RFA Grey Rover

Last updated

RFA Grey Rover on her last visit to the Falklands. MOD 45146051.jpg
The RFA Grey Rover around the coast of South Georgia Falkland Islands, October 2005.
History
British-Royal-Fleet-Auxiliary-Ensign.svg United Kingdom
NameGrey Rover
OrderedJanuary 1968
Builder Swan Hunter
Yard number7
Laid down28 February 1968
Launched17 April 1969
Commissioned10 March 1970
Decommissioned24 February 2006
Identification
FateScrapped
Badge Grey Rover Ships Badge.jpg
General characteristics
Class and type Rover-class tanker
Tonnage6,822  DWT
Displacement11,522 tons full load
Length461 ft 04 in (140.61 m)
Beam63 ft 02 in (19.25 m)
Draught24 ft 00 in (7.32 m)
Depth33 ft 06 in (10.21 m)
Installed power
Propulsion
  • 1 × shaft
  • Bow thruster
Speed18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Range15,000 miles (24,000 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h)
Capacity
  • 7,460 m3 (46,900 bbl) fuel oil
  • 600 tons aviation fuel
  • 70 tons lubricating oil
  • 362 m3 (80,000 imp gal) fresh water
Complement
  • 16 officers
  • 31 ratings
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Sperry Marine Visionmaster radars and ECDIS
  • 1690 I band navigation radars
Electronic warfare
& decoys
Armament
Aircraft carriedone flight spot for a Merlin can take a Chinook
Aviation facilities Helicopter deck (no hangar)

RFA Grey Rover (A269) was a Rover-class small fleet tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA). She was decommissioned in 2006.

Contents

Launch and commissioning

Grey Rover was launched at the Swan Hunter yard, Hebburn on Tyne, on 17 April 1969. The Lady Sponsor was Lady Parker, the wife of Vice Admiral Sir John Parker who was Flag Officer Medway. She was completed on 10 April 1970 and accepted into service three months later than planned.

Operational history

1970–1980

In September 1970, Grey Rover took over from RFA Black Ranger as Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST) tanker.

In July 1973, she was involved in a collision with the Canadian submarine HMCS Okanagan resulting in the need to dry dock in Govan for repairs. [1] [2]

Between 17 June and 22 June 1976 she stood off the Lebanon to evacuate British nationals along with RFA Stromness and the frigates HMS Exmouth and HMS Mermaid. [3]

1981–1990

During Operation Corporate (the Falklands War), Grey Rover was the only operational RFA tanker which remained in UK waters. She carried out replenishment at sea (RAS) trials with STUFT ships en route to the Falkland Islands in the southwest approaches to the English Channel whilst herself was based at Portland. The smallest vessel worked with was the trawler FV Farnella and the largest was the ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2 . [4]

1991–2000

In January 1994, Grey Rover berthed at Cape Town, South Africa, in company with HMS Norfolk for a five-day visit. Both ships were open to the public and 53,000 visitors were received on board both ships.

Grey Rover's last refit was 15 June–27 November 1998 which extended her service life into the 21st century.

2001–2006

External videos
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg A time-lapse video of the vessel being scrapped via Vimeo [5]

On 2 February 2006, while supporting the Type 42 destroyer HMS Southampton in the Caribbean as part of Atlantic Patrol Task (North), Grey Rover was involved in the boarding of merchant vessel MV Rampage and the seizure of 3.5 tonnes (3.4 long tons ; 3.9 short tons ) of cocaine with an estimated street value of £350 million. [6]

In November 2004, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence Procurement Lord Bach announced that Grey Rover would have a decommissioning date of 2007. She paid off early on 15 March 2006 and was towed to Canada Dock, Liverpool for scrapping. [7] [8] [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Fleet Auxiliary</span> Naval auxiliary fleet which supports the Royal Navy

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is a naval auxiliary fleet owned by the UK's Ministry of Defence. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service and provides logistical and operational support to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. The RFA ensures the Royal Navy is supplied and supported by providing fuel and stores through replenishment at sea, transporting Royal Marines and British Army personnel, providing medical care and transporting equipment and essentials around the world. In addition the RFA acts independently providing humanitarian aid, counter piracy and counter narcotic patrols together with assisting the Royal Navy in preventing conflict and securing international trade. They are a uniformed civilian branch of the Royal Navy staffed by British merchant sailors. The RFA is one of five RN fighting arms.

This is a list of the naval forces from the United Kingdom that took part in the Falklands War, often referred to as "the Task Force" in the context of the war. For a list of naval forces from Argentina, see Argentine naval forces in the Falklands War.

RFA <i>Orangeleaf</i> (A110) 1979 Leaf-class support tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

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

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RFA <i>Gold Rover</i> 1974 Rover-class small fleet tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

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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>Fort Rosalie</i> (A385) Lead ship of her class of replenishment ship of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

RFA Fort Rosalie was the lead ship of her class of Royal Fleet Auxiliary fleet replenishment ships. Fort Rosalie was originally named RFA Fort Grange, but was renamed in May 2000 to avoid confusion with the now-decommissioned RFA Fort George. On 31 March 2021, the ship was withdrawn from service.

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.

RFA <i>Black Rover</i> 1974 Rover-class small fleet tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

RFA Black Rover was a Rover-class small fleet tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA). She was designed to replenish ships underway at sea with fuel, fresh water, and stores in all weather conditions. She had a helicopter deck served by a stores lift and was capable of conducting helicopter replenishment. Displacing 16,160 tonnes, she was powered by twin diesels and has a ship's company of 60.

RFA <i>Brambleleaf</i> (A81) 1980 Leaf-class support tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

RFA Brambleleaf (A81) was a Leaf-class support tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. Originally built as MV Hudson Deep she was chartered by the Ministry of Defence in 1980.

RFA <i>Engadine</i> (K08) Helicopter support ship of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

RFA Engadine (K08) was a helicopter support ship of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

RFA <i>Green Rover</i> 1969 Rover-class small fleet tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

RFA Green Rover (A268) was a Rover-class small fleet tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), built by Swan Hunter Shipbuilders on the River Tyne, UK and completed in 1969. After decommissioning in 1992 she was sold to the Indonesian Navy and renamed KRI Arun (903)

NRP <i>Bérrio</i> 1970 Rover-class small fleet tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and Portuguese Navy

NRP Bérrio (A5210) was a fleet support tanker of the Portuguese Navy. She was built by Swan Hunter in 1969 at Hebburn, England as RFA Blue Rover (A270) of the Rover-class and from 1970 to 1993 was part of the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary. In 1982 during her British service she participated in the Falklands War.

RFA <i>Resource</i> 1967 Armament stores ship of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

RFA Resource was an armament stores ship of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

RMAS <i>Typhoon</i> (A95)

RMAS Typhoon (A95) was an ocean-going tug of the Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service (RMAS). She was designed for ocean towing, rescue, salvage and fire-fighting. She was the first ship to leave the United Kingdom ahead of the task force for the South Atlantic during the 1982 Falklands War. She had a fishery protection role in the Cod Wars.

Rover-class tanker Class of five small fleet tankers of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

The Rover class is a British ship class of five small fleet tankers, active from 1970 to 2017 with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. One remains in service, having been sold to Indonesia; the rest have been scrapped or are awaiting disposal, including the one sold to Portugal. They are tasked with the replenishment at sea (RAS) of naval warships with fuel oils and with limited supplies of other naval stores. For RAS tasking, they can refuel a vessel on either beam and a third trailing astern and have a large flight deck to allow vertical replenishment with helicopters.

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>Wave Knight</i> (A389) 2003 Wave-class fast fleet tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

RFA Wave Knight 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>Plumleaf</i> (A78) Leaf-class support tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

RFA Plumleaf (A78) was a Leaf-class support tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary of the United Kingdom.

RFA <i>Pearleaf</i> (A77) 1960 Leaf-class support tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

RFA Pearleaf (A77) was a Leaf-class support tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary of the United Kingdom. She was the second ship to bear the name.

References

  1. ↑ "RFA Grey Rover 1973-74". historicalrfa.org. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  2. ↑ "HMCS Okanagan Collides with RFA Grey Rover, 1973". rcnhistory.org. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  3. ↑ "RFA Grey Rover". historicalrfa.org. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  4. ↑ "QE2 in the Falklands War". beyondships.com. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  5. ↑ Mitchell, Tim (29 October 2013). "A Fish Out of Water". vimeo.com. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  6. ↑ "UK ships seize £350m drugs cache". BBC News. 3 February 2006. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  7. ↑ Bach, William (1 November 2004). "Royal Navy: Disposals". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  8. ↑ Ingram, Adam (12 November 2004). "Royal Fleet Auxiliary Oilers". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  9. ↑ "Leavesley International". Archived from the original on 25 April 2010. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
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