MV Atheltemplar
MV "Atheltemplar" was a motor tanker built by Lithgows, Port Glasgow. She was launched on 15 April 1930, registered in Liverpool and operated by the United Molasses Co Ltd of London. She was transferred to Athel Lines on 1 January 1940. Early wartime career. "Atheltemplar"’s first recorded voyage during the Second World War was to Abadan on the Persian Shatt al-Arab. She departed home waters with Convoy OB 10 and returned to Gibraltar with her cargo before sailing east again to Port Said. "Atheltemplar" returned to Great Britain with Convoy HG 9 which left Port Said  on 19 November 1939, but on the afternoon of 14 December 1939, she struck a mine laid by German destroyers off the Tyne Estuary. The destroyers and were sent as escorts for the rescue tugs "Great Emperor", "Joffre" and "Langton". During the operation "Kelly" also struck a mine and sustained damage to her hull. While "Mowhawk" put a party aboard "Atheltemplar", and "Joffre" and "Langton" took the tanker under tow, "Kelly" herself was taken in tow by "Great Emperor" and returned to the Tyne. After repairs, "Atheltemplar" returned to service on 9 April 1940 and sailed to Bermuda before returning  to home waters with Convoy HX 42. During late May and early June 1940 she was involved in Operation Dynamo, during which she bunkered Royal Navy destroyers and was attacked by the "Luftwaffe" several times in and around Dover Harbour. More transatlantic crossings followed, including a homeward-bound voyage in Convoy HX 84 which was attacked by the German . "Atheltemplar" and her sister-ship "Athelempress" managed to escape unscathed. "Atheltemplar" then made a series of coastal voyages in home waters before undergoing refit in Smith's Yard, North Shields in the winter of 1940–41. Sailing for Methil Roads on 25  February 1941, she joined the 26-ship Convoy EN 79 which departed Methil on 1 March 1941, bound for the Atlantic convoy marshalling area at Loch Ewe on the west coast of Scotland. Sailing northbound in ballast, "Atheltemplar" was the convoy's Vice-Commodore ship, positioned at the head of the starboard column of vessels when, with darkness falling, Convoy EN 79 was attacked off the Aberdeenshire coast by Heinkel He 111 bombers from "Luftwaffe" KG26, a combat group based in Denmark. "Atheltemplar" bore the brunt of the attack and was struck on the navigation bridge superstructure by two 250  kg bombs; at least five members of the crew were killed instantly (12 crew died during the incident), and a fire swept the vessel forcing the survivors to abandon ship. One of the He 111s was hit by defensive fire from , and subsequently ditched off the Banffshire coast; the crew was captured. "Atheltemplar"’s survivors were taken aboard the . Another "Halcyon"-class minesweeper, , fought the blaze and then took "Atheltemplar" in tow. Taken initially to the Imperial Dock at Leith, "Atheltemplar" later returned to Smith's Dock for extensive repairs; she resumed trading in June 1941. The remains of five unidentified  members of her crew ("Known only unto God"), killed during the 1 March 1941 air attack, lie within a marked Commonwealth War Grave towards the south-east corner of New Calton Burial Ground in Edinburgh, about south of Port Leith. Convoy PQ 18. Later in the Second World War "Atheltemplar" was used on convoys to carry fuel oil and supplies to the Kola Inlet and the northern Soviet ports of Arkhangelsk and Murmansk. The first of these was Convoy PQ 14 which arrived in Murmansk on 19 April 1942. On this voyage "Atheltemplar" was damaged by ice and she was  repaired in Murmansk before sailing for the return journey with Convoy QP 11. This Convoy was attacked by German destroyers, U-boats and torpedo bombers; once again "Atheltemplar" was damaged but it is not clear whether the cause was ice, enemy action or both. After reaching Iceland on 7 May 1942, "Atheltemplar" then returned to North Shields for repairs (and possibly for the fitment of additional anti-aircraft defensive armament). She left the Tyne on 21 June 1942 for Loch Ewe and Iceland, arriving at Reykjavik on 16 July. On 7 September 1942 she sailed to join Convoy PQ 18  which had departed Loch Ewe on 2 September 1942. This was the next attempt to supply the Soviet Union since the disastrous losses sustained by the previous Convoy PQ 17. "Atheltemplar", carrying 9,400 tons of Admiralty fuel oil plus 63 tons of dry stores, was to travel with the convoy to Archangel "via" Hvalfjörður, Iceland, commanded by her Master, Carl Ray. The convoy was spotted by German aircraft on 10 September; then on 12 September, Royal Navy Sea Hurricane fighters - flying from the escort carrier - drove off a "Luftwaffe" BV 138 flying boat which was attempting to shadow the convoy . "Luftwaffe" patrol aircraft returned the following day to vector U-boats towards the convoy. At about 0830 BST (GMT +2) on 13 September, two ships were attacked by U-boats, one sinking within minutes. Later, at about 1100, several "Luftwaffe" Ju 88 bombers of KG30 (based at Petsamo) attacked PQ 18. A series of U-boat alerts followed, and then at about 1500 a large formation of He 111s and Ju 88s of KG26 attacked with bombs and at least 30 torpedoes; eight of the convoy's ships were sunk. Further air attacks occurred at 2100 hrs, during which one  of "Atheltemplar"’s gunners succeeded in downing a Ju 88. At 0310 hours on 14 September penetrated the protective ring of escorts and attacked the convoy southwest of Bear Island. Despite reporting the sinking of one tanker and one other ship, and having damaged a "Javelin"-class destroyer, the U-boat's only success was to have torpedoed the "Atheltemplar". The crew immediately abandoned the burning tanker. The master, 42 crew members and 18 gunners were picked up by the British rescue ship "Copeland" and the . They were then transferred to the "Halcyon"-class minesweepers and , and later the . "Atheltemplar" settled low  at the stern but, although disabled, seemed to be able to remain afloat. HMS "Harrier" briefly took "Atheltemplar" in tow but, as a prolonged tow of the ship would have been hazardous given the constant enemy threat, it was decided that the "Atheltemplar" should be scuttled. tried to sink "Atheltemplar" with gunfire and depth charges, but failed and returned to the convoy. Then, at 14.30 hours, came across the capsized wreck of the "Atheltemplar", by now drifting north of Bear Island, and sank her with her 88 mm gun at position . The survivors of the "Atheltemplar" were landed at Scapa  Flow. The master of the rescue ship "Copeland", W.J. Hartley, was awarded the Lloyd's War Medal for Bravery at Sea, for his actions in rescuing "Atheltemplar"s crew. By the time of her sinking, "Atheltemplar" had completed at least 19 wartime Atlantic crossings, had sailed some 102,500 miles, and delivered 140,200 tons of essential fuel oil and molasses. 17 men died aboard her in the War. Official number, code letters and call sign. Official numbers were a forerunner to IMO Numbers. "Atheltemplar" had the UK Official Number 161160. She had the code letters LGBH until 1933, and the call sign  GKYQ from 1934.