BRAMBLELEAF RFA (81)

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aukepalmhof
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Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 1:28 am

BRAMBLELEAF RFA (81)

Post by aukepalmhof » Thu Jun 11, 2009 8:38 pm

Built as a tanker under yard No 1365 by Cammall Laird, Birkenhead for Matheson & Co., Ltd. U.K.
22 January 1976 launched under the name HUDSON DEEP (not as given on many web-sites as HUDSON CAVALIER.)
Tonnage 20.448 grt, 33.257 dwt., dim. 170.7 x 25.9 x 11m. (draught), length bpp. 163.5m.
Powered by two 14-cyl. Grossley Pielstick diesel engines, 14.000 bhp., one pitch propeller, speed 16.5 knots.
During her building was she bought by Finance for Shipping Ltd. (British Ministry of Defence (MoD) and renamed RFA BRAMBLELEAF (A81).
They was then converted for use as a large support tanker and fitted out with the necessary equipment to undertake replenishment at sea.
Cargo capacity 22.000 cubic meter diesel oil, and 3.800 cubic meter aviation fuel.
Armament 2 Oerlikon 20mm guns and 4 GPMGs.
Crew 56.
06 May 1980 commissioned.

05 April 1980 when on patrol in the Gulf of Oman she got orders to proceed around the Cape of Good Hope to a Replenishment at Sea (RAS) with the RFA tanker TIDESPRING off South Georgia.
After a breakaway during the RAS with the TIDESPRING due to a submarine alarm on the 23th in which she damaged some of her gear, the fuel transfer was completed the next day, where after she sailed homeward bound.
During the passage home to Portland U.K. she transferred her lubricating oil and spares to other ships.
After refuelling and storing, she proceeded south again with an other battle group and carried out many replenishments in the waters off the Falklands. She returned home via Gibraltar.
After the war ended she was sent again south with much needed fuel support.

Before the Gulf War took part in the Armilla patrols, and took also part in Operation Dessert Fox in the Persian Gulf.

2008 Still in service.

2010 Broken up at Ghent, Belgium.

Pitcairn Island 1995 $1 sg484, scott437.
South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands 2007 sg MS?, scott? (see is in the margin of the MS.

Source: http://www.navynews.co.uk/ships/brambleleaf.asp. http://www.btinternet.com/~warship/Today/Leaf.htm Merchant ships at War by Captain Roger Villar.
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