RFA Jaunty

RFA Jaunty

 

 

Previous name:                          HMS Jaunty
Subsequent name:                    Nisos Chios

Official Number:                         181622

Class:                                           ASSURANCE Class Tug

Pennant No:                                W30 / A140

Laid down:

Builder:                                         Cochrane & Sons Shipbuilders at Selby
Launched:                                    11 June 1941
Into Service:                                  
Out of service:                              1965 Sold commercially
Fate:                                              1973 Broken Up

 

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

 

Background Data:  There were originally 21 ships in this Class, 7 of which saw service as RFA’s. Of 700 t standard displacement and 1350 t full load displacement, they had a complement of 31 and a bollard pull of 13½ tons. In wartime they were armed with 1 x 3“ gun, 1 x 20mm AA gun and 2 x .303 machine guns.

 

11 June 1941 Launched by Cochrane  & Sons Ltd, Selby as Yard Nr 1233 named HMS JAUNTY

22 December 1941 sailed from Scapa Flow as part of Force J to carry out landings on Lofoten Islands together with RFA BLACK RANGER and RFA GRAY RANGER

1 January 1942 returned to Scapa Flow as part of Force J which had carried out landings on Lofoten Islands together with RFA BLACK RANGER and RFA GRAY RANGER on completion of Operation Anklet

17 April 1942 sailed Loch Ewe towing ss Rudderman in convoy UR20 to Reykjavik arriving on 22 April 1942 with the assistance of the British tug GONDIA

11 May 1942 escorted by HMS Amazon to join Refuelling Group (Force R) which was with PEDESTAL ships.

18 May 1942 towed SS Gemini, suffering from a damaged propeller 

11 August 1942 carried out rescue work with two RN units when HMS EAGLE was hit by torpedo fired by U73 and sank within eight minutes. 927 survivors were rescued by the three ships

August 1942 assisted in bringing the tanker Ohio into Malta

15 November 1942 took in tow USS Almaack which had been torpedoed by the German submarine U155 (Kapitanleutnant Adolf Piening)  eight miles off the coast of Portugal - under the escort of HMS Brilliant. She towed the USS Almaach into Gibraltar arriving on 17 November 1942

9 February 1943 east of Algiers took in tow the Italian submarine Avorio which had been brought to the surface by HMCS Regina - the submarine sank. He crew were landed at Bone, Algeria

25 February 1943 sailed Bone in convoy ET12 with HMS ITHURIEL in tow to Gibraltar arriving 2 March 1943

1 April 1943 involved in the salvage of the tanker ss Seminole at Oran which had been hit by two torpedoes. The crew were awarded salvage money as detailed in the London Gazette of 11 May 1945

3 June 1943 sailed Alexandria in convoy XTG1 towing HMS BADSWORTH to Gibraltar arriving 17 June 1943. RFA Green Ranger was in the same convoy

30 June 1943 sailed Gibraltar in convoy KMS17 to Malta arriving on 6 July 1943. RFA's Abbeydale, Prestol, Orangeleaf, Salveda and Salvestor were in the same convoy

10 September 1943 involved in assisting the Italian Fleet into Malta to surrender

19 September 1943 the British battleship HMS Warspite was hit by a German FX1400 guided bomb and near-missed by a second. The ship was heavily damaged. She was towed by the U.S.N. tugs to Malta arriving there on 19 September. After emergency repairs she was towed to Gibraltar by HMS Jaunty

5 June 1944 LCT2428 was due to take part in the D Day landings (Operation Neptune) but developed a leak and after capsizing she was sunk by the tug Jaunty in the Channel as she was a hazard to navigation. LCT2428 was the ‘leader’ of the 105th Flotilla of Assault Group J1Support Squadron, assigned to Juno beach to support the 7th Infantry of the 3rdCanadian Division at Courseulles.

 

Plan of a Mark V Landing Craft Tank of the same type as LCT(A) 2428, source: English Heritage

19 June 1944 sailed Seine Bay in convoy FTC12 to Southend arriving the next day towing HMS DESPATCH

27 June 1944 sailed Solent in convoy ETC19 to Seine Bay arriving the same day 

10 September 1944 sailed Southend in convoy ETC94 to Seine Bay arriving the next day

28 November 1944 Lieutenant William Sutton Lowrey RNR the ship's Commanding Officer was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions during Operation Neptune

October 1945 she towed a Floating crane to Ceylon and spent the next year in the Far East

22 Aug 1947 Captain R E Coad appointed as Master

1949 under RFA Conditions as JAUNTY

3 September 1951 RFA's Jaunty, Saucy and Envoy sailed from Portsmouth with HMS Duke of York in tow to be laid up at the Gareloch

1956 to 1958 based at Chatham on Yard Craft Agreement and PAS manned

1958 in reserve at Pembroke Dockyard.

1963 at Portland target towing replacing  RESTIVE

19 March 1964 based at Chatham

August 1965 based at Chatham

15 November 1965 sold to Jos De Smedt, Antwerp for demolition

21 December 1966 Sold again.