RNZN/NZ Division of RN – RNZN Ship of the Day – RFA Nucula

RFA Nucula

HMS Philomel at the Training Jetty and RFA Nucla (oiler) alongside. Unknown in dock.Devonport Naval Base, Auckland Possibly 1933

The NZ Division, of the Royal Navy. – RFA Nucula, 17 April 1937 at Auckland, New Zealand while going alongside HMAS SYDNEY to refuel her she was caught heavily by a rip tide and hit the cruiser causing damage to HMAS SYDNEY’s port side propeller and forcing her into the wharf causing further damage to her quaterdeck. Nucula was not damaged.1

RFA NUCULA (Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship) is pictured leaving Sydney on 17 January 1931. This photograph was taken by Frederick Wilkinson while travelling on a ferry between Bradley’s Head and Rose Bay.

The Story Of RFA Nucula

January 9, 2009

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RFA Nucula, a tanker was built as the s.s. Hermione and completed in Newcastle by Armstrong, Whitworth & Co in September 1906 for C T Bowring & Co Ltd of London. She was completed as coal burning but converted in October 1907 to oil-fired. By April 1908 she was sold to the Japanese company Toyo Kisen Kaisha and her name was changed to Soyo Maru when Bowring had a new tanker named Hermione completed. She carried oil from California to Japan.

RFA Nucula, a tanker was built as the s.s. Hermione and completed in Newcastle by Armstrong, Whitworth & Co in September 1906 for C T Bowring & Co Ltd of London. She was completed as coal burning but converted in October 1907 to oil-fired. By April 1908 she was sold to the Japanese company Toyo Kisen Kaisha and her name was changed to Soyo Maru when Bowring had a new tanker named Hermione completed. She carried oil from California to Japan.

In 1915, she was passed back to British service and the Admiralty gave her the name RN Oiler No.73 and she served as a fleet tanker in European waters. In 1917 she was bought by the Anglo-Saxon Petroleum (now known as Shell Oil) who changed her name to Nucula as it was their practice to name their ships after seashells. She remained in commercial service until 1922 when she became a Royal Fleet Auxiliary and the civilian crew were replaced by RFA personnel. RFA Nucula was posted to the China Station as a Fleet Attendant Oiler based at Hong Kong. From September to November 1923 she was based at Nagasaki to act as a base oiler during the earthquake relief operations.

With the change from coal powered to oil-fired warships the New Zealand Division (hereafter NZDiv) of the Royal Navy required replenishment support for its new cruisers HMS Diomede and Dunedin. With the imminent arrival of HMS Dunedin on station in 1924 the New Zealand Government negotiated for an oiler to enable navy controlled supplies of fuel oil. On 27 May 1924 RFA Nucula was transferred to NZDiv control as a Fleet Attendant oiler and hired by the New Zealand government. The formal handover took place at Suva where she had stopped on a voyage from Singapore to Auckland. RFA Nucula arrived at Auckland on 5 June 1924. Due to her design, she could not undertake replenishments at sea or underway oiling. She would act as a supply ship for the sloops HMS Wellington and Leith along with the two cruisers. When they would depart on the island cruises, a feature of the interwar period in the South Pacific, Nucula would refuel the vessels in sheltered ports and anchorages.

Her designated task was to maintain supplies of fuel oil at the naval base at Devonport, Auckland. To do so, she undertook two to three seven-week voyages to California a year to load supplies of fuel. In 1934 three voyages were made to Abadan in the Persian Gulf. Some oil was also supplied to the Royal Australian Navy base at Sydney. In June 1934 during one of the voyages back to New Zealand she nearly sank in huge seas off the south-eastern coast of Australia during a cyclone. She suffered damage to the superstructure that needed extensive repairs upon reaching Auckland.

The second task the Nucula was hired to complete was to extend the range of the cruisers operation from New Zealand into the South Pacific and so there were refuelling rendezvous with Diomede and Dunedin at such ports as Suva, Bora Bora and Apia. During the Depression of 1930 it became necessary to man the Nucula with a Royal New Zealand Navy crew to collect another supply of fuel oil.

When Diomede and Dunedin left New Zealand service it brought about the redundancy of RFA Nucula. Her last voyage from America with a cargo of oil was completed on 10 June 1937 and so she was laid up as a storage hulk with effect from 5 July 1937 in Shoal Bay, Waitemata Harbour. Nucula remained in this role through out World War 2. She was sold for disposal in March 1947 and was partially dismantled. On 24 October 1947 she was towed to a position eleven nautical miles ENE of Cuvier Island in the Hauraki Gulf where she was scuttled in a depth of 183m where she remains to this day.

(With thanks from the Royal New Zealand Navy Museum staff).

Other early history –

RFA Nucula along side HMS Renown in Auckland Harbour, New Zealand

Previous name:                      Hermione, Soyo Maru, RN Oiler No: 73        
Subsequent name:

Official Number:                     123992

Class:                                     Station Oiler

Pennant No:                           Y7.220

Laid down:
Builder:                                   Armstrong Whitworth & Co.
Launched:                             24 July 1906
Into Service:                          1922 (as an RFA)
Out of service:                       10 June 1937
Fate:                                       Scuttled

Items of historic interest involving this ship: –

Background Data:  Acquired from commercial owners in the early Twenties, this tanker had a very short life with the Admiralty before being transferred to the New Zealand Government as their Navy’s first oiler to provide afloat support for their new cruisers HMNZS’s DIOMEDE and DUNEDIN. Her main use was in transporting fuel oil from San Pedro in California to Auckland

24 July 1906 launched by Armstrong, Whitworth & Co Ltd, Newcastle as Yard Nr: 776 named HERMIONE for Oil Tank Steamship Co Ltd (C.T. Bowring & Co Ltd, Managers)  Liverpool

September 1906 completed

16 October 1906 sailed Penarth for Philadelphia

31 October 1906 arrived at Philadelphia from Penarth

18 November 1906 the Lloyds Signal Station on St Catherine’s Point, Isle of Wight reported that the ship, on passage from Philadelphia to London, was five miles south east of the Signal station flying a signal ‘Not Under Control’

15 December 1906 sailed Philadelphia for the UK

26 December 1906 off Fernando Noronha, Brazil

3 January 1907 sailed Las Palmas for Liverpool

27 February 1907 sailed Newport, Wales for Philadelphia

18 March 1907 sailed Philadelphia for Plymouth

8 July 1907 sailed London for Philadelphia

27 August 1907 arrived at Monte Video from Liverpool

11 November 1907 arrived at Liverpool from the River Plate

14 December 1907 sailed from Liverpool for the River Plate

1908 purchased by Toyo Kisen Kaisha, Yokohama and was renamed SOYO MARU

13 January 1908 berthed at Pacific Street Wharf, San Francisco on first voyage from the UK for her new owners carrying 7,600 cases of champagne. She had come under the charge of British Officers while her Japanese Officers remained onboard as passengers. All the ships tankers were filled with freight. One tank was filled with pebbles in sacks as ballast. A serious accident occured when a temporary tackle which had been rigged to assist in the removed of the sacks of ballast through the open tank lid. The hook attached to a block fell and hit the head of George Greeves, a long shoreman who sustained a fractured skull. Reported at length in the newspaper ‘The San Franciso Call’ of 14 January 1908

5 February 1908 legal action in the San Francisco Courts against the owners of the Soyo Maru for damage caused to part of the cargo which had been off loaded on her arrival at San Francisco

9 February 1908 sailed from Gaviota, California with a cargo of oil for Japan

10 March 1908 arrived at Yokohama, Japan

19 May 1908 arrived at Gaviota, California from Yokohama

27 May 1908 sailed Gaviota, California for Japan

19 June 1908 arroved Yokohama from Gaviota

1 October 1908 arrived at Port Arthur, Texas from Yokohama, Japan

5 December 1908 sailed Philadelphia for Avonmouth Dock

20 December 1908 arrived Avonmouth Dock

24 December 1908 sailed Avonmouth Dock for Kustendje

5 February 1909 arrived at Payta from Yokohama

5 March 1909 berthed at Honolulu, Hawaii from Lobitos, Peru for bunkers

6 March 1909 sailed Honolulu, Hawaii for Japan

6 July 1909 berthed at Honolulu, Hawaii from Lobitos, Peru for bunkers. Carrying a cargo of 5,913 tons of crude oil

9 July 1909 sailed Honolulu, Hawaii for Japan

18 January 1910 arrived Honolulu from Peru

23 June 1910 arrived at Colombo from New York for Yokohama

3 September 1910 sailed Teneriffe for Liverpool

15 May 1911 arrived at Port Said

8 October 1912 suffered an engine room fire in the Malacca Straits about 160 miles north of Singapore. The cargo, passengers and crew were safe – reported in the Hong Kong Telegraph of 11 October 1912

11 November 1912 the Globe (an English newspaper) reported that –

6 December 1912 – Hong Kong press reports indicate that the fire damage (see above) is extensive around the poop 

14 February 1914 sailed Southampton for Port Arthur, Texas

7 April 1915 requisitioned by the Shipping Controller (F.C. Strick, Managers) and was renamed NUCULA and served as R.N. Oiler Nr: 73 until 15 August 1915

29 September 1917 managers became Anglo Saxon Petroleum Co Ltd, London and served as R.N. Oiler Nr: 220. with name unchanged

13 April 1918 berthed at New York having sailed from Liverpool. Captain Bernard Charles Wilton as Master with 56 crew

10 September 1918 berthed at New York having sailed from Plymouth Captain George William Ferris as Master with 56 crew

23 November 1918 berthed at Galveston from New York

13th December 1918 sailed Gravesend for Philadelphia

8 January 1919 at Marus Hook, Philadelphia Fireman Yin Leong discharged dead from natural causes. He had signed on on 7 November 1917 at Singapore

January 1919 was stated to be in very poor condition and was recommended for disposal by the Director of Transport. The Admiralty approved expenditure of £50,000 to refit her for retention and she was purchased on their behalf by Anglo Saxon Petroleum Co  Ltd, London, remaining under their management

11 January 1919 sailed Philadelphia for Falmouth

23 March 1919 arrived at New Orleans from London

18 April 1919 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east

19 April 1919 arrived at Falmouth from New Orleans (reported in the New York Tribute newspaper on 20 April 1919)

18 July 1919 sailed Gravesend via Grangemouth to Philadelphia

12 August 1919 reported by radio to Lloyds at Lerwick passing drifting mines at 69°55N 13°40E and at 65°05N 12°11E

25 September 1919 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east

23 October 1919 and 24 October 1919 at Port of Spain, Trinidad moored alongside HMS RENOWN to refuel her – supplied 3,709 tons of FFO

8 December 1919 arrived at Trinidad from Thames Haven

17 March 1920 in Channel Dry Dock at Newport

19 May 1920 arrived at Galveston, Texas from Port Talbot

13 June 1920 arrived at Sheerness from Galveston

5 July 1920 arrived at Port Said from Sheerness

11 August 1920 at Suez Chief Steward J E Smith discharged dead – drowned

29 October 1920 arrived Suez from Abadan. RFA WAR BHARATA also arrived the same day and also from Abadan

10 November 1920 at Suez Fireman Ah Sang discharged dead with beri beri. He signed on at Singapore on 14 October 1920

28 December 1920 Lloyds Telegrams reported that Nucula was in collision with the British steamer British Emperor outside of the Bussorah Bar, Euphrates. Damage was reported to be serious

ss British Emperor

25 February 1921 sailed Port Said for Thameshaven

31 March 1921 sailed from Sheerness for Port Arthur, Texas

25 April 1921 sailed Port Arthur, Texas to the Clyde

16 May 1921 arrived at Greenock from New Orleans

21 May 1921 sailed Glasgow in ballast for a Texan port

11th June 1921 arrived at Port Arthur from the Clyde

26 July 1921 sailed the Clyde for Port Arthur

10 August 1921 berthed at Port Arthur, Texas

16 August 1921 arrived at Beaumont, Texas

19 August 1921 sailed Beaumont, Texas for Devonport

7 September 1921 arrived at Queenstown, Ireland for Haulbowline from Port Arthur

12 September 1921 sailed Queenstown for Beaumont, Texas

3 October 1921 arrived at Port Arthur, Texas from Queenstown, Ireland

7 October 1921 sailed Port Arthur, Texas for Sheerness

29 October 1921 arrived at Sheerness from Port Arthur, Texas

6 December 1921 sailed Sheerness for Beaumont, Texas

30 December 1921 arrived at Port Arthur from Sheerness

29 January 1922 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

3 February 1922 sailed Portsmouth for Port Arthur, Texas

26 February 1922 arrived at Port Arthur, Texas from Portsmouth

10 March 1922 berthed alongside at Bermuda Dockyard

15 March 1922 sailed Bermuda Dockyard

16 March 1922 the Bermudan Royal Gazette newspaper reported …

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