MV Wotan was a tanker that was built in 1913 by Reiherstieg Schiffswerft & Maschinenfabrik, Hamburg, Germany. Requisitioned by the Imperial German Navy in 1914, she served until 1915 as SMS A and was then returned to her owners. Ceded to the United States in 1919, she was operated until 1920 then laid up following an engine failure. In 1927, she was sold to Italian owners. Her diesel engine was replaced by a triple expansion steam engine and she was renamed SS Gianna M. In 1941, she was captured by , passed to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and was renamed SS Empire Control. She was sold into merchant service in 1948 and renamed SS Kleinella, serving as a storage hulk at Gibraltar until 1953, when she was scrapped. Description The ship was built in 1913 by Reiherstieg Schiffswerft und Maschinenfabrik, Hamburg, as yard number 447. Completion was in August 1913. The ship was long, with a beam of and a depth of . As built, the ship was , 7,970 DWT. Originally, the ship was propelled by diesel engine. In 1927, this was replaced by a triple expansion steam engine, which had cylinders of , and diameter by stroke. This engine was built by Gutehoffnungshütte, Oberhausen, Germany. History Wotan was built for the Deutsche-Amerikanische Petroleum Gesellschaft, Hamburg, one of the earliest motor vessels constructed. was the first, being completed in 1912. In August 1914, she was requisitioned by the Kaiserliche Marine for use as a depôt ship, named A. She was returned to her owners in June 1915. In June 1919, she was delivered to the United States as part of Germany's war reparitions. She was operated under the management of the Standard Oil Co. Wotan departed London on 22 December 1920 bound for New York, but suffered engine trouble on the voyage. She was then laid up at Baltimore, Maryland. In 1927, Wotan was sold to the Compagnia Italiana Trasporto Olii Minerali, Genoa. She was fitted with a triple expansion steam engine and renamed Gianna M. The ship was now assessed at , . The code letters NRJL were allocated. In 1934, her code letters were changed to IBAO. In June 1940, Gianna M was laid up at Las Palmas, Canary Islands. On 11 May 1941, Gianna M was captured by the Armed Merchant Cruiser whilst attempting to reach Bordeaux, France. On 13 May, Hilary and Gianna