COMMISSAIRE RAMEL

COMMISSAIRE RAMEL WAS BUILT IN 1920 BY THE SOC. PROVENCALE DE CONS NAV IN LA CIOTAT, AND STARTED OUT LIFE AS A CARGO VESSEL, FOR CIE.DES MESSAGERIES MARITIMES, BUT IN 1926 SHE WAS REFITTED OUT AS A PASSENGER SHIP, AND IN 1927 SAILED FROM MARSEILLES TO NOUMEA VIA COLOMBO, AND SYDNEY ( POSSIBLE THIS WAS HER PERMANENT 'RUN' )

IN 1940  WHEN FRANCE FELL TO NAZI GERMANY SHE WAS TAKEN OVER BY THE M.O.W.T ( MINISTRY OF WAR TRANSPORT )  SHE WAS AT THE TIME AT SUVA, FIJI  AND SHE  WAS REQUISITIONED BY THE GOVERNOR, WHO HAD HER  ESCORTED TO SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA BY H.M.N.Z.S ACHILLES AND THERE SHE WAS LOADED WITH GENERAL CARGO AND ALSO WOOL, DESTINATION GREAT BRITAIN. HER ENGINES WERE FOUND TO BE IN A POORLY MAINTAINED CONDITION  AND MAJOR WORK WAS NEEDED BEFORE SHE COULD SAIL.

SHE  WAS THEN  PUT UNDER THE MANAGEMENT OF SHAW SAVILL & ALBION, WITH CAPTAIN RODERICK McKENZIE IN COMMAND.

SHE WAS SUNK BY THE GERMAN ARMED RAIDER ' ATLANTIS ', ON THE 20TH SEPTEMBER 1940, WHEN SOME WAY ACROSS THE INDIAN OCEAN. HAVING  BEEN HEAVILY SHELLED AND WAS BURNING FORE AND AFT.THE PORT SIDE LIFEBOATS WERE DESTROYED AND THREE OF THE ENGINE ROOM GANG WERE KILLED. THE REST OF THE CREW TOOK TO THE THREE REMAINING LIFEBOATS ON THE STARBOARD SIDE AND LEFT THE STRICKEN VESSEL.THE SURVIVORS WERE PICKED UP AND LATER TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER  STEAMER AND TAKEN TO A TOWN NEAR MOGADISHU AND KEPT IN POOR CONDITIONS, UNTIL THEY WERE LIBERATED BY BRITISH TROOPS THE FOLLOWING YEAR IN FEBRUARY 1941 WHEN THE TOWN FELL TO BRITISH FORCES.

ATLANTIS

ATLANTIS WAS BUILT IN 1938 AND CONVERTED TO A COMMERCE RAIDER. SHE SANK 22 VESSELS BEFORE BEING SUNK HERSELF, BY H.M.S DEVONSHIRE