Greatful thanks to Bill Rice for donating the lower image of RFA Delphinula
Previous name: Buyo Maru
Official Nnmber: 140285
Class: Freighting Tanker
Pennant No: Y7.188
Laid down: 1907
Builder: Armstrong, Whitworth, Newcastle
Launched: 19 December 1907
Into Service: 1915
Out of service: 1946
Fate: Broken up
Items of historic interest involving this ship: -
Background Data: Purchased by the Admiralty from commercial owners, she was used for naval oil freighting duties, mainly on a run from Chatham to Bermuda with naval stores then down to Trinidad to load oil for U.K. bases. Was the sister ship of RFA LUCIGEN
19 December 1907 launched by Sir W.G. Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd, Newcastle as Yard Nr: 804 for H.E. Moss & Co Ltd, Liverpool but was sold to Toyo Kisen Kabushika Kaisha, Yokohama and named BUYO MARU
February 1908 completed
24 April 1908 sailed Port Tewfik
31 October 1908 sailed Cardiff
24 November 1908 sailed Philadelphia for Yokohama via Suez
28 December 1908 sailed Port Tewfik for Yokohama
21 January 1909 cleared Singapore for Yokohama
1 March 1909 sailed Japan for San Francisco
28 May 1909 sailed Honolulu for San Francisco
2 July 1909 arrived at Kobe
31 July 1909 arrived at Yokohama
30 October 1909 arrived at Taku
22 January 1910 sailed Shimonoseki for Noumea, New Caledonia
10 February 1910 berthed at Noumea, New Caladonia with a cargo of 5,000 tons of coal to discharge - reported in the Sydney (NSW) Morning Herald
22 April 1910 arrived at Kobe from Otaru
19 June 1910 sailed from Salina Cruz
29 August 1910 berthed at Honolulu from Valparaiso
4 September 1910 sailed Honolulu for Yokohama
5 May 1911 sailed Yokohama for Honolulu but delayed by adverse weather
19 May 1911 berthed at Honolulu from Yokohama for bunkers. This was the ships first voyage after the fitting of a wireless telegraphy instrument - reported at length in the Hawaiian Star newspaper
22 August 1911 berthed at Honolulu for bunkers while on a voyage from South America to Yokohama loaded with 600 tons of nitrate and carrying 2 first class, 9 second class and 171 steerage class passengers. Sailed 24 August 1911 - reported in the Hawaiian Star newspaper
17 February 1912 berthed at Honolulu to discharge 750 tons of nitrate. Sailed for Yokohama 20 February 1912
9 May 1912 arrived at Honolulu from Hong Kong sailing later the same day for Valpariso
15 August 1912 sailed Valparaiso for Hong Kong
11 February 1913 berthed at Honolulu to discharge 900 tons of nitrate and load bunkers
September 1913 grounded at Iwaki, Japan
1915 purchased by the Admiralty, placed under management of Anglo Saxon Petroleum Co Ltd, London and was renamed DELPHINULA
27 April 1917 secured at Camber, Hong Kong
14 May 1917 off Sandakan, Borneo stopped by HMS CADMUS and boarded to confirm identity - allowed to proceed
HMS CADMUS
2 November 1917 at sea Fireman Tung Lang Leung discharged dead - no reason given in records at the TNA
12 November 1917 off Perim stopped by HMS TOPAZE and boarded to confirm identity - allowed to proceed
HMS TOPAZE
2 August 1918 at Genoa Fireman Chey Tang discharged dead having drowned
24 August 1918 torpedoed by the German submarine U-63 (Kapitanleutnant Kurt Hartwig) - in the Mediterranean at 35°42N. 22°16E while on passage, in ballast, from Naples to Malta and then Milo in an escorted unnumbered convoy of eleven ships. The ship was damaged but there were no fatalities and she was able to reach Suda Bay, Crete under her own steam
13 October 1918 Able Seaman Ah Ping discharged dead from natural causes. He was buried in Suda Bay War Cemetery, Crete, Greece in grave X1 B 19
Courtesy and © of The War Graves Photographic Project
21 August 1919 arrived at Port Said
20 October 1919 at Constantinople Greaser Spirami Vella discharged dead - drowned
9 February 1920 arrived at Port Said from Constantinople
14 May 1920 called at Gibraltar from Alexandria for orders
9 June 1920 sailed Port Arthur, Texas for Devonport
2 July 1920 arrived at Portmouth from Texas
7 July 1920 sailed from Portsmouth for Port Arthur, Texas
1 August 1920 sailed Galveston, Texas for Sheerness with a cargo of 45,000 barrels of FFO - reported in the Galveston Daily News of the next day
25 August 1920 arrived at Sheerness from Houston, Texas
2 September 1920 sailed Sheerness for Houston, Texas
30 September 1920 sailed Galveston, Texas for Sheerness
21 October 1920 arrived at Portsmouth to discharge from Port Arthur
23 October 1920 sailed from Portsmouth
29 October 1920 berthed at Portsmouth
1 November 1920 sailed from Portsmouth
6 November 1920 sailed Portsmouth for Singapore
25 November 1920 arrived at Aden from Portsmouth
31 January 1921 Chief Cook and Baker George Albert Ernest Ettie discharged dead at Cape Town, South Africa - he is buried in Woltemade Cemetery, Cape Town, South Africa - he died of Cerebral Malaria
Chief Cook and Baker George A E Ettie
31 January 1921 at Cape Town, South Africa Chief Steward Alfred Russell discharged dead - cerebral malaria
1 April 1921 arrived at Suez from Abadan
2 April 1921 sailed Port Said for Portsmouth
18 April 1921 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour
21 April 1921 sailed Portsmouth Harbour
27 April 1921 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour
15 June 1921 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour
30 June 1921 arrived at Port Said from Portsmouth when on passage to Abadan
7 July 1921 arrived at Aden from Portsmouth
22 August 1921 sailed Portsmouth for Port Arthur, Texas
13 September 1921 arrived at Port Arthur, Texas from Portsmouth
5 October 1921 at Halifax berthed alongside HMS CAMBRIAN and refuelled her
6 October 1921 at Halifax berthed alongside HMS CALCUTTA and refuelled her with 653 tons of FFO
HMS CALCUTTA
7 October 1921 at Halifax berthed alongside HMS RALEIGH and refuelled her with 867 tons of FFO
HMS RALEIGH
22 October 1921 sailed Port Arthur for Devonport
1 November 1921 passed Bermuda while on passage to Devonport
14 November 1921 arrived at Devonport from Port Arthur, Texas
17 December 1921 sailed Portsmouth for Plymouth and then to Port Arthur, Texas
18 December 1921 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west
30 December 1921 Seaman Walter James Anders discharged dead - accidental drowning. He was buried at sea
Seaman Walter James Anders
5 February 1922 arrived Plymouth from Port Arthur, Texas
24 February 1922 sailed Plymouth for Port Arthur, Texas
25 March 1922 sailed Port Arthur, Texas for Devonport
12 May 1922 at Milford Haven
17 April 1923 Mr Henry C Etty RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer. Previously served on RFA Turmoil (1)
Chief Engineer Officer Henry C Etty RFA
21 November 1923 the Admiralty Fuel and Stores Officer, Singapore advertised in the Straits Times -
18 January 1924 sailed Sheerness for Trinidad
22 May 1924 Captain Frederick J Sweeting RFA appointed as Master
26 September 1924 berthed at Port Arthur to load
6 November 1924 sailed Southampton for Bermuda
2 December 1924 sailed Baytown for Lisbon
27 December 1924 berthed at Avonmouth
1 June 1925 sailed Trinidad for Curacao
3 June 1925 sailed Curacao for Devonport
7 August 1925 sailed Devonport for Malta
5 September 1925 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west bound
10 Septermber 1925 at Old Kilpatrick Oil Fuel Depot, River Clyde
19 September 1925 at Malta
6 October 1925 Mr Frederick L Angus DSM RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
Chief Engineer Officer Frederick L Angus RFA
15 November 1925 sailed Trinidad for Devonport
4 December 1925 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour
8 December 1925 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour for Trinidad
26 December 1925 at Trinidad
21 January 1926 at 5.27pm in the Firth of Clyde off Cloch Point while in ballast from Old Kilpatrick to Trinidad was involved in a collision with ss Belfri. Delphinula suffered damage to the starboard bow between the hawse pipe to the break of the forecastle all above the water line. She proceeded up river to Rothesay Dock for survey. The collision later became the subject of High Court action on 15 June 1926 and this was reported in Lloyds List Law reports
25 July 1926 sailed Trinidad for Devonport
27 September 1926 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour
1 October 1926 sailed from the Oil Fuel Jetty, Gosport
15 October 1926 sailed Falmouth for Bermuda
20 November 1926 Captain John B Hurst RFA appointed as Master until 8 December 1926
Captain John B Hurst RFA
4 December 1926 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour
1 December 1926 berthed at Invergordon to discharge cargo
7 December 1926 & 8 December 1926 berthed at the Oil Fuel Jetty, Gosport
9 December 1926 Captain Wm Alfred Wooster RFA appointed as Master
Captain Wm Alfred Wooster RFA
14 December 1926 Mr Leonard A Sharp RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
Chief Engineer Officer Leonard A Sharp RFA
14 December 1926 sailed Portsmouth for Kingston, Jamaica arriving on 29 December 1926
5 January 1927 sailed Trinidad for Marquesas Island
10 January 1927 arrived at Cristobal
11 January 1927 transitted the Panama Canal - commenced at 0715hrs completed by 1500hrs
12 January 1927 cleared for sea from Balboa into the Pacific Ocean
7 February 1927 berthed at Tai-o-hae Bay, Nukahiva, Marquesas Islands to await the arrival and then replenish the battlecruiser HMS RENOWN with the Duke & Duchess of York onboard
HMS RENOWN
10 February 1927 sailed Marquesas Islands for Trinidad
24 May 1927 sailed Sierra Leone for Trinidad
9 June 1927 sailed Trinidad for Devonport
2 July 1927 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour
6 July 1927 in Dry Dock 9 at Portsmouth Harbour
31 August 1927 at Trinidad
6 September 1927 sailed Trinidad for Devonport
23 September 1927 arrived at Portland Dorset
30 September 1927 sailed Portland, Dorset for Trinidad
6 November 1927 sailed Sierra Leone for Trinidad
18 November 1927 at Trinidad
24 April 1928 sailed Trinidad for Devonport
1 August 1928 Mr John B Russell RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
17 October 1928 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour
18 October 1928 Captain Wm Alfred Wooster RFA appointed as Master
27 October 1928 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour
14 January 1929 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east
28 May 1929 berthed from Portsmouth Harbour
1 June 1929 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour
9 September 1929 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour
12 September 1929 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour
12 December 1929 Mr Ernest K Horsley RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
Chief Engineer Officer Ernest K Horsley RFA
15 March 1930 sailed Trinidad for Devonport
2 April 1930 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour
28 April 1930 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour
14 May 1930 berthed at Trinidad
3 June 1930 passed Dover having sailed from Devonport
20 June 1930 sailed Sheerness for Trinidad
8 July 1930 sailed Trinidad for Devonport
8 September 1930 sailed Trinidad
3 October 1930 arrived Plymouth Sound
4 October 1930 berthed at the South Yard, Devonport Dockyard for a refit
25 October 1930 at Devonport in refit together with RFA WAR KRISHNA
17 November 1930 Captain William H Green RFA appointed as Master
Captain William H Green RFA
10 January 1931 arrived at Devonport from the Old Kilpatrick Admiralty Oil Fuel Depot on the River Clyde sailing later the same day for Trinidad
26 March 1931 passed Gibraltar for Port Said
2 April 1931 while on passage to Abadan arrived Port Said
9 April 1931 passed Perim
12 July 1931 sailed Plymouth for Trinidad
28 July 1931 sailed Trinidad for Devonport
9 October 1931 was at Plymouth
16 November 1931 Captain William H Green RFA appointed as Master
1 December 1931 sailed Plymouth for Trinidad
14 January 1932 arrived at Milford Haven
16 January 1932 Mr Ernest K Horsley RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
27 February 1932 at Abadan
12 May 1932 berthed at Milford Haven
19 May 1932 Mr W Maybray RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
3 June 1932 sailed Trinidad to Devonport
9 November 1932 arrived at Bermuda from Chatham
16 December 1932 radioed she was 1,400 miles SW of Valentia while on passage to Devonport
30 December 1932 berthed at Rosyth
6 March 1933 sailed Trinidad for Devonport
23 May 1933 Captain William H Green RFA appointed as Master
1 June 1933 Captain William J Shipton RFA appointed as Master
Captain William J Shipton RFA
20 September 1933 arrived Port Said from Sheerness
27 October 1933 arrived at Port Said
5 November 1933 while on passage to Devonport passed Gibraltar this day
18 November 1933 was 150 nmiles SSW of Lands End when on passage to Trinidad
26 December 1933 arrived at Glasgow
6 February 1934 sailed Trinidad for Devonport
22 March 1934 arrived at Sunderland from Chatham in ballast
24 March 1934 in dry dock at T W Greenwell & Co Ltd., Sunderland during refit
3 April 1934 berthed at Kilingholme
13 May 1934 berthed at Grangemouth
19 May 1934 berthed in Portsmouth Harbour
24 May 1934 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour
4 June 1934 at Chatham
29 July 1934 sailed Trinidad for Devonport
10 August 1934 reported she was 1,000 miles SW of Valentia when on passage to Devonport
20 August 1934 Mr Albert Nicholls RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
Chief Engineer Officer Albert Nicholls RFA
13 September 1934 berthed at Trinidad
5 October 1934 arrived at Sierra Leone from Trinidad
9 October 1934 sailed Sierra Leone for Trinidad
7 January 1935 arrived at Sunderland for repairs from Rosyth in ballast. RFA OLNA (1) was in refit at the same time at the same ship yard
12 January 1935 sailed from the River Wear
15 January 1935 arrived at Plymouth sailing the next day
30 January 1935 arrived at Port Said from Plymouth
21 March 1935 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour
4 March 1935 arrived at Suez from Abadan
25 March 1935 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour
22 July 1935 sailed Trinidad for LEFO
10 August 1935 arrived Invergordon from Trinidad
15 August 1935 arrived at the River Wear from Invergordon in ballast
16 August 1935 at Greenwell's Dock, Sunderland
23 August 1935 sailed the River Wear for Sheerness in ballast
12 September 1935 sailed Trinidad for Gibraltar
30 September 1935 sailed Gibraltar for Trinidad
14 October 1935 at Trinidad
16 October 1935 sailed Curacao
4 November 1935 arrived on the River Clyde
11 November 1935 sailed from Old Kilpatrick Oil fuel Deport, River Clyde
29 November 1935 arrived at Trinidad
20 December 1935 at Gibraltar
20 February 1936 arrived at Plymouth Sound
27 February 1936 berthed at Gibraltar from Devonport delivering Naval Stores for the NSO
1936 the management contract was terminated and she was withdrawn from service
9 December 1939 sailed the Clyde independently to Liverpool arriving on 11 December 1939
12 December 1939 sailed Liverpool in convoy OB52 until it dispersed on 17 December 1939 and then sailed independently to Houston, Texas arriving on 4 January 1940
8 January 1940 sailed Houston independently to Halifax arriving on 17 January 1940
20 January 1940 sailed Halifax in convoy HXF17 to the Downs arriving on 1 February 1940
10 February 1940 sailed Southend in convoy OA89 until the Convoy dispersed on 13 February 1940 and then sailed independlently to New York arriving on 27 February 1940
3 March 1940 sailed New York independently to Halifax arriving 6 March 1940
9 March 1940 sailed Halifax in convoy HX26 to Liverpool arriving on 26 March 1940
6 April 1940 sailed Liverpool in convoy OB124 until the Convoy dispersed on 10 April 1940 and then sailed independently to New York arriving on 20 April 1940
25 April 1940 sailed New York independently to Philadelphia arriving on the same day
29 April 1940 sailed Philadelphia independently to Halifax arriving on 3 May 1940
4 May 1940 sailed Halifax in convoy HX40 to Weymouth Bay arriving on 18 May 1940
20 May 1940 sailed Weymouth Bay independently to Southend arriving the next day
10 Jun 1940 sailed Southend in convoy OA165 until it dispersed on 12 June 1940 and then sailed independently to Port Arthur arriving on 29 June 1940
6 July 1940 sailed Port Arthur independently to Bermuda arriving on 12 July 1940
14 July 1940 sailed Bermuda in convoy BHX58 to Halifax and joining convoy HX58 to Methil Roads arriving on 31 July 1940
1 August 1940 sailed Methil Roads in convoy MT127 to the River Tyne arriving the same day
2 August 1940 sailed River Tyne in convoy FS239 to Southend arriving the next day
11 August 1940 sailed Southend in convoy FN 249 to the River Tyne arriving the next day
22 August 1940 sailed the River Tyne in convoy FN259 to Methil arriving the next day
12 March 1941 at Liverpool damaged by German bombing
RFA Delphinula as a hulk alongside the detached mole in Gibraltar during World War 2
Became a fuel hulk alongside the Detached Mole at Gibraltar where she remain through out the rest of World War 2
19 July 1941 at 25 berth Gibraltar with HMAS NESTOR alongside being refuelled
8 November 1946 sold for £10,000 to Spanish breakers
13 September 1947 arrived under her own steam at Pasajes, Spain for breaking up
Notes: -
Source - (1) Gibraltar Chronicle