

15 May 1946 Captain S P Sice RFA appointed as Master

July 1947 placed in reserve at Gibraltar

30 August 1947 left Gibraltar to Devonport under the tow of RFA War Bharata arriving on the 5 September 1947

5 September 1947 arrived Devonport, was destored then handed over to the MoT for disposal

23 September 1947 purchased by Risdon Beazeley & Co Ltd (R.A. Beazeley, Manager) Southampton, name unchanged

25 September 1947 left Devonport under tow to Southampton for repairs.

12 December 1947 repairs completed.

18 December 1947 sailed London, passing Dover 20 December 1947 to Rouen arrived 21 December 1947

22 December 1947 sailed Rouen to Mounts Bay arriving 26 December 1947 - had to shelter due to bad weather

6 January 1948 at Milford Haven - sailed 15 January 1948

27 January 1948 sailed Manchester to Stanlow arriving the same day.

5 February 1948 sailed Eastham to Nates, France returning to Holyhead.

16 February 1948 sailed Nantes, France 

1950 sold to O Novella of Genoa and renamed Frecciamare

1976 purchased by Ciane-Anapo Cioa di Nav, Genoa name unchanged

24 November 1982 arrived for breaking up at Brindisi by Fercomit SpA