RFA Cherryleaf (A82)
RFA Cherryleaf (A82) was a Leaf-class small fleet tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, in service from 1973 to 1980.
Cherryleaf in August 1975 | |
History | |
---|---|
Name: | |
Owner: |
London and Overseas Bulk Carriers (1963–81)[1] Petrostar Co Ltd (1981–86)[2] |
Operator: | |
Port of registry: | |
Builder: | Nordseewerke[1] |
Yard number: | 321[1] |
Launched: | 16 October 1962[1] |
Completed: | 21 February 1963[1] |
Decommissioned: | 1980 (RFA)[2] |
Renamed: | |
Identification: | IMO number: 5407681 |
Fate: | Constructive total loss 1986[3] scrapped 1987[1] |
General characteristics | |
Class and type: | Leaf-class tanker |
Tonnage: | |
Length: | 559 ft 4 in (170.48 m)[1] |
Beam: | 72 ft (22 m)[1] |
Draught: | 29 ft 6 in (8.99 m)[1] |
Installed power: | 8,400 bhp[1] |
Propulsion: | 7–cylinder[4] MAN diesel[1] |
Speed: | 14.5 knots (26.9 km/h)[1] |
History
She was built by Nordseewerke in Emden, Germany and launched in 1962 as Overseas Adventurer for London and Overseas Bulk Carriers,[1] a subsidiary of London & Overseas Freighters (LOF). She was bareboat chartered for the RFA in February 1973 and renamed RFA Cherryleaf.[5]
In 1980 she was returned to LOF and her name reverted to Overseas Adventurer.[2] In 1981 LOF sold her to Petrostar Co Ltd of Saudi Arabia who renamed her Petrostar XVI.[2]
On 5 April 1986 during the Tanker War phase of the Iran–Iraq War she was off Halul Island[2] en route from Bahrain to Sharjah when Iranian helicopters[2] hit her with AGM-65 Maverick missiles.[3] Her accommodation was gutted by fire and four crewmembers were killed.[2] She was towed to Sharjah where she was declared a constructive total loss on 9 April 1986[2] and laid up for disposal.[4] She was sold to National Ship Demolition Co Ltd of Taiwan, arrived Kaohsiung on 24 January 1987 and her demolition began on 19 February 1987.[2]
References
- Sedgwick et al., p. 101
- Sedgwick et al., p. 102
- ACIG 2004, p. 26
- "London & Overseas Freighters 1941–97". LOF–News. Retrieved 29 June 2010.
- Sedgwick, Kinnaird & O'Donoghue1993, pp. 101–102.
Sources and further reading
- ACIG team (2004). "Tanker War, 1980-88". Arabian Peninsula & Persian Gulf Database. ACIG: 26.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- Sedgwick, Stanley; Kinnaird, Mark; O'Donoghue, K.J. (1993) [1992]. London & Overseas Freighters, 1948-92: A Short History. World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-68-1.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- Sedgwick, Stanley; Sprake, R.F. (1977). London & Overseas Freighters Limited 1949-1977. World Ship Society. ISBN 0905617037.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)