HMS Manica - Service

Service

In the First World War she was hired by the Admiralty as a kite balloon ship.

Events from Manica's war service:

• 11 March 1915 Hired as a kite ballon ship by the Admiralty - at a time she was unloading a cargo of manure from Australia.
• 22 March 1915 commissioned as HMS Manica with Royal Naval Reserve officers.
• 28 March 1915 sailed from the UK for the eastern Mediterranean.
• 14 April 1915 arrived off Lemnos.
• 19 April 1915 spotters from Manica's ballon directed shelling onto a Turkish encampment
• 24 April 1915 spotters directed fire on Gaba Tepe, where the Turkish barracks was destroyed.
• 25 April 1915 The balloon, with its two observers, was in the air from 0521 to 1405 hours on constantly reporting on the activities associated with Anzac Cove for almost nine hours, while Australian and New Zealand Army Corps troops scaled the cliffs, one of the observers sighted the Turkish battleship Turgut Reis in the Narrows. HMS Triumph was contacted by wireless, and its balloon-directed fire forced the Turkish warship to withdraw
• 26 April 1915 the ships balloon made seven ascents in support of the ANZAC operations
• 27 April 1915 The observers were spotting for the battleships HMS Triumph and HMS Queen Elizabeth (1913). Queen Elizabeth was the Royal Navy's newest and most powerful battleship and the first in the World with 15 inches (380 mm) guns, and during the afternoon her bombardment blew up an armament store at Kojadere. The same day the balloon crew sighted Turkish transport ships near Najara, apparently heading for Maidos or Kilia Liman. Queen Elizabeth was directed onto the largest ship, the Scutari, which was hit at a range of 7 miles (11 km) and sunk after three shots.
• 12 August 1915 while Manica was supporting landings at Suvla, SM UB-8 tried to torpedo her at a range of about 500 yards (460 m) but the torpedo passed under the ship and missed. Two days later a similar attack also failed.
• 23 February 1916 at Birkenhead under repair in shipyard basin.
• 10 March 1916 sailed Birkenhead to Gibraltar carrying a small seaplane in addition to her kite balloon arriving 16 March 1916
• 19 March 1916 sailed from Gibraltar with RFA Lady Cory-Wright and RN escort, arriving at Port Said 27 March 1916
• 28 March 1916 at Port Said for coaling. At 17:20hrs cleared port anchor - starboard anchor weighed. Entered and passed through the Suez Canal.
• 30 March 1916 at Suez
• 31 March 1916 sailed Suez for Mombassa arriving 11 April 1916 when she took on a local native crew(to quote the wording of the ship's log for the period).
• 14 April 1916 sailed from Mombassa to Zanzibar
• 21 April 1916 sailed from Zanzibar on operation duties to deploy balloon off German East Africa
• 1 May 1916 at Zanzibar
• 20 May 1916 while on patrol off German East Africa ran aground. On being towed off by RN ships the towing cable fouled the propeller - cleared in 32 minutes.
  • 26 August 1916 collier alongside at Zanzibar to re-coal ship all day.
• 4 November 1916 off Rufiji - diver from flagship employed to clear obstructions to hull
• 13 Movember 1916 off Rufiji - seaplane propeller damaged through rough water - seaplane recovered and housed.
• 14 November 1916 off Rufiji - received stores and water from collier
• 20 November 1916 at Zanzibar - received 263 tons of water from water boat
• 21 November and 22 November 1916 at Zanzibar - collier alongside re-coaled ship
• August 1917 converted into a collier and renamed Huntball at Bombay
• 15 April 1918 purchased by the Admiralty and placed under commercial management.
• 1919 sold to Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Co Ltd
• 14 May 1920 alongside at Singapore
• 1920 renamed by Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Co Ltd as SS Phorus
• 16 November 1922 in dry dock at Singapore
• 19 July 1927 berthed at Singapore with a cargo of "liquid fuel" from Tarakan Island
• 3 July 1931 arrived Osaka to be broken up.