Harland and Wolff - Shipbuilding and Engineering Works

1914 converted to dummy battleship HMS Queen Mary.

1916 converted to naval oil tanker Bayol.

A livestock carrier for 1000 head she was launched on 23rd September 1893 as a replacement for the Naronic. She commenced her maiden voyage on 12th January 1894 from Liverpool to New York and on the return voyage loaded the largest cargo to date which comprised 14,000 bushels of grain, 9,000 bales of cotton, 3,500 sacks of flour, 400 tons of metal, 300 tons of fresh meat, 8,400 packages of produce and 896 head of cattle. When the New York cattle service ended in 1908 she was transferred to the Australia route, initially via the Cape of Good Hope, and then, as an experiment, through the Suez Canal. However, her capacity was large for the route and her deep draught caused her to ground in the canal.

On 1st December 1914 she was converted by her Harland and Wolff into the dummy battleship HMS Queen Mary. As she left Loch Ewe on 11th February 1915 she struck a rock which holed her and she had to put back for repairs. She was decommissioned in September 1915 and restored for commercial duty by Harland & Wolff. At no time was her disguise penetrated.

In 1916 she was converted into an oil tanker with circular tanks for use by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary as the Bayol. She was transferred to the Shipping Controller in 1917 and renamed Bayleaf under the management of Lane & McAndrews, continuing as a fleet oiler servicing Royal Navy shore establishments.

On 9th June 1920 she was sold to the Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Co. (Shell) for use as a depot ship at New York and renamed Pyrula. She was transferred to Curacao in 1925 for employment as a depot ship and classified as an oil hulk.

On 25th July 1933 she was sold for scrap and broken up by Henrico Haupt at Genoa.