Small tugs built for the War Department, Royal Engineers.

Among the many export orders completed by the Rennie Forrestt Shipbuilding, Engineering & Dry Dock Co. Ltd were four river steamers completed in 1912 for the Euphrates & Tigris Steam Navigation Co. Ltd, London, (managers Lynch Bros of Basrah).  They were all steel twin screw steam launch tugs of 99grt with dimensions of Length 82.1’x Breadth 16.5’x Depth 4.5′, and powered by two 2 cylinder compound engines made by Plenty & Son of Newbury.

Naturally, when Turkey entered the war on the side of Germany and Austria, they were all requisitioned for war service and suffered various fates.

Shaitan yard number 1201.  1/12/1914 Requisitioned by the Royal Navy.  28/11/1915 Grounded 8 miles above Aziziya and captured by Turkish forces.  Not recovered by British forces later so presumably lost.

Shihab yard number 1202.  1915 To the Royal Indian Marine.  8/9/1916 To Royal Engineers as T__.  191_ Returned.  1929 New engines, two Norris Henty & Gardner 4cyl 240bhp.  1933 Registered (ON 163417).  1951 Sold to Iraqi owners. 

Shuhrur yard number 1203.  1915 To the Royal Indian Marine.  8/9/1916 To Royal Engineers as T__.  191_ Returned.  1929 New engines, two Norris Henty & Gardner 4cyl oil 240bhp.  1933 Registered (ON 163414).  1951 Sold to Iraqi owners. 

Sumana yard number 1204.  1915 To the Royal Indian Marine.  12/1915 Captured by the Turkish Army at Kut.  26/2/1917 Recaptured and transferred to the Royal Engineers as T 19.  191_ Returned.  1929 New engines, two Norris Henty & Gardner 4cyl oil 240bhp.  1933 Registered (ON 163415).  1951 Sold to Iraqi owners.

Their design formed the basis of a class of tugs built during the war for the Royal Engineers Inland Water Transport Department.

T 20  Completed in 1916 as yard number 1285 for the War Office, Royal Engineers.  1920 Sold to R. McGregor.  1922 Sold to Phoenix Oil & Transport Co. Ltd, London and transferred to Unirea Petrolifera Romana, Bucharest as Phoenix ??.

T 21 Completed in 1916 as yard number 1286 for the War Office, Royal Engineers.  192_ Sold to the Euphrates & Tigris Steam Navigation Co. Ltd, London as Shamal 98grt.  (ON 163416).  1951 Sold.

T 22  Completed in 1916 as yard number 1287 for the War Office, Royal Engineers.  1920 Sold to R. McGregor. 1922 Sold to Phoenix Oil & Transport Co. Ltd, London and transferred to Unirea Petrolifera Romana, Bucharest as Phoenix ??.

T 23  Completed in 1916 as yard number 1288 for the War Office, Royal Engineers.  1920 Sold to R. McGregor.  1925 Scrapped Grays.

T 38  Completed in 1917 as yard number 1305 for the War Office, Royal Engineers.  1924 Sold to the Anglo Persian Oil Co. Ltd, London as Diyala. (ON 147626) 60grt (9net).  1924 To Petroleum Steamship Co. Ltd, London.  1951 Seized by the Iranian Government.

T 39  Completed in 1917 as yard number 1306 for the War Office, Royal Engineers.  1925 Sold at Basrah to Partridge & Co, London.

During the war Rennie Forrestt at Wivenhoe built at least twenty river tugs of various sorts for the War Office.