Draft:SS Rosalie Moller

History
United Kingdom
Name	1910–1931 Francis 1931–1941 Rosalie Moller
Owner	1910–1931 Booth Steamship Co. Ltd. 1931–1941 Eric B. Moller/Moller Line Ltd., Shanghai
Port of registry	1910–1931 Liverpool 1931–1941 Shanghai
Builder	Barclay, Curle & Co. Ltd., Glasgow
Yard number	479
Launched	11 December 1909
Completed	1910
Identification	UK official number 128015 call sign HQJC GRJQ from 1929
Fate	Sunk by German aircraft, 8 October 1941
General characteristics
Type	Passenger-cargo liner, later Cargo ship
Tonnage	3,963 GRT, 2,339 NRT
Length	355 ft (108 m)
Beam	49.2 ft (15.0 m)
Depth	24.2 ft (7.4 m)
Installed power	401 NHP
Propulsion	1 × triple-expansion engine 1 × screw
Speed	11 kn (20 km/h; 13 mph)

SS Rosalie Moller was a British steamship built in 1910 on the River Clyde as Francis for the Booth Line's transatlantic trade to Brazil. In 1931 she was bought by Moller Line for trading in the Far East and renamed Rosalie Moller. The ship was sunk in the Red Sea during 1941 by German bombers. Although too deep for recreational diving, her wreck has become popular with technical SCUBA divers, due in part to its relatively pristine condition and abundant marine life.

Building

Francis was constructed for the Booth Steamship Company, Liverpool by Barclay, Curle and Company as yard number 479 at their Clydeholme Shipyard at Whiteinch, Glasgow and launched on 11 December 1909. The vessel measured 3,963 gross register tons and 2,339 net register tons, with a length of 355 ft (108 m).

View inside the shipyards of Barclay, Curle & Co. Ltd., c. 1900s. Boilers ready to be installed are visible.

According to its plans, the ship had the capacity to carry eight passengers in four state rooms located below the ward room, flanking the saloon. The officers' quarters were positioned on both sides of the engine room, accessible by an inboard companionway. The cruiser stern provided additional storage space on the 'tween deck, labeled as the post room, potato room, and stores. This extra space was made possible by having the steering quadrant on deck. Notably, there was no poop deck or raised forecastle on the ship. In 1915 her manifest listed 80 crew for one voyage and 45 on another voyage that same year.

Booth Line

Francis and her sistership "Hubert" were the last of the six Boniface-class cargo liners with passenger accommodation built to replace older vessels acquired in the absorption of Henry Singlehurst's Red Cross Line in 1901. They were deployed on Booth's services from Liverpool and European ports to Brazil's northern coast and Amazonian ports, and between there and New York. Francis sailed from Liverpool on 23 February 1910 on her maiden voyage via London and Le Havre to the Amazon.

Moller & Company

In 1931 she was sold to Moller & Co. in Shanghai, continuing under the British flag, and renamed Rosalie Moller. In the following years, the vessel operated along the east coast of China, running between Shanghai and Tsingtao. Before being transferred to Moller Line Ltd., Shanghai.

During the ship's pre-war refurbishment, an aft deck house was added, which served a dual purpose as an additional lifeboat deck and contained a second galley and extra storage space. This brought the total number of lifeboat stations to six, positioned on either side of the bridge, above the engine room, and on the aft deck house. The original plans designated this area for sheep pens. Furthermore, a raised track system was installed from the aft house to the stern. The purpose of this isn't very clear. One possibility is that it could have been a launch ramp for a Hawker Hurricane, potentially making the Rosalie Moller a Catapult Armed Merchantman. However it was more likely a structure supporting a foul weather canopy and small rail track for cargo loading purposes.

Second World War (1939-45) and Final Voyage

Main article: World War II

See also: Western Desert campaign

As the threat of war loomed in 1938, the Rosalie Moller was summoned back to Liverpool. In 1939 at the outbreak of conflict she was requisitioned by Ministry of War Transport as a collier. Under the command of Captain James Balsom, she transported 4,500 tons of coal to various Royal Navy bases. Numerous trips were successfully made, braving the hazardous journey to Gibraltar while carrying crucial coal supplies, specifically the highly efficient Welsh best coal with the best heat return per ton. Commanded by Australian Captain James Byrne, the ship was part of various convoys during specific periods, such as Convoy BN 8 (28 ships) in October 1940 from Bombay to Suez, then Convoy BS 10 (27 ships) in December 1940, BN 14 (38 ships) to Suez in February 1941, and BS 21 (28 vessels) for Suez before returning to Great Britain for much-needed maintenance.

When ordered to Alexandria in Northern Egypt, the ship was compelled to choose a longer than normal route, navigating via the Cape of Good Hope. This decision was necessary as the presence of Axis forces had closed the Strait of Gibraltar, making access through the Mediterranean impossible. Along this extended journey, she made stops at Durban and Aden before eventually arriving at the Straits of Gubul in the Egyptian Red Sea. At this point, she received orders to proceed to anchorage H, where she would await further instructions

There are no records of the ship being part of any convoy at this time, indicating that she might have sailed alone, potentially using her relatively smoke-free Welsh coal to go undetected. Yet still a precarious situation for an unarmed merchantman. While awaiting transit into the Suez Canal and eventually onto Alexandria, she was forced to remain stationary while awaiting further orders, similar in situation to the SS Thistlegorm less than 15 mi (24 km) away. Which was moored at anchorage F closer to the Sinai Peninsula.

Sinking

Due to the massive ammo detonation during the sinking of the Thistlegorm, and the close proximity, the Rosalie Moller was spotted in the resulting explosive flash by the attacking German aircraft. Some of the bombers involved in the initial sinking of the Thistlegorm returned to target and sink the Rosalie Moller two days later. During the early hours of 8 October, 1941, the Rosalie Moller was at anchor in the region between the Gobul and Quisum Islands at a site designated as anchorage H by the British Admiralty. During this time, a group of Heinkel He 111 bombers from II Staffeln, Kampfgeschwader 26, Luftwaffe, based in Crete, attacked the ship, dropping two bombs that caused significant damage to the starboard quarter, particularly hitting the number three hold.

“Bombs released, striking Number 3 hold at 00.45 hrs, Vessel sank 01.40 hrs. 2 crew missing.”

— Captain Byrne's Log

The ship sank rapidly by the stern, resulting in the loss of two Indian crew members: Basa Main, a Seacunny, and Ghafur, the ship's butler. The remaining survivors escaped in lifeboats.

Discovery and wreck

A diagram of the wreck.

Four-bladed propellor of the Rosalie Moller. One blade is missing.

It is likely the wreck was first located and dove on near the end of WWII, as a blade from her propeller shows signs of being cut off. This erroneously led to the belief she had been raised and salvaged. However the wreck remained largely forgotten for 50 years.

When scuba diving began gaining popularity in the Red Sea in the early 1990s, it was rumored that the Thistlegorm had a "sister" ship, one that sunk close to her and in similar circumstances. Eventually the wreck of the Rosalie Moller was discovered in 1995 lying at 27°39′3″N 33°46′17″E in roughly 164 ft (50 m) of water between the Gubul and Quisum Islands.

Upon her re-discovery, damage was largely limited to the explosion area in the starboard quarter. However, within half a year visiting day boats caused the wreck to deteriorate rapidly. The masts, which were 10 ft (3 m) wide and adorned with abundant growth, had been stripped bare. Careless mooring resulted in the destruction or toppling of both masts, the funnel, navigation bridge, and stern gantry.

Further reading

Heaton, Paul Michael (1987). Booth Line. Newport: Starling Press. ISBN 0-9507714-8-1.

This page will be placed in the following categories if it is moved to the article namespace.

Categories:

• 1909 ships
• Ships built on the River Clyde
• Merchant ships of the United Kingdom
• Steamships of the United Kingdom
• World War I merchant ships of the United Kingdom
• World War II merchant ships of the United Kingdom
• Maritime incidents in October 1941