spidoleine
Spidoleine
1928 - 19??


From publicity material depicting the Spidoleine underway.

Operated by the Societe Anonyme d'Armement d'Industrie et de Commerce, Anvers, Belgium.

This petroleum tanker was placed into service in March 1928 and up to March 1929 the tanker had run more than 62,000 miles, at an average speed of ten knots. Service during this first year included the Antwerp - Philadelphia, London - Port Arthur & Antwerp - Batum routes to name but a few.

The archive of the American Meteorological Journals provides a little insight into the movement of many vessels that reported weather conditions in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. From these reports movements of the Spidoleine include:
Amsterdam - Galveston reporting bad weather from March 10th to 13th 1930
Rouen - New York November 27th - 29th year? more stormy weather
Antwerp - New York reporting stormy weather March 26 - 29th 1937.

The Spidoleine was noted in the Manchester Ship Canal on May 29th 1939

Convoy FN 222 from Southend on July 14th 1940 to Methil by July 16th 1940 with thirty two ships including the Spidoleine.

The Spidoleine was recorded as being part of Convoy OA.186 with approximately 32 vessels departing from Methil on Thursday July 18th 1940 and dispersing Sunday July 21st 1940 - Spidoleine was believed to be in ballast to Port Arthur, Texas. This convoy would disband some 750 miles of Land End and reform as required depending on the destinations of the vessels.

Panamanian registry documents dated June 1941 indicate that the provisional Panamanian registration of the ex-Belgian vessels Spidoleine, Lubrafol, Belgian Gulf, and Good Gulf had been extended for six months from May 7, 1941, and that permanent certificates of registry would be forthcoming once the requisite documents were received by the Ministry.

Convoy KN 116 from Key West on July 3rd 1942 to Hampton Roads arriving July 7th 1942 with eleven ships including the Spidoleine.

Convoy KN 201 from Key West on September 15th 1942 to New York arriving September 20th 1942 with twenty seven ships including the Spidoleine detaching for Charleston, South Carolina.

Convoy KN 213 from Key West on December 17th 1942 to New York arriving December 22nd 1942 with eleven ships including the Spidoleine.

Convoy KN 217 from Key West on January 17th 1943 to New York arriving January 23rd 1943 with eleven ships including the Spidoleine.

Convoy NK 519 from New York on January 26th 1943 to Key West arriving ?? with nine ships including the Spidoleine.

Convoy KN 227 from Key West on March 12th 1943 to New York arriving March 17th 1943 with fourteen ships including the Spidoleine.

Convoy KN 240 from Key West on May 15th 1943 to New York arriving May 21st 1943 with thirteen ships including the Spidoleine.

Convoy GAT 65 from Guantanamo on May 30th 1943 to Trinidad arriving June 5th 1943 with thirty eight ships including the Spidoleine en-route to Aruba.

Convoy TAG 64 from Trinidad on June 3rd 1943 to Guantanamo arriving June 8th 1943 with thirty ships including the Spidoleine from Aruba.

Convoy GN 64 from Guantanamo on June 8th 1943 to New York arriving June 16th 1943 with thirty nine ships including the Spidoleine.

Convoy GAT 72 from Guantanamo on July 3rd 1943 to Trinidad arriving July 9th 1943 with twenty two ships including the Spidoleine en-route to Curacao.

Convoy TAG 71 from Trinidad on July 8th 1943 to Guantanamo arriving July 13th 1943 with twenty eight ships including the Spidoleine bound from Curacao to Kingston.

Convoy GAT 76 from Guantanamo on July 23rd 1943 to Trinidad arriving July 29th 1943 with twenty two ships including the Spidoleine en-route to Curacao.

Convoy GAT 81 from Guantanamo on August 17th 1943 to Trinidad arriving August 23rd 1943 with twenty two ships including the Spidoleine en-route to Curacao.

Convoy GN 80 from Guantanamo on August 27th 1943 to New York arriving September 3rd 1943 with twenty ships including the Spidoleine.

Convoy TAG 80 from Trinidad on August 22nd 1943 to Guantanamo arriving August 27th 1943 with twenty seven ships including the Spidoleine from Curacao.

Convoy NK 564 from New York on September 8th 1943 to Key West arriving ?? with six ships including the Spidoleine.

Convoy KN 266 from Key West on September 23rd 1943 to New York arriving September 28th 1943 with sixteen ships including the Spidoleine.

Convoy GN 95 from Guantanamo on November 10th 1943 to New York arriving November 17th 1943 with fifteen ships including the Spidoleine.

Convoy GN 110 from Guantanamo on January 24th to New York arriving February 1st 1944 with twenty seven ships including the Spidoleine.

Convoy GN 117 from Guantanamo on February 28th 1944 to New York arriving March 6th 1944 with twenty four ships including the Spidoleine.

Convoy GN 130 from Guantanamo on May 3rd 1944 to New York arriving May 10th 1944 with thirty five ships including the Spidoleine.

Convoy KN 321 from Key West on June 22nd 1944 to New York arriving June 27th 1944 with seventeen ships including the Spidoleine.

Scrapped Sunderland area?

Built: Ateliers et Chantiers de France, Dunkirk
Launched: 1928
Displacement: brt 6,110 tons, dwt 7,990 tons
Length: 403 feet, 125m
Breadth: 52.5 feet, 16m
Draught: 32 feet, 9.75m
Propulsion: Two 8 cyl CCM Sulzer 4S60 diesels producing 2,500hp at 110rpm.
Auxiliary engines: Two x 3RKH20 engines producing 140hp at 425rpm.
Screws: 2
Speed: ??

Sources:
Convoy Web.

Page added June 2nd 2007.
Last updated September 21st 2007.

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