An item reported that according to an official announcement of the Romanian government the British authorities at Port Said hold three Romanian ships namely the freighter Sucegi with general cargo underway to Romanian and the two empty petrol tankers Oltena and Steaua also destined towards Romania.(1) As reprisal seized the Romanian authorities 18 British flagged Danube tugs.
Another newspaper the Delftsche courant dated 11 March 1941 reported the arrival of the Romanian ship Dacia at Constanza coming from Istanbul with on board 34 sailors belonging to the crews of the tankers Oltenia and Steaua Romana which months ago were seized by the British. The sailors that that they were brought with their ships to Bombay where the ships were commissioned in British service and they were sent home via Suez and Istanbul. In the Suez Canal was no shipping possible while two ships sunk by German aircraft blockaded the fairway so all traffic went by rail.
Note
1. Both ships were property of the Steaua Romana Societate Anonima Pentru Industria Petroleului of Bucharest. The funnel was black coloured with the emblem in a white band while the hull was black coloured with a red boot-topping.
When the Second World War broke out intended Romania to maintain her neutrality. In 1940 abdicated king Carol II to be succeeded by the National Legionary State which had to share the power with Ion Antonescu. Just a year later Romania choose the side of Nazi Germany and became the most important oil supplier to this country. In 1944 choose Romania with king Michael I for the side of the Allies.
The Oltenia was launched on 6 March and completed in April 1928 by the shipyard Low Walker of Sir W.G. Armstrong, Whitworth and Company at Newcastle-on-Tune with building number 1031. With a gross register tonnage of 6,394 tons and a deadweight of 10,120 tons and as dimensions 423’7”x 55’4” x 26’10” and a speed of 10’0 knots. Handed over to the Ministry of War Transport (British Tanker Company) at Mombasa in 1940 was she renamed Oltenia II, she was torpedoed by the German submarine U436 on 8 January 1943 when part of the TM1 convoy and sunk with 43 survivors out of a crew of 60 men on the position 27 59 North and 28 50 West. Her cargo at that moment consisted of 9,086 tons of Admiralty furnace oil, 732 barrels of lubricating oil and further more military stores.
The Steaua Romana was build in 1914 by the shipyard of Nordseewerke Abteilung der Deutsche-Luxemburgischen Bergwerke in Hutten AG with a gross register tonnage of 5,311 tons and a deadweight 8,150 tons and as dimensions 406’10”x 53’0”x 24’3” and a speed of 9,0 knots. Ex-Emil Georg von Stauss, although laid down as the Olex. She was required by Ministry of War Transport in October 1940, officially seized by England in December 1941 and handed over to the Ministry of War Transport and in 1947 renamed Polar Bear in British service.
Sources
Roger Jordan. The world’s merchant fleets 1939. The particulars and wartime fates of 6,000 ships.
http://uboat.net/allies/merchants/2572.html
http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?17205
http://www.tynebuiltships.co.uk/O-Ships/oltenia1928.html
