[CEYLON220]

While serving aboard HMS Loch Killisport in the Persian Gulf in 1955/6 we were called to a fire aboard the Italian tanker Argea Prima, her fire was aft in the engine room, an American USN Fire tender was standing off as the fire had started to creep to the fuel line pipes and she refused to approach the ship. We had re-ammo`d in Mombasa but this did not deter our Captain, we came alongside and immediatly transferred fire fighting equipment and ratings and began fighting the fires on the deck and down in the engineroom, the firecrews were changed every 20 minutes because of the heat. The fires were eventually put out and the ships Italian crew reboarded, tow lines were attached and she was eventually towed to Bahrein-----the US Tender never assisted in anyway, the name of this ship has been forgotten after all this time, maybe some one can remember the inccident ou in the Gulf.

[dom]

posted a photo of this a week or so ago the photo shows US Naval personell on the deck of the tanker fighting the fire,it also gives the US ships name

[CEYLON220]

Hi Dom , can you show this picture again as the only time the crew from the USN Firetender came along side the "Argea Prima" was to return the Italian crew to the ship after the fires were out, the only fire fighters aboard that ship fighting fires were the RN crew---- by the way I came across the news paper cutting on that inccident, the USN ship was the USS "Valcour".

[dom]

not a very good scan sorry/dom

[CEYLON220]

Photo ok but the ship is`nt the "ARGEA PRIMA", the damage to the upperdeck is too much, most of the damage was to the engine room and small fires on the fuel pipe deck but these were quickly put out by hoses coming directly off the"LOCH KILLISPORT", maybe yor photo is of another ship where the US Navy fought the fires, there were always ships in the Gulf coming to harm thro` collisions and maybe this was one of them.
Tried to insert photo of the tanker but it was to big for this site.

USS "VALCOUR"

[CEYLON220]

Just logged on the site for the USS VALCOUR and read the report on the piece concerning the fire aboard the Italian tanker Argea Prima and the picture and I don`t believe a word of it, we carried a newspaper reporter aboard our ship and the account gives the same as me, the Valcour would not go along side because of a threat of explosions aboard the ship in question, she was picking up the ITALIAN CREWS FROM LIFEBOATS WHEN WE APPROACHED,--tried to get an explaination from the source of the article but to no avail----- anyone any ideas?????????????

[melliget]

Loch Killisport rendered assistance to a couple more burning ships a few years after this incident:
http://tinyurl.com/2alsxn

Martin

[CEYLON220]

The "ceylon" Brought Steel Sheets To Bahrein To Repair The"melika" I Even Think We Got Some Share Of The Salvage Money From That Accident Even Tho` We Were Not Present At The Scene Of The Fires.