HMAS Upolu

HMAS Upolu was a submarine depot ship operated by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) during World War I. She was built by Fleming & Ferguson, Paisley, Scotland in 1891, for the Union Steam Ship Company.[1] She was requisitioned by the RAN on 18 August 1914 and converted into a submarine depot ship and after a short commission, she was returned to her owners on 9 December 1914. She was sunk in a collision with the Lienhsing off the Shantung Promontory on 12 August 1930.[2]

History
Name:
  • Upolu (1891-1921)
  • Tung An (1921-1930)
Owner:
  • Union Steam Ship Company (1891-1903)
  • Lever's Pacific Plantations (1903-1911)
  • Brisbane Milling Company (1911-1915)
  • A B Iffland van Ess (1915-1916)
  • G McBain (1916-1921)
  • Shaw Hsing Steam Ship Company (1921-1930)
Builder: Fleming & Ferguson, Paisley
Yard number: 169
Fate: Sank after collision off Shantung Promotory on 12 August 1930.
Australia
Name: Upolu
Acquired: 18 August 1914
Out of service: 9 December 1914
Fate: returned to owners
General characteristics
Tonnage: 1141 gross tonnage[1]
Length: 220 ft (67 m)[1]
Beam: 30.1 ft (9.2 m)[1]
Depth: 18.5 ft (5.6 m)
Installed power: 139nhp[1]
Propulsion: quadruple expansion steam engine[1]

RAN Service

On 18 August 1914 , Upolu was requisitioned by the RAN for use as a submarine depot ship. She participated during the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force occupation of German New Guinea tendering the submarines AE2 and AE1. She returned to Sydney in November 1914 and was returned to her owners on 9 December 1914.

Fate

While transporting coal from Tsingtao to Newshang, she was sunk in a collision with the Lienhsing off the Shantung Promontory on 12 August 1930.

Citations
  1. "SS Upolu". Clydebuilt ships. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  2. "Screw Steamer UPOLU built by Fleming & Ferguson in 1891 for Union Steamship Co of New Zealand Ltd, Dunedin, Passenger / Cargo". www.clydeships.co.uk. Retrieved 1 November 2018.


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