Previous name:
Subsequent name:

Official Number:                    163015

Class:                                      ENVOY CLASS Tug

Pennant No:                           W177 / A 177

Laid down:
Builder:                                   Cochrane & Sons, Selby
Launched:                               22 July 1944
Into Service:                           1 December 1944
Out of service:                        26 May 1960
Fate:                                         Broke her mooring and ran aground - July 1963

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

Background Data:   There were 6 Admiralty-designed Fleet Tugs in this Class, 3 of which saw service as RFA’s. As completed they were armed with 1 x 12 pdr AA gun, 1 x 2 pdr AA , 2 x 20 mm AA and 4 x .303 machine guns. They had a bollard pull of 16 tons and  a complement of 33

22 July 1944 Launched by Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby as Yard Nr 1288 named HMS ENFORCER

1 December 1944 completed

 20 December 1944 sailed from Milford Haven as a rescue tug in convoy ON273 to Gibraltar

25 January 1945 sailed Malta towing AFD 18 to Aden arriving 27 February 1945

30 April 1945 sailed Gibraltar as a rescue tug in convoy MKS 098G

8 May 1945 arrived Liverpool

28 November 1945 sailed Loch Ryan towing German type V11C submarine U481 for destruction under Operation Deadlight. On 30 November 1945 the tow parted and the submarine was sunk by gunfire from the Polish destroyer ORP Blyskawica at 56 11N 10 00W the following day

3 December 1945 sailed Loch Ryan towing German type V11C submarine U776 (by then HMS/m N65) for destruction under Operation Deadlight. The submarine foundered at sea at 55.08N 05.30W 

25 November 1946 in heavy weather was towing the British steamer Ayrshire Coast (773 tons) with six feet of water in her engine room and hold to Portland after the ship had issued a Mayday call. The tow parted.

3 January 1947 Captain J B Gibson MBE (Lieutenant Commander RNR) appointed as Master and Mr A M McWhirter appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

June 1947 under C-in-C Portsmouth

22 and 23 July 1947 took part in the Clyde Fleet Review by HM King George VI and HM Queen Elizabeth rogether with RFA Black Ranger and RFA Prestol - reported at length in the Glasgow Herald 31 May 1947

January 1948 with tugs Jaunty and Cautious towed an AFD from Devonport to the Clyde

20 May 1948 Mr J Salter appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

6 November 1948 fish carrier mv Eldberg grounded off Port Min. Pulled off making water by Enforcer, all the crew saved. Ship lost 56.71N, 6.22W - report from the Northern Lighthouse Board Wreck Returns

1949 under RFA conditions and renamed RFA ENFORCER

26 January 1950 transferred to Rosyth

13 October 1952 together with the Admiralty  tug Erner involved in the attempted recovery of the Hull trawler ST Ronan which had run aground on St John's Point, Caithness. HMS Widemouth Bay stood by. All the crew were rescued

24 March 1953 Mr R C Wood appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

22 August 1953 with RN units searched the seas south of the Nab Tower for the yacht Sea Otter which had been dismasted in heavy seas. The yacht was found and towed to Portsmouth

February 1955 together with RFA Envoy, Superman towed the submarine depot ship HMS Montclare from the Clyde to Portsmouth for refit. RFA Warden was the spare tug 

4 January 1957 Mr A E Daw appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

22 February 1957 Mr J A Coade appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

6 October 1958 while on passage from Bristol to Gibraltar was in collision with the Spanish trawler OSEBE which sank in position 36.17 N 06.39 W

26 May 1960 laid up at Rosyth

10 July 1962 on the Disposal List at Rosyth

9 July 1963 purchased for scrap for £6,266 by Jas A. White & Co Ltd, St David’s Harbour, after breaking her moorings and piling up on rocks near the Forth Bridge where she was wrecked

31 August 1964 by this date was completely broken up and reduced to scrap