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Previous name: Stena Inspector
Subsequent name:
Official Number: 399182
Class: Forward Repair Ship
Pennant No: A132
Laid down: 24 January 1980
Builder: Oresundsvarvet AB, Landskrona, Sweden
Launched: 3 April 1980
Into Service: 12 March 1984
Out of service:
Fate:
Items of historic interest involving this ship: -
Background Data: There is only a single ship of this type which was originally built as one of a Class of Rig Support Vessels for commercial owners. She was requisitioned during the Falklands Conflict and was then purchased the following year and underwent a full conversion for her new role.
March 1979 an order was placed by Rederi AB Concordia, Stockholm for 4 highly sophisticated diving and support vessels which was worth over $100m.
28 January 1980 laid down.
3 April 1980 launched by Oresundsvsrvet AB, Landskrona as Yard Nr 276 named STENA INSPECTOR for Rederi A/B Concordia, (Stena Line AB, Managers) Stockholm.
12 January 1981 completed
1982 was transferred to Stena Carribean Line Ltd (Stena (UK) Ltd, Managers) London.
8 April 1982 requisitioned for service during Operation Corporate - the Falklands Conflict - and was recalled from her normal duties in the Thistle Oil Field in the North Sea.
16 April 1982 sailed Portsmouth for service during Operation Corporate after conversion into a repair ship.
25 May 1982 chartered by MoD (N) for service as a Fleet Repair Ship.
6 June 1982 sailed Charleston, South Carolina for the Falklands
mv Stena Inspector during the Falkland's conflict - IWM Copyright
31 October 1983 purchased by MoD (N).
12 November 1983 arrived on the Clyde for full conversion into a Forward Repair Ship by Clyde Dock Engineering, Govan.
3 May 1984 her Ship’s Badge was officially presented to her.
29 February 1984 conversion completed at a cost of £28m.
12 March 1984 formally renamed DILIGENCE at Portland and was officially accepted into RFA service. After a very brief work-up she sailed for the Falkland Islands to be based there.
16 March 1984 sailed Portland
17 March 1984 arrived Devonport for stores and sailed again that same evening.
29 March 1984 arrived Ascension Island and sailed again that same evening.
10 April 1984 arrived East Cove, Falkland Islands and remained here just over 2½ years before returning home for refit.
15 December 1986 sailed East Cove for the U.K.
26 December 1986 arrived Ascension Island
28 December 1986 sailed Ascension Island
6 January 1987 arrived Funchal, Madeira
9 January 1987 sailed Funchal
13 January 1987 arrived Devonport to destore for refit
30 January 1987 sailed Devonport
1 February 1987 arrived Liverpool
23 May 1987 sailed Liverpool on completion of refit to restore and then undergo work-up at Portland
13 July 1987 sailed Portland on completion of work-up
24 July 1987 arrived Ascension Island
25 July 1987 sailed Ascension Island
5 August 1987 arrived East Cove, Falkland Islands
13 August 1987 recalled for service in the Arabian Gulf area to act as support ship for the HUNT CLASS minehunters during the Iran-Iraq War in Operation Cimnel.
15 August 1987 sailed East Cove, Falkland Islands
4 September 1987 arrived Mombasa
7 September 1987 sailed Mombasa for Arabian Gulf area and remained here until March 1989
3 September 1988 rendered valuable assistance to the destroyer HMS SOUTHAMPTON after she had been in collision with the P & O container ship TOR BAY
4 March 1989 sailed Mina Raysut for Aden then Suez to transit to the Mediterranean
13 March 1989 sailed Port Said for Gibraltar
15 June 1989 sailed Gibraltar
19 June 1989 arrived Portsmouth
21 June 1989 sailed Portsmouth for Rosyth to destore for refit
4 August 1989 sailed Rosyth
7 August 1989 arrived North Shields for refit
28 October 1989 sailed Rosyth on completion of refit to restore in Rosyth then work-up at Portland.
1989 was awarded an inscribed plaque from the General Council of British Shipping to commemorate her service on Armilla Pastrol between November 1986 and 20 August 1988 when the “Accompanying Policy” was in force. Other recipients were RFA’s APPLELEAF (3), BRAMBLELEAF (3), OLNA (3) ORANGELEAF (3) and TIDESPRING.
10 January 1990 sailed Portsmouth
14 January 1990 arrived Funchal
18 January 1990 sailed Funchal
26 January 1990 arrived Ascension Island and sailed again that same evening.
26 February 1990 arrived East Cove, Falkland Island
8 August 1990 decision taken to deploy her to the Gulf, along with RFA’s FORT GRANGE and OLNA (3) following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait..
14 August 1990 sailed East Cove, Falkland Islands for service during Operation Granby -the Gulf War.
3 September 1990 arrived Mombasa for storing and enhancements..
8 September 1990 sailed Mombasa for the Gulf Area.
16 September 1990 arrived Jebel Ali and become the Base Repairship, with NP1600 embarked, stationed there for operations in the Gulf after Iraq invaded Kuwait.
20 February 1991 supported the damaged cruiser USS TRIPOLI and USS Princeton after those ships were hit by mines in the Northern Gulf waters
11 April 1991official Cease Fire came into force.
18 April 1991 sailed Jebel Ali on completion of Operation Granby duties
29 April 1991 arrived Port Louis, Mauritius
2 May 1991sailed Port Louis
26 May 1991 returned to East Cove, Falkland Islands
1991 was awarded the Kuwait 1991 Battle Honour along with 10 other RFA’s
12 November 1992 sailed East Cove to return home for refit
30 November 1992 arrived Las Palmas
3 December 1992 sailed Las Palmas
9 December 1992 arrived Portsmouth to destore for refit
18 December 1992 sailed Portsmouth for refit in Middlesbrough
20 December 1992 arrived Middlesbrough
7 March 1993 Captain David Gerrard RFA appointed as Commanding Officer - temporary for sea trials
Captain David Gerrard RFA
22 March 1993 sailed Middlesbrough on completion of refit
24 March 1993 arrived Portsmouth to restore then to undergo work-up at Portland
March 1993 Captain Steven Hodgson RFA in command
27 May 1993 sailed Portland to return to the South Atlantic
13 June 1993 arrived Salvador, Brazil
18 June 1993 sailed Salvador
28 June 1993 arrived King Edward Point, Grytviken, South Georgia
1 July 1993 sailed King Edward Point
4 July 1993 arrived East Cove
9 May 1994 Captain Peter A Robinson RFA appointed as Commanding Officer
1997 deployed from the UK to the Far East in support of a Royal Navy Task Group, visiting ports of Singapore, Hong Kong, Subic Bay, Yokosuka, Chinhae, Fremantle, Diego Garcia and Soudha Bay
30 June 2000 Captain Peter Farmer RFA appointed as Commanding Officer
4 December 2002 arrived in Colombo from Singapore for a four day visit
26 December 2004 sailed and provided humanitarian assistance to areas which suffered damage from the Asian tsunami
19 April 2006 Captain Shaun Jones RFA appointed as Commanding Officer
26 April 2006 berthed alongside at Cape Town, South Africa
17 June 2006 in dry dock at East London, South Africa
23 July 2006 berthed alongside at Rio De Janerio, Brazil
7 November 2006 found 23 migrant refugees drifting in a small boat in the Atlantic 50 miles north of Lanzarote. Spanish search and rescue authorities collected the refugees
13 November 2006 berthed at Gibraltar - sailed the following day
15 January 2007 arrived Liverpool for an extensive life extending refit
27 September 2007 Captain Anthony McNally RFA appointed as Commanding Officer until 13 May 2008
14 July 2008 took part in Exercise Sea Breeze at Odessa, Ukraine until 26 July 2008
5 August 2008 berthed at Gibraltar for maintenane period and crew change
19 October 2008 Captain Anthony McNally RFA appointed as Commanding Officer until 2 May 2009
6 August 2009 berthed at Gibraltar
15 August 2009 berthed alongside at Marchwood Military port
26 August 2009 Captain Anthony McNally RFA appointed as Commanding Officer until 1 September 2009
4 January 2009 Captain Anthony McNally RFA appointed as Commanding Officer until 21 June 2009
4 January 2010 Captain Anthony McNally RFA appointed as Commanding Officer until 21 June 2010
24 February 2010 entered Portsmouth Dockyard
4 March 2010 sailed Portsmouth
10 July 2010 delivered Coast Guard launch 'Fortune' to the Government of the Seychelles Islands as a gift from the British Government
Seychelles Coast Guard launch 'Fortune'
November 2010 attached to Combined Task Force 150 (CTF 150). CTF 150 is the counter-terrorism and maritime security mission of Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), a global maritime partnership tasked with promoting security and stability in Middle Eastern waters - warships assigned to CTF 150, including USS Winston S. Churchill, Pakistan frigate PNS Khaibar (formerly HMS Arrow) and French frigate FS Commadant Bouan
13 January 2011 Captain Anthony McNally RFA appointed as Commanding Officer until 12 April 2011
April 2011 Captain Steve Donkersley RFA appointed as Commanding Officer
29 December 2011 The Earl of Wessex, the Commodore in Chief RFA and the Countess of Wessex and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of Bahrain, visited RFA Diligence during a port visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain’s Mina Salman Port.
Ships of the same name
Diligence. (ex Intelligence) renamed 1692 a brigantine of 78 bm, 64 x 17 feet armed with 2 guns built at Deptford and launched on the 23 March 1693. Sold on the 26 November 1708.
Diligence. A 6th rate of 152 bm, purchased on the 23 May 1709, sold in 1712.
Diligence. A sloop of 236 bm, 88.5 x 24. 5 feet armed with 10 guns launched by Wells of Rotherithe on the 29 July 1756. The ship became a fire ship and was renamed “ Comet” on the 27 August 1779. Sold out of service on the 5 December 1780.
Diligence. (ex Spencer, renamed in 1795). A brig-sloop of 320 bm, 95 x 28 feet armed with 8 guns launched by Parsons of Bursledon on the 24 November 1795. The ship was wrecked on the Honda Bank, Cuba in August 1800.
Diligence. (ex Union) A sloop of 361 bm, 99 x 29 ft armed with 14 x 24 pdr Carronades, 2 x 18 pdr. Purchased on the 5 February 1801. Sold out of service on the 16 April 1812.
Diligence. (ex Thistle) A lugger purchased in 1812. Sold on the 15 December 1818.
Diligence . A transport built by Bailey of Ipswich, 317 bm, 104 x 26 feet, launched on the 30 September 1814. Became a coal hulk in August 1861, later given the pennant number C.72. Sold on the 5 July 1904.
Diligence. A wood screw sloop of 950 bm laid down at Chatham Dockyard in 1862, she was cancelled on the 12 December 1863.
Diligence. (ex Tabristan) of 7,100 tons, 390 x 46 feet launched in 1907 and purchased on the 29 January 1913, converted to a depot ship in 1915. Broken up by Hughes Bolckow at Blyth in November 1926.
Diligence. A repair ship of 4,023 tons, 441.5 x 57 feet built by Bethlehem Steel Corporation and lent to the UK on the 8 July 1944 under the lend-lease programme. Returned to the USN in January 1946.
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