Leaf-class tanker

Last updated

RFA Oakleaf A111.JPG
RFA Oakleaf
Class overview
Operators
Succeeded by Tide class
Built1959–1981
In commission1959–2016
Completed13
Scrapped13
General characteristics
TypeFleet Support Tanker
Displacement17,470 tons – 49,377 tons
Propulsion1 × 6-cylinder William Doxford & Sons marine diesel engine
Speed14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph)

The Leaf class is a class of support tanker of the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA). The class is somewhat unusual as it is an amalgam of various civilian tankers chartered for naval auxiliary use and as such has included many different designs of ship. Leaf names are traditional tanker names in the RFA, and are recycled when charters end and new vessels are acquired. Thus, there have been multiple uses of the same names, sometimes also sharing a common pennant number.

Contents

The role of support tanker generally involves the bulk transport of fuel oils between distribution centres, the replenishment of front-line fleet tankers such as the Wave and Fort Victoria classes and using their replenishment at sea (RAS) abilities to allow them to directly support naval warships. For RAS, Leaf-class ships have an amidships derrick allowing a single vessel on either beam and a single point for a vessel astern.

Ships

RFA Appleleaf

RFA Bayleaf

RFA Bayleaf (A109) A109 Bayleaf.jpg
RFA Bayleaf (A109)

RFA Brambleleaf

RFA Cherryleaf

RFA Oakleaf

RFA Orangeleaf

RFA Pearleaf

RFA Plumleaf

Related Research Articles

RFA Brambleleaf (A81) was a Leaf-class small tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

RFA <i>Fort Austin</i> 1979 Fort Rosalie-class replenishment ship of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

RFA Fort Austin is a retired British Fort Rosalie-class dry stores ship of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

RFA <i>Bayleaf</i> (A109) 1982 Leaf-class support tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

RFA Bayleaf (A109) was a Leaf-class support tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

RFA <i>Oakleaf</i> (A111) Leaf-class support tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

RFA Oakleaf (A111) was a Leaf-class fleet support tanker, formerly of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, and the second ship to bear the name.

Three ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary have borne the name RFA Brambleleaf:

Three ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary have borne the name RFA Bayleaf:

RFA Bayleaf (A79) was a Leaf-class support tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, and the second ship to bear the name.

RFA <i>Cherryleaf</i> (A82) Leaf-class support tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

RFA Cherryleaf (A82) was a Leaf-class small fleet tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, in service from 1973 to 1980.

RFA Cherryleaf (A82) was a Leaf-class fleet support tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

Three ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary have borne the name RFA Appleleaf:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Replenishment oiler</span> Naval auxiliary ship

A replenishment oiler or replenishment tanker is a naval auxiliary ship with fuel tanks and dry cargo holds which can supply both fuel and dry stores during underway replenishment (UNREP) at sea. Many countries have used replenishment oilers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Underway replenishment</span> Method of transferring fuel, munitions, and stores from one ship to another while under way

Underway replenishment (UNREP) or replenishment at sea (RAS) is a method of transferring fuel, munitions, and stores from one ship to another while under way. First developed in the early 20th century, it was used extensively by the United States Navy as a logistics support technique in the Pacific theatre of World War II, permitting U.S. carrier task forces to remain at sea indefinitely.

HMAS <i>Westralia</i> (O 195) Leaf-class support tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and Royal Australian Navy

HMAS Westralia was a modified Leaf-class replenishment oiler which served with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) from 1989 to 2006. Formerly RFA Appleleaf (A79), she served in with the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) from 1975 to 1989. The ship was initially leased to the RAN, then purchased outright in 1994. In 1998, a fire onboard resulted in the deaths of four sailors. Westralia was decommissioned in 2006, and the ship was sold into civilian service for use as a Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel, under the name Shiraz. However, the ship was laid up in Indonesia until late 2009, when she was sold to a Turkish ship breaking company. Arriving in January 2010, the vessel was scrapped.

RFA <i>Wave Ruler</i> (A390) 2003 Wave-class fast fleet tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

RFA Wave Ruler is a Wave-class fast fleet tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) of the United Kingdom tasked with providing fuel, food, fresh water, ammunition and other supplies to Royal Navy vessels around the world.

RFA <i>Orangeleaf</i> (A80) 1959 Leaf-class support tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

RFA Orangeleaf (A80) was a Leaf-class support tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary of the United Kingdom. She was launched on 8 February 1955 as Southern Satellite for the South Georgia Co Ltd by Furness Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd of Haverton-Hill. On 25 May 1959 she was bare-boat chartered by the Admiralty and renamed Orangeleaf before being refitted by Barclay, Curle & Co Ltd. She served in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary until July 1978 when she was returned to her owners at Singapore who sold her for scrap. She arrived for scrapping at Seoul, South Korea on 14 September 1978.

Wave-class oiler Class of twenty replenishment oilers of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

The Wave class was a class of replenishment oilers built for service supporting the Royal Navy during the later years of the Second World War. They were subsequently transferred to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary after the end of the war, and went on to support British and allied fleet units in Cold War conflicts such as the Korean War.

RFA <i>Tidespring</i> (A136)

RFA Tidespring is a Tide-class replenishment tanker of the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA). Built by DSME in 2016, the ship entered service with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary in November 2017.

RFA <i>Tiderace</i> (A137) 2018 Tide-class replenishment tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

RFA Tiderace is a Tide-class replenishment tanker of the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA). Ordered from DSME in 2012, she was officially named on 1 December 2016 and was accepted by the Ministry of Defence in June 2017. Tiderace entered service on 2 August 2018.

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