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More Vessels of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary - Part 2
Ensign of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary
Peter Padley | HMForces.co.uk
The following Leaf Class Support Tankers are in service with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary:
1. RFA Orangeleaf
There have been two former vessels named Orangeleaf to serve in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. The first ship saw service between 1917 and 1946 with the second vessel serving between 1959 and 1978 when she was decommissioned and scrapped.
The current RFA Orangeleaf was originally known as the Hudson Progress and then Balder London and built by Cammell Laird at Birkenhead. It was in January 1989, after a three and a half year refit, that she entered service with the MoD.
2. RFA Bayleaf
Three ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary have been named Bayleaf with the first of the line serving during WWI. Built at Harland Wolff in Belfast she was launched in September 1893 and completed in early 1894 as the livestock carrier CEVIC – sailing out of Liverpool for New York.
The vessel was taken into use by the Admiralty in October 1914 and in December was converted into the Dummy Battle Cruiser (DBS) HMS Queen Mary. Her role as a Dummy Battle Cruiser lasted until September 1915 when the DBS Squadron was disbanded and was purchased by the Admiralty for conversion into an oiler. Renamed RFA Bayol in 1916 she was again renamed – but this time RFA Bayleaf – in 1917. Sold on to the British Tanker Company Bayleaf was eventually sold for breaking at Genoa.
The second Bayleaf, originally named London Integrity, was built by Furness Shipbuilding at Haverton Hill on Teesside. Bayleaf was launched at the end of October 1954 and taken into service with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary on 16th June 1959.
It was in the mid 1950’s – with a period of Fleet modernisation under way – that a fleet of 8 tankers were ‘bare-boat’ chartered for freighting duties and the resupply of warships at sea and, considered a suitable vessel, London Integrity was chartered by the Admiralty and renamed Bayleaf in June 1959.
During her career with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Bayleaf had the distinction of being the first Support Tanker to refuel HMY Britannia by the astern method and in April 1972, during the Malta evacuation, loaded fuel stocks at Malta Dockyard for freighting back to UK storage facilities.
Bayleaf was returned to her owners in March 1973 and reverted to her original name of London Integrity. She was ‘laid-up’ two years later and eventually broken up at Burriana in Spain.
The current RFA Bayleaf, formerly the Hudson Sound, is the third RFA Leaf Class Support Tanker to be named Bayleaf. Built by Cammell Laird Shipbuilders Ltd at Birkenhead Bayleaf has a displacement of 37,390 tonnes. Launched by her Lady Sponsor, Mrs. Angela Pritchard, wife of the Director-General of Supplies and Transport (Naval) (DGST, in October 1981 Bayleaf entered service with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary on 26th March 1982. The vessel was owned by Lombard Leasing Services.
Immediately after being taken into RFA service Bayleaf sailed for Ascension Island in company with the Assault Ship HMS Intrepid as part of the Falklands Conflict Task Force. On 2nd June 1982 Bayleaf had the distinction of resupplying the Cunard Liner RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) at sea. QE2 had conveyed 3,000 members of the 5th Infantry Brigade to South Georgia from Southampton as a STUFT (Ship Taken up from Trade) vessel. On 12th April 1985, for her actions during the Falklands Conflict, RFA Bayleaf was awarded the Battle Honour ‘Falklands Islands 1982’ by her Lady Sponsor, Mrs. Angela Pritchard.
Another notable occurrence during RFA Bayleaf’s career was undertaken in September 1986 while under way from Sydney to Melbourne, Australia, when she resupplied the United States Battleship, USS Missouri. This was the first complete RAS (Resupply at Sea) of a Battleship by an RFA vessel that had been undertaken for many years.
In January 1991 Bayleaf was deployed on Op GRANBY – the First Gulf War – and was returned to the Gulf for the period 15th January to 12 April 2003 for the Invasion of Iraq. For her contribution to the First Gulf War Bayleaf was awarded the Battle Honour ‘Kuwait 1991’. Between both deployments, in 2001, Bayleaf was purchased by the Ministry of Defence.
RFA Bayleaf: SDSR DECISIONS
With Royal Navy fleet reductions made under SDSR it was decided that the RFA Bayleaf is to be ‘paid off’ as part of the compensating reductions being to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. It is anticipated Bayleaf will be retired in April 2011.
• Rover Class Small Fleet Tankers
Rover Class Small Fleet Tankers have a crew of some 50 officers and men and are capable of supplying Replenishment at Sea (RAS) facilities of fuel oils and limited supplies of other stores to warships of the Royal Navy and Allied forces.
Weighing approximately 7,500 tons Rover Class Tankers are powered by two SEMT Pielstick Diesel engines capable of producing speeds of up to 19 knots (35 km/h). The ships have an operating range of 15,000 miles at speeds of up to 15 knots (28 km/h).
Oerlikon 20 mm cannons and 7.62 mm machine guns are fitted as self defence systems to these tankers. The vessels are also fitted with 2 Corvus and Plessey shield decoy launchers and a Graseby Type 182 towed torpedo decoy.
The following Rover Class Small Fleet Tankers are in service with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary:
3. RFA Gold Rover
Gold Rover was built by Swan Hunter Shipbuilders at Wallsend-on-Tyne, was launched in March 1973 and taken into service in March 1974.
4. RFA Black Rover
Built by Swan Hunter Shipbuilders at Wallsend-on-Tyne, Black Rover was launched in October 1973 and commissioned in August 1974.
• Fort Class Fleet Replenishment Ships
The fleet of Fort Class Replenishment Ships is subdivided into the following classes:
• Fort Victoria Class Replenishment Oiler
Designated the Auxiliary Oiler Replenisher (AOL) the Fort Victoria Class are capable of resupplying warships with fuel and dry stores. An initial order of 6 Fort Victoria Class ships was planned with the specific task of supplying, and defending, both themselves and the, what was then planned to be, lightly armed Type 23 Frigate with the Sea Wolf Surface-to-Air (SAM) missile. The end of the Cold War and lessons learned during the Falklands War led to the Fort Victoria Class/Type 23 plans being re-evaluated with the end result of the Type 23 Frigate emerging as a more robust multi-role ship and the Fort Victoria Class order being reduced to two ships.
Weighing approximately 32,000 tons the Fort Victoria Class is powered by 2 Crossley-Pielstick diesel engines capable of producing speeds of up to 20 knots and although primarily crewed by 95 RFA personnel there is accommodation for approximately 170 Royal Navy (15) and Fleet Air Arm (155) officers and ratings.
Self defence armaments include two 20mm Phalanx Close in Weapon Systems (CIWS) and two 20 mm Oerlikon/BMARC Cannons. The ships can also carry up to five Sea King or Merlin helicopters which when used in support of operations are considered to be valuable ‘force multipliers’.
The following Fort Victoria Class Replenishment Oilers are in service with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary:
5. RFA Fort Victoria
Built by Harland and Wolff, Belfast, Fort Victoria was launched in May 1990 and commissioned three years later than intended in June 1994. A few weeks after being launched Fort Victoria was targeted by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) while at anchor near Belfast. Two devices were planted in the engine room, one of which exploded causing considerable damage. The second device was successfully defused. This attack was the cause of the lateness of Fort Victoria’s commissioning.
Fort Victoria deployed on Operation TELIC, the 2003 Invasion of Iraq and more recently was involved in the evacuation of British Nationals from the Lebanon and it was during the evacuation that the embarked Merlin helicopters of 814 Naval Air Squadron played a key role in the provision of air support to the evacuation operation.
RFA Fort Victoria – Update:
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary, Fort Victoria, deployed on Operation CAPRI in early September 2010 and was to undertake the role of spearhead vessel for approximately 3 months. Prior to proceeding to the Horn of Africa Fort Victoria was fitted with a detention facility, located on the poop deck, took RFA Fort Victoria on board a Merlin helicopter, 2 RIB’s (Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat), 2 ORC’s (Offshore Raiding Craft), a surgical team and medics and Royal Marines of the Fleet Contingency Troop – whose speciality is boarding operations. During Operation CAPRI Fort Victoria operated with HMS Northumberland and HMS Montrose.
Fort Victoria’s Merlin helicopter, better known by its callsign – Pioneer – provides the capability to bring Fort Victoria to within striking range of Pirate Action Groups (PAG’s). Fitted with radar, an electro-optic camera and the Orange Reaper radar Pioneer can scan the sea for PAG’s that normally consist of a whaler towing up to three smaller skiffs.
With the Horn of Africa deemed to be an operational area Fort Victoria had a fully equipped and staffed hospital on board. With a trauma team led by and Accident and Emergency Consultant, operating theatre and two intensive care beds Fort Victoria could respond to any emergency that arose when confronting the current day PAG’s.
In early December 2010 Fort Victoria’s tour as the Operation CAPRI spearhead vessel came to an end as the CAPRI personnel on board headed back to the United Kingdom and she returned to her primary task of tanker operations for coalition warships in the Gulf.
6. RFA Fort George
Built by Swan Hunter at Wallsend-on-Tyne the fleet support tanker and stores support ship RFA Fort George, displacing over 32,000 tonnes, was launched in March 1991 and commissioned in July 1993 she eventually entered full time RFA service in 1994.
With four dual-purpose replenishment rigs Fort George is capable of Replenishing at Sea (RAS) two warships with fuel and stores simultaneously as well as refuelling another vessel over the stern via the Hudson Reel. Vertical replenishment (VERTREP) by helicopter of solids and stores is also possible from the rear ‘two-spot’ flight deck to the RAS warships or to other vessels in the vicinity that do not require fuel.
2000 proved to be a busy year for Fort George! Within the first few weeks of the year Fort George, with 5 Westland Sea King helicopters embarked, was deployed to Mozambique to provide humanitarian aid after disastrous flooding. The disaster relief operation was named Operation BARWOOD and for her part, and that of embarked 820 Naval Air Squadron, Fort George was awarded the Wilkinson ‘Sword of Peace’. From Operation BARWOOD Fort George, accompanied by HMS Illustrious, was deployed to Sierra Leone on Operation PALLISER in support of British operations to return a state of normality to the country. Later in the year Fort George played a key part in the rescue of passengers and crew from the stricken Greek RORO ferry Express Samina when she ran aground and sunk near the island of Paros on 26 September with the loss of 143 passengers and crew.
On completion of a refit in 2003 Fort George supported exercises on the northern flank and America for Exercise Rapid Alliance and in early 2005, again accompanied by HMS Illustrious, she was deployed to the Persian Gulf on operations. As is the norm for RFA vessels they work in a support role for the warships of the Royal Navy and her allies but from time to time they take an active part in patrolling the open seas and it was in 2009 that Fort George, in company with HMS Iron Duke, was involved in the seizure of 5.5 tonnes of cocaine from a converted fishing vessel off the South American coast.
RFA Fort George: SDSR DECISIONS
With Royal Navy fleet reductions made under SDSR it was decided that the RFA Fort George is to be ‘paid off’ as part of the compensating reductions being to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
In early December 2010 Fort George returned to her birthplace on the River Tyne to say farewell for the final time. During her visit to North Shields the ships company hosted events for the local population and uniformed groups and prior to departure took on board members of the Royal Navy Fleet Protection Group Royal Marines for ‘platform’ familiarisation in preparation for future deployments on Fort George’s sister ship – Fort Victoria.
RFA Fort George is currently undergoing a maintenance programme and de-storing prior to her decommissioning in April 2011.
• Fort Rosalie Class Replenishment Ship
The Fort Rosalie Class Replenishment Ships have been in service with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary since the late 1970’s. There are two ships in the class, both designed to re-supply ships of the Royal Navy with ‘dry’ stores such as victualling stores and armaments. Unlike their sister ships in the Fort Victoria Class they do not carry fuel oils.
Fort Rosalie Replenishment Ships have a displacement of approximately 24,000 tons fully loaded and carry approximately 3,500 tons of fresh and refrigerated stores in four holds. Powered by a single shaft Sulzer 8 cylinder engine are capable of speeds up to 32 knots. Vessels are crewed by some 130 RFA and 45 Royal Navy personnel.
Fort Rosalie ships are fitted with 2 × 20 mm Oerlikon/BMARC cannon and 4 × 7.62 mm L7 General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG) for self defence purposes. They also have excellent aviation and hangaring facilities and can carry up to 4 Westland Sea King helicopters.
