RFA Tidespring (A75)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

A75 Tidespring moored at Gosport in 1979
History
Royal Fleet Auxiliary EnsignUnited Kingdom
NameRFA Tidespring
Ordered28 February 1961
Builder
Hawthorn Leslie and Company
Laid down24 July 1961
Launched3 May 1962
Commissioned18 January 1963
Decommissioned13 December 1991
IdentificationIMO number5361033
FateScrapped 1992
General characteristics
Class and typeTide-class replenishment oiler
Displacement27,400 long tons (27,840 t)
Length583 ft 8 in (177.90 m)
Beam71 ft 3 in (21.72 m)
Draught32 ft 1 in (9.78 m)
Propulsion2 ×
Foster Wheeler
watertube steam boilers, 2 × Parmetrada steam turbines, double reduction gearbox, single shaft
Speed17 knots (20 mph; 31 km/h)
Aircraft carried3 × Westland Wessex helicopters
Service record
Operations: Falklands War

RFA Tidespring (A75) was a Tide-class replenishment oiler of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. As a replenishment oiler, her main purpose was to refuel other ships. The ship had a long career in the RFA, entering service in the early 1960s, and finally being decommissioned in 1991.

Tidespring took part in the

South Georgia. At the time, she was carrying M Company of 42 Commando Royal Marines. The ship accommodated prisoners of war taken during operations. The Falklands provided a reprieve of ten years for Tidespring which had been due to decommission in 1982.[1]

She eventually sailed from Portsmouth in tow on 20 March 1992 for the breakers, arriving in Alang, India, for demolition on 2 July 1992.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b "RFA Tidespring". historicalrfa.org. Retrieved 20 December 2020.