|
Miscellaneous Ship Histories |
|
Lucellum
Lucellum was launched in 1938 and did sterling service in WW2 convoys. Her overall service life was 23 years and she was broken up in 1961. There is further information about some of her voyages on the Recollections section of the Benjidog website HERE. |
|
Participation in WW2
Lucellum took part in 61 convoys according to information shown in the table below which is provided courtesy of Convoyweb - see Ext. Ref. #5. The table also includes various independent voyages undertaken by this ship duirng the wartime period. The shaded boxes indicate in most cases that Dolabella continued independently after taking part in a convoy.
There are accounts of some of the early convoys on this site HERE from Stan Mayes.
On 19th December 1941 Lucellum was bombed and set on fire by a German bomber near Bardsey Island off Cardigan Bay - four crew were killed. (Note by Stan Mayes)
Warsailors - Ext Ref. 7, quotes the following from the Commodore’s Narrative for convoy ON 162. Note that the numbers in brackets refer to the ships’ positions in the convoy:
On the night of Febr. 6 it was estimated that the convoy would arrive at position X X at 23:00 and accordingly a prearranged alteration of course from 262° to 222° was ordered for that time. As usual the alteration was made by whistle signal at the precise second as shown by chronometer. There was heavy rain but the columns on each side of the Commodore could be clearly seen and in addition dimmed navigation lights and blue shaded stern lights were switched on by the Commodore immediately before the turn was made.
Coptic (71), which was slightly astern of station on the starboard side of Commodore (61) repeated the two short blasts and switched on her navigation lights as did all the other leaders; but as the turn was completed the Coptic was observed to cross under the stern of the Commodore and showed up alongside about a cable distant on the port side.
The Coptic then again sheered off to port and although this was not known to me at the time she came into collision with No. 52 (Lucellum) in the other column. On the following day the Laguna (72) reported that during the prearranged alteration of course she too had been in collision with Abangarez No. 63, neither of these vessels reported the collision until interrogated by the Commodore as to the obvious damage they had received.
The Lucellum was absent from convoy and as the Coptic could give no information as to the damage she had sustained, there was considerable anxiety about her until a message was received that she had arrived in Halifax.
The weather throughout was bad and W.N.W. gales prevailed throughout most of the passage. The convoy steamed through considerable quantities of light field ice off the Newfoundland Coast. There was no enemy action.
|
|
Image 1 |
|
Basic Data: Lucellum Type: Tanker Registered owners, managers and operators: Astrakhan SS Co. Limited H.E.Moss & Co Liverpool (Managers) Builders: Odense Staalskibs Yard: Odense Country: Denmark Yard number: 77 Registry: N/K Official number: 166255 Signal letters: N/K Call sign: GQQB Classification society: N/K Gross tonnage: 9,425 tons Net tonnage: N/K Deadweight: N/K Length: 486.6 Ft Breadth: 65.5 Ft Depth: 35.7 Ft Draught: N/K Engines: Oil engine 4S.CSA - 7 Cylinders bore .29 1/8", stroke 59 1/16" Engine builders: Burmeister & Wain Works: Copenhagen Country: Denmark Boilers: N/A Power: 572 NHP Propulsion: Single screw Speed: 12.5 knots Cargo capacity: N/K Crew: N/K |
|
Image 1 is from an old postcard of Lucellum - the date is not known. |
|
Images
1. Image #1 scan of postcard by A.J.Hawker in the collection of the Webmaster. 2. Image #2 provided by Stan Mayes |
|
Service Post WW2
No further specific information has been discovered other than as shown in the Career Highlights section above terminating on her being broken 1961 after being wrecked in the St Lawrence River..
If anyone has further information please contact the Webmaster - contact details are HERE. |
|
Image 2 |
|
Image 2 is from an old postcard of Lucellum - the date is not known. She looks to be in need of a paint job. |
|
Career Highlights |
|
|
Date |
Event |
|
29 Oct 1938 |
Launched |
|
Dec 1938 |
Completed |
|
1955 |
Sold to K.Salvesen & Sons and renamed Asturia |
|
1956 |
Converted to ore carrier, 10000gt |
|
5 Oct 1961 |
Wrecked at Cap a la Roche, St Lawrence River |
|
30 Dec 1961 |
Broken up at Barcelona |
|
Departure |
Convoy/Independent |
Arrival |
|
Departure |
Convoy/Independent |
Arrival |
|
Halifax, Dec 27, 1939 |
HXF.14 (Halifax - Liverpool) |
Liverpool, Jan 8, 1940 |
|
Halifax, Feb 8, 1943 |
HF.35 (Halifax - St John Nb) |
St John Nb, Feb 10, 1943 |
|
|
OG.16F (to AT SEA - Gibraltar) |
Gibraltar, Feb 1, 1940 |
|
New York, Mar 18, 1943 |
HX.230 (NYC - Liverpool) |
Liverpool, Apr 2, 1943 |
|
Gibraltar, Mar 17, 1940 |
HG.23F (Gibraltar - Liverpool) |
Liverpool, Mar 26, 1940 |
|
Liverpool, Apr 24, 1943 |
ON.180 (Liverpool - NYC) |
New York, May 14, 1943 |
|
Freetown, Jun 25, 1940 |
SL.37 (Freetown - Liverpool) |
Liverpool, Jul 12, 1940 |
|
New York, May 19, 1943 |
HX.240 (NYC - Liverpool) |
Liverpool, Jun 4, 1943 |
|
Liverpool, Sep 8, 1940 |
OB.210 (Liverpool - Dispersed) |
|
|
Clyde, Jun 10, 1943 |
ON.188 (Liverpool - NYC) |
New York, Jun 26, 1943 |
|
Freetown, Dec 7, 1940 |
SL.58 (Freetown - Liverpool) |
Liverpool, Dec 28, 1940 |
|
New York, Jul 8, 1943 |
HX.247 (NYC - Liverpool) |
Liverpool, Jul 22, 1943 |
|
Bermuda, Feb 11, 1941 |
BHX.109 (Bermuda - Jd HX 109) |
|
|
Clyde, Oct 19, 1943 |
ON.207 (Liverpool - NYC) |
New York, Nov 4, 1943 |
|
|
HX.109 (Halifax - Liverpool) |
Liverpool, Mar 4, 1941 |
|
New York, Nov 6, 1943 |
HX.265 (NYC - Liverpool) |
Liverpool, Nov 21, 1943 |
|
Clyde, Mar 28, 1941 |
OB.303 (Liverpool - Dispersed) |
|
|
Liverpool, Nov 26, 1943 |
ON.213 (Liverpool - NYC) |
New York, Dec 14, 1943 |
|
Halifax, May 6, 1941 |
HX.125A (Halifax - Liverpool) |
Liverpool, May 22, 1941 |
|
New York, Dec 22, 1943 |
HX.272 (NYC - Liverpool) |
Liverpool, Jan 6, 1944 |
|
Liverpool, Jun 8, 1941 |
OB.331 (Liverpool - Dispersed) |
|
|
Milford Haven, Jan 14, 1944 |
ON.220 (Liverpool - NYC) |
New York, Feb 4, 1944 |
|
Halifax, Aug 1, 1941 |
HX.142 (Halifax - Liverpool) |
Liverpool, Aug 18, 1941 |
|
New York, Feb 13, 1944 |
HX.279 (NYC - Liverpool) |
Liverpool, Feb 29, 1944 |
|
Liverpool, Aug 30, 1941 |
ON.11 (Liverpool - Dispersed) |
|
|
Milford Haven, Mar 8, 1944 |
ON.227 (Liverpool - NYC) |
New York, Mar 22, 1944 |
|
Halifax, Oct 5, 1941 |
HX.153 (Halifax - Liverpool) |
|
|
New York, Mar 28, 1944 |
HX.285 (NYC - Liverpool) |
|
|
Liverpool, Oct 8, 1941 |
ON.24 (Liverpool - Dispersed) |
|
|
|
SC.156 (Halifax - Liverpool) |
Liverpool, Apr 13, 1944 |
|
|
HX.153 (Halifax - Liverpool) |
Liverpool, Oct 19, 1941 |
|
Liverpool, Apr 26, 1944 |
ON.234 (Liverpool - NYC) |
New York, May 12, 1944 |
|
Liverpool, Oct 26, 1941 |
ON.30 (Liverpool - Dispersed) |
|
|
New York, May 19, 1944 |
HX.292 (NYC - Liverpool) |
Liverpool, Jun 2, 1944 |
|
Halifax, Dec 3, 1941 |
HX.163 (Halifax - Liverpool) |
Liverpool, Dec 19, 1941 |
|
Methil, Aug 4, 1944 |
EN.417 (Methil - Loch Ewe) |
Loch Ewe, Aug 6, 1944 |
|
Belfast Lough, Dec 19, 1941 |
BB.113 (Belfast Lough - M Haven) |
|
|
|
ON.248F (Liverpool - NYC) |
New York, Aug 20, 1944 |
|
Liverpool, Jul 24, 1942 |
ON.115 (Liverpool - Boston) |
|
|
New York, Aug 25, 1944 |
HX.305 (NYC - Liverpool) |
Liverpool, Sep 10, 1944 |
|
Belfast Lough, Jul 31, 1942 |
ON.117 (Liverpool - Dispersed) |
|
|
Liverpool, Sep 28, 1944 |
ON.256 (Liverpool - NYC) |
New York, Oct 12, 1944 |
|
Halifax, Aug 19, 1942 |
HA.4 (Halifax - Curacao) |
Curacao, Aug 28, 1942 |
|
New York, Oct 20, 1944 |
HX.315 (NYC - Liverpool) |
Liverpool, Nov 3, 1944 |
|
Curacao, Aug 29, 1942 |
WAT.16 (Key West - Trinidad) |
Trinidad, Aug 31, 1942 |
|
Milford Haven, Nov 10, 1944 |
ON.265 (Southend - NYC) |
New York, Nov 23, 1944 |
|
Freetown, Oct 3, 1942 |
SL.124 (Freetown - Liverpool) |
Liverpool, Oct 22, 1942 |
|
New York, Nov 29, 1944 |
HX.323 (NYC - Liverpool) |
Liverpool, Dec 13, 1944 |
|
Liverpool, Oct 24, 1942 |
ON.141 (Liverpool - NYC) |
New York, Nov 10, 1942 |
|
Liverpool, Dec 19, 1944 |
ON.273 (Southend - NYC) |
New York, Jan 4, 1945 |
|
New York, Nov 15, 1942 |
NK.510 (NYC - Key West) |
Key West, Nov 21, 1942 |
|
New York, Jan 13, 1945 |
HX.332 (NYC - Liverpool) |
Southampton, Jan 28, 1945 |
|
Key West, Nov 21, 1942 |
KH.420 (Key West - Galveston Bar) |
Galveston Bar, Nov 25, 1942 |
|
Liverpool, Feb 21, 1945 |
ON.286 (Liverpool - NYC) |
New York, Mar 9, 1945 |
|
Galveston Bar, Nov 29, 1942 |
HK.122 (Galveston Bar - Key West) |
Key West, Dec 3, 1942 |
|
New York, Mar 14, 1945 |
HX.344 (NYC - Liverpool) |
Liverpool, Mar 28, 1945 |
|
Key West, Dec 3, 1942 |
KN.211 (Key West - NYC) |
New York, Dec 8, 1942 |
|
Falmouth, Apr 9, 1945 |
ON.295 (Liverpool - NYC) |
New York, Apr 26, 1945 |
|
New York, Dec 13, 1942 |
HX.219 (NYC - Liverpool) |
Liverpool, Dec 29, 1942 |
|
New York, May 3, 1945 |
HX.354 (NYC - Liverpool) |
Liverpool, May 18, 1945 |
|
Liverpool, Jan 23, 1943 |
ON.162 (Liverpool - NYC) |
|
|
|
|
|