Tanker "Dora"

[exsailor]

Does anybody have any information and/or photo of this tanker that around in early/mid 1970's?
She was owned/operated by Abyrouth Shipping Company who were the Israeli directors of IFR Services, London - part of the Maritime Fruit Carriers group. Joe Thwaite, ex Esso, was Master for a while. I was employed in IFR's office for a time, but the operations of this vessel were hidden in a cloud of secrecy - even mail for the ship was given to the directors and 'taken care of'.

Dennis.

[Hawkey01]

Dennis,

I have found a Dora - tanker but she was only with that name in 1969. The ex Bergechief.

Hawkey01

[Chadburn]

U

Originally Posted by exsailor

Does anybody have any information and/or photo of this tanker that around in early/mid 1970's?
She was owned/operated by Abyrouth Shipping Company who were the Israeli directors of IFR Services, London - part of the Maritime Fruit Carriers group. Joe Thwaite, ex Esso, was Master for a while. I was employed in IFR's office for a time, but the operations of this vessel were hidden in a cloud of secrecy - even mail for the ship was given to the directors and 'taken care of'.

Dennis.

You may be aware that M.F. was known as the Israeli Naval Reserve due to Milla and his connections with the Military.
Because of this connection certain things went on that even today I as a former employee (Chief Engineer) would not want to make public and movements of some vessels were kept secret depending what they were carrying.
You have to bear in mind the Dora was a Tanker and there was a fuel crisis along with problems with Egypt.
Interesting that Hawkeye has found the date of 1969 which is when 'Operation Noa' took place.

[Lancsman]

OK, what was `Operation Noa`something that passed me by.

[Varley]

I don't think I remember Dora on the Israeli/Iran run however the galley wireless (the days before galleysat) was that although the crude was delivered to Eilat it was exported at the other end of the Eilat/Ashkelon pipeline (Telegraphic address ELATASH TELAVIV) to somewhere behind the iron curtain. If this was true then there would have to have been bottoms at the other end to complete the journey.

[Chadburn]

Originally Posted by Lancsman

OK, what was `Operation Noa`something that passed me by.

The French built Gunboats for Israel which were impounded by France before delivery, the Israelis did get their hands on them despite the action of France, it was typical of Israeli ingenuity via a third party which the Russians copied in getting hold of the Assault Vessels recently which were impounded by France and bought by Egypt as a third party.

[Dartskipper]

A convoluted payback for when a third party was buying titanium from the Russians on behalf of the Lockheed Corporation who were secretly building the Mach 3, A-12 Spy plane so that they could spy on the USSR. (This was the plane announced to the World later by LBJ as the SR71.)