HMAT A38 Ulysses
From Our Contribution
 | |
 Troops waiting to embark, HMAT Ulysses AWM P08286.011 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | HMAT A38 Ulysses |
| Owner | China Mutual Steam Navigation Co, of London, |
| Builder | Workman Clark, Belfast |
| Yard number | 319 |
| Launched | 5 Jul 1913 |
| Completed | 1913 |
| In service | 22 Oct 1913 |
| Out of service | 11 Apr 1942 |
| Fate | torpedoed and sunk by U-160 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Armed merchant ship |
| Tonnage | 14,449 tons |
| Length | 176.8m |
| Beam | 20.8m |
| Depth | 12.3m |
| Propulsion | twin screw |
| Speed | 13.5 knots (25 Kph) |
| Capacity | Crew 195; 95 passengers |
Contents
- 1 Remarks
- 2 Soldiers carried
- 2.1 Melbourne to Port Tewfik (Suez) 8 May - ?? June 1915
- 2.2 Mudros to Alexandria 19 - 24 Aug 1915 (Hospital Ship)
- 2.3 Port Tewfik to Fremantle - 30 September 1915 - ? October 1915
- 2.4 Melbourne to Port Tewfik (Suez) 27 Oct - 26 Nov 1915
- 2.5 Melbourne to Port Tewfik (Suez) 27 October 1915 - 26 November 1915
- 2.6 Lemnos to Alexandria 20 - 22 December 1915
- 2.7 Alexandria to Fremantle 3 January - 5 February 1916
- 2.8 Sydney to Alexandria 20 February - 25 April 1916
- 2.9 Melbourne to Plymouth 25 October - 28 December 1916
- 2.10 England to Fremantle 13 February - 12 April 1917
- 2.11 England to Fremantle 10 September - 4 November 1917
- 2.12 Port Said, Egypt to Fremantle 15 February - 11 March 1918
- 2.13 Devonport to Fremantle 18 January 1919 - 24 February 1919
- 2.14 England to Melbourne 22 July 1919 - 30 Aug 1919
- 2.15 Other Voyages
Remarks
Built for China Mutual Steam Navigation Co, of London, leased by the Commonwealth until 15 Aug 1917. Made six trips from Australia. In addition to carrying troops, along with the other transports she carried general goods to the UK. On 15 Aug 1917 management was passed to the British Admiralty. She was then used to transfer US troops across the Atlantic, before resuming commercial service in 1920. At the time of her sinking she was owned by Alfred Holt & Co., Liverpool
She was an important part of the Blue Funnel fleet with the Commodore Captain R D Owen in command. In 1942 she got out of Hong Kong prior to the arrival of the Japanese, sailing to Singapore and then Australia where she loaded a cargo for Liverpool via the Panama Canal. On April 8th she collided with a vessel causing some bow damage, causing her to head for Newport News for repairs. On 11th April, 45 miles south of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, at 10:31pm the unescorted Ulysses was hit in the stern by a torpedo from U-160 and then in the engine room by a torpedo at 10:53pm. While the crew abandoned ship, the U-boat moved to the side and at 11:27pm fired another torpedo that hit amidships and caused the ship to sink within 30 minutes, but this was not observed by the Germans because a flying boat was now circling the area. The master, 189 crew members, five gunners and 95 passengers were picked up by USS Manley and landed at Charleston, South Carolina.
Soldiers carried
Melbourne to Port Tewfik (Suez) 8 May - ?? June 1915
Mudros to Alexandria 19 - 24 Aug 1915 (Hospital Ship)
Port Tewfik to Fremantle - 30 September 1915 - ? October 1915
Melbourne to Port Tewfik (Suez) 27 Oct - 26 Nov 1915
- Edward Mordan Neale
- Henry Giles Schmidt from Fremantle 2 Nov
Melbourne to Port Tewfik (Suez) 27 October 1915 - 26 November 1915
- William Edward Butcher MM RMG MID - boarded in Fremantle
- Victor Norman Chandler MM - boarded in Fremantle 2 November
- Francis Crowe - boarded in Fremantle 2 November
- Aubrey Cecil Dawson - boarded in Fremantle 2 November
- Gordon Devereux MM - boarded in Fremantle 2 November
- Victor Emanuel Durling - boarded in Fremantle 2 November
- Albert John Egan MID - boarded in Fremantle 2 November
- Richard Evans MM - boarded in Fremantle 2 November
- Walter David Francis Kerridge - boarded in Fremantle 2 November
- James Kershaw - boarded in Fremantle 2 November
- Alexander Russell Main - boarded in Fremantle 2 November
- Leonard Roy Matthews - boarded in Fremantle 2 November
- Edward Mordan Neale
- Keith George Harman Podger - boarded in Fremantle 2 November
- William Rawlinson - boarded in Fremantle 2 November
- † Charles Joseph Gerald Raynor - boarded in Fremantle 2 November
- † William Edgar Rowe - boarded in Fremantle 2 November
- Francis Henry Ryniker - boarded in Fremantle 2 November
- Henry Giles Schmidt - boarded in Fremantle 2 November
- † Ernest Selkirk MID - boarded in Fremantle 2 November
- † Arthur William Symonds - boarded in Fremantle 2 November
Lemnos to Alexandria 20 - 22 December 1915
Alexandria to Fremantle 3 January - 5 February 1916
Sydney to Alexandria 20 February - 25 April 1916
Fremantle passengers boarded 1 Apr 1915
- James Smith Dean
- Thomas William Dowell
- Herbert Fuhrmann
- John Wilfred Gargett
- William Harwood
- John Henry Holroyd
- James Lawrence McKenna
- Henry Joseph Milne
- William George Munday boarded in Sydney
- Edward Price
- Robert Landen Rayner
- Cyril Augustest Tonkin
- William Harrington Edward Watson boarded in Melbourne on 20 Feb 1916
Melbourne to Plymouth 25 October - 28 December 1916
England to Fremantle 13 February - 12 April 1917
England to Fremantle 10 September - 4 November 1917
Port Said, Egypt to Fremantle 15 February - 11 March 1918
Devonport to Fremantle 18 January 1919 - 24 February 1919
- Eugene Anthony Gillespie Sick to Gibraltar Hospital 23 Jan 1918
- Frederick George Golding
- Samuel Arthur Vincent
- Aubrey Jesse Whittington MM
England to Melbourne 22 July 1919 - 30 Aug 1919
Other Voyages
- 22 December 1914 from Melbourne
- 19 December 1917 from Sydney