Leaf class tanker
Encyclopedia
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 there have been many different designs of ship in this particular class. 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, confusingly sometimes sharing a common pennant number
.
The role of support tanker generally involves the bulk transport of fuel oil
s between distribution centres, the replenishment of front-line fleet tankers such as the Wave Knight
and Fort Victoria classes and using their replenishment at sea (RAS) abilities to allow them to directly support naval warship
s. For RAS, Leaf-class ships have an amidships derrick allowing a single vessel on either beam and a single point for a vessel astern.
Ship class
A ship class is a group of ships of a similar design. This is distinct from a ship-type, which might reflect a similarity of tonnage or intended use. For example, the is a nuclear aircraft carrier of the Nimitz class....
of support tanker of the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Royal Fleet Auxiliary
Royal Fleet Auxiliary
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary is a civilian-manned fleet owned by the British Ministry of Defence. The RFA enables ships of the United Kingdom Royal Navy to maintain operations around the world. Its primary role is to supply the Royal Navy with fuel, ammunition and supplies, normally by replenishment...
(RFA). The class is somewhat unusual as it is an amalgam of various civilian tankers chartered for naval auxiliary use and as such there have been many different designs of ship in this particular class. 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, confusingly sometimes sharing a common pennant number
Pennant number
In the modern Royal Navy, and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth, ships are identified by pennant numbers...
.
The role of support tanker generally involves the bulk transport of fuel oil
Fuel oil
Fuel oil is a fraction obtained from petroleum distillation, either as a distillate or a residue. Broadly speaking, fuel oil is any liquid petroleum product that is burned in a furnace or boiler for the generation of heat or used in an engine for the generation of power, except oils having a flash...
s between distribution centres, the replenishment of front-line fleet tankers such as the Wave Knight
Wave Knight class tanker
The Wave class tankers are Royal Fleet Auxiliary "Fast Fleet Tankers" tasked with providing fuel, food, ammunition and other supplies to Royal Navy vessels around the world. There are two ships in the class, RFA Wave Knight and RFA Wave Ruler. The ships were ordered to replace the ageing Ol-class...
and Fort Victoria classes and using their replenishment at sea (RAS) abilities to allow them to directly support naval warship
Warship
A warship is a ship that is built and primarily intended for combat. Warships are usually built in a completely different way from merchant ships. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster and more maneuvrable than merchant ships...
s. For RAS, Leaf-class ships have an amidships derrick allowing a single vessel on either beam and a single point for a vessel astern.
RFA Appleleaf
- (1979-1989) Appleleaf (ex-Hudson Deep) - A79 - 40,200 tons, to Royal Australian NavyRoyal Australian NavyThe Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
as HMAS WestraliaHMAS Westralia (O 195)HMAS Westralia was a modified Leaf class replenishment oiler which served with the Royal Australian Navy from 1989 to 2006. Formerly RFA Appleleaf , she served in with the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary from 1975 to 1989. The ship was initially leased to the RAN, then purchased outright in 1994... - (1960-1970) AppleleafRFA Appleleaf (A83)RFA Appleleaf was a Leaf-class tanker tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary in service between 1959 and 1970....
- A83 - 22,980 tons
RFA Bayleaf
- (1982-2011) BayleafRFA Bayleaf (A109)RFA Bayleaf was a Leaf-class support tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.-Construction:Bayleaf was one of four ships ordered from Cammell Laird at Birkenhead in 1973, and laid down in 1975 as the Hudson Sound. When the ordering company ran into financial difficulties, the ships were laid up, and...
(ex-Hudson Progress) - A109 - 37,700 tons, chartered originally for Falklands WarFalklands WarThe Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands... - (1959-1973) BayleafRFA Bayleaf (A79)RFA Bayleaf was a Leaf-class support tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, and the second ship to bear the name.Bayleaf was launched by the Furness Shipbuilding Company of Stockton-on-Tees. She was launched as the civilian London Integrity for London & Overseas Freighters in 1954 and completed in...
- A79 - 17,960 tons
RFA Brambleleaf
- (1979-2009) BrambleleafRFA Brambleleaf (A81)RFA Brambleleaf was a Leaf-class support tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. She should not be confused with the support/freighting tanker RFA Brambleleaf of 1959, also with the pennant number A81. On the 18th of August 2009 she was towed to Ghent for scrapping....
(ex-Hudson Cavalier) - A81 - 40,200 tons - (1959-1972) Brambleleaf - A81 - 17,960 tons
RFA Cherryleaf
- (1973-197?) CherryleafRFA Cherryleaf (A82)RFA Cherryleaf was a Leaf-class small fleet tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, the third ship to bear this name.She was launched in Emden, Germany in 1962 as Overseas Adventurer for a subsidiary of London & Overseas Freighters...
- A82 - 18,560 tons - (1960-1966) CherryleafRFA Cherryleaf (1960)RFA Cherryleaf was a Leaf-class fleet support tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.Launched in 1953 as Laurelwood, the ship was acquired by the RFA, and renamed Cherryleaf in 1959....
- A82
RFA Oakleaf
- (1986-2009) OakleafRFA Oakleaf (A111)The RFA Oakleaf is a Leaf-class fleet support tanker, formerly of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, and the second ship to bear the name.Formerly the Swedish vessel MV Oktania, built by A. B...
(ex-Oktania) - A111 - 50,000 tons
RFA Orangeleaf
- (1984-) OrangeleafRFA Orangeleaf (A110)RFA Orangeleaf is a Leaf-class fleet support tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.RFA Orangeleaf saw action in the Gulf War in 1991 and was one of the first units to hear the code "Walkman" which was to signify the start of the offensive against Saddam Hussein's forces in Kuwait.During early to...
(ex-Balder London) - A110 - 33,750 tons - (1959-1978) OrangeleafRFA Orangeleaf (A80)RFA Orangeleaf was a Leaf-class support tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary of the United Kingdom. She served between 1959 and 1978.-See also:* RFA Orangeleaf - the current Orangeleaf....
- A80 - 17,470 tons