RFA Oakleaf

RFA Oakleaf

RFA Oakleaf (1)

 

 

 

Previous name:               Montezuma, HMS Iron Duke, RFA Abadol
Subsequent name:

Official Number:              110604 

Class:                              Emergency Wartime Construction LEAF Group Freighting Tanker

Pennant No:                   Y7.172

Laid down:
Builder:                           Alexander Stephens & Co., Glasgow
Launched:                      11 July 1899
Into Service:                  7 July 1915

Out of service:               25 July 1917
Fate:                              Torpedoed and sunk by UC41 off the Butt of Lewis

 

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

 

Background Data:   During WW1, 18 vessels of varying types were acquired second hand and converted or purchased and converted while on the stocks or in a few cases building as tankers. Some were converted after serving with the Dummy Battleship Squadron by the insertion of cylindrical tanks in their holds. All were originally intended to operate as RFA’s, however owing to reasons of international law and the operation of the US Neutrality Act, these oilers became Mercantile Fleet Auxiliaries, being renamed with the LEAF nomenclature and placed under civilian management, although operationally they remained under Admiralty control

 

 

11 July 1899  launched by Alexander Stephen & Sons Ltd, Linthouse as Yard Nr 383 named   MONTEZUMA for the Beaver Line service of Elder Dempster & Co Ltd, Liverpool

September 1899 completed as a cargo liner

12 September 1899 sailed on her maiden voyage from Greenock to New Orleans arriving on 2 October 1899

22 October 1899 she commenced the first of 8 round voyages from New Orleans to Cape Town as a Boer War Transport carrying 1,885  mules. 31 died on the voyage. The ship arrived at Cape Town on 22 November 1899

23 December 1899 berthed at New Orleans from Cape Town

24 December 1899 sailed New Orleans for Halifax 

5 January 1900 delayed at Halifax when typhoid fever broke out among the crew

1901 was transferred to the British & African Steam Navigation Co Ltd (Elder, Dempster  & Co Ltd, Managers) , Liverpool name unchanged

20 August 1902 resuming commercial service

7 October 1902 at Cardiff loaded with 9,000 tons of coal for Boston - to break a US coal miners strike

14 January 1903 sailed Barry for New York

6 April 1903 acquired by Canadian Pacific Railway Co - name unchanged

17 July 1903 berthed at King Edward Pier, Monteal from Barry

12 December 1903 berthed at New Orleans from London

1904 converted to carry 1000 x 3rd Class passengers

March 1904 sailed on her first voyage from London - Antwerp - St John, N.B

8 May 1904 commenced a regular London - Antwerp - Quebec - Montreal run carrying Continental emigrants

29 July 1906 in collision with British steamer Kilmore off the West Hinder light vessel. Reported from Flushing that the Montezuma was badly damaged with the fore peak filled with water. The Kilmore sank. 

28 August 1906 arrived at Quebec

5 November 1906 in an action in the Admiralty Division of the High Court the accident (above) was heard and the Kilmore was adjudged to be totally at fault

26 June 1907 sailed Antwerp to Quebec arriving on the 1 July 1907. Members of the Mennonite community were among some of the immigration passengers

19 May 1908 sailed Montreal to London

12 January 1910 sailed Antwerp to St John's arriving 27 January 1910

9 April 1911 passenger died of Typhoid at 49.40N 17.37W - buried at sea

11 April 1911 passenger died of Typhoid at 47.26N 35.48W - buried at sea

12 April 1911 passenger died of Typhoid at 47.03N 37.36W - buried at sea

14 April 1911 passenger died of Pneumonia at 44.08N 47.03W - buried at sea

18 April 1911 passenger died of Pneumonia at St Johns, New Brunswick

5 July 1911 sailed Antwerp to Quebec

19 July 1911 arrived at Quebec from Antwerp

13 February 1912 passed Gravesend enroute to St Johns, New Brunswick

20 May 1912 signalled when 70 miles west of the Lizard enroute to London from Montreal

10 July 1912 arrived at Quebec from Antwerp

14 January 1913 passed Dover enroute to St Johns, New Brunswick

3 June 1913 radioed that she was 160 miles southwest of Brow Head while on passage from Montreal to London

20 June 1913 passed the Lizard while on passage from London to Montreal - Captain Griffiths was her Master

23 June 1913 while on passage to Montreal sighted the remains of a Norwegian three masted barque Glenmark of 1,357 tons adrift in the Atlantic, unmanned and drifting. The masts had been carried away, as had her lifeboats

7 July 1913 at Montreal 4th Engineer Alexander Barr discharged dead - he drowned

19 August 1913 arrived Quebec while on passage from London to Montreal

27 August 1913 sailed Montreal enroute to Liverpool

7 October 1913 berthed at Quebec

18 November 1913 berthed at Quebec while on passage from London to Montreal

24 June 1914 went to the assistance of the Belgian Red Star liner Gotland which had gone aground on the Gunner Rocks near the Bishops Rock Lighthouse while on passage from Montreal to Rotterdam. Further assistance was provided the the liner Ascanius and mail steamer Lyonesse from the Scilly Isles which was towing life boats. A lifeboat from the Gotland fell from the davits and its passengers were thrown into the sea. They were rescused by a life boat. Reported in the New York Tribune newspaper.

12 September 1914 was hired by the Admiralty  to ferry part of the Canadian Expeditionary Force to Britain.

2 November 1914 conversion into the Dummy Battleship HMS IRON DUKE commenced. 

20 December 1914 conversion completed and based at Loch Ewe then at Scapa Flow.

31 May 1915 Engineer Walter J Rigby RNR discharged dead - killed in an engine room accident. He is remembered with pride on the War Memorial, at Grange Hill, West Kirby, Cheshire

6 July 1915 DBS Squadron disbanded

07 July 1915 purchased by the Admiralty  had cylindrical tanks inserted into her holds, and entered service as the oiler RFA ABADOL.

7 February 1917 her management was transferred to Lane and MacAndrew and she became the oiler transport OAKLEAF

23 February 1917 ceased to be classed as an RFA

25 July 1917 while on passage from Invergordon to Port Arthur, Texas was torpedoed and sunk without warning by UC 41 (Oberleutnant zur See Hans Forste) in position 59.01 N 07.26 W approximately 64 miles NW of the Butt of Lewis without fatalities. The U Boat suffered an internal explosion on the 21 August 1917 and sank in the Tay estuary at 56 25N 02 35W. The entire crew were killed.

 

Notes:

 

When Elder Dempster sold their Canadian interests (Beaver Line) to the Canadian Pacific Railway Co for the sum of £1,417,500, a total of 14 ships plus 3 tugs were involved in the deal and these were as follows: LAKE CHAMPLAIN (RFA RUTHENIA), LAKE ERIE(RFA SAXOL), LAKE MANITOBA, LAKE MICHIGAN, MILWAUKEE, MONTCALM (RFA CRENELLA), MONTEAGLE, MONTEREY, MONTEZUMA (RFA ABADOL), MONTORT, MONTREAL, MOUNT ROYAL(RANGOL), MOUNT TEMPLE & MONTROSE and the 3 Liverpool tugs AFRICAN, BEAVER & OTTER

 

 

 

RFA Oakleaf (2)

 

 

 

 

Previous name:                         Oktania
Subsequent name:

Official Number:                        389540

Class:                                      THIRD LEAF CLASS Support Tanker

Pennant No:                            A111

Laid down:
Builder:                                   A B Uddevalla, Sweden
Launched:                               2 July 1981
Into Service:                           14 August 1986
Out of service:                         2007
Fate:                                      Broken up 2010

 

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

 

Background Data:   On 27 October 1978 it was announced that the MoD (N) was to charter 2 laid up STaT 32 standard product tankers which had originally formed part of a 4-ship order for commercial owners. After 3 of the ships had been laid down, the owners ran into financial difficulties and found that they were unable to accept the new ships. As they were the only mercantile order then in hand, the builders completed the 3 ships, and after running trials, they were laid up, 2 at Liverpool and 1 at Birkenhead. After some time had elapsed, the builders took over ownership of the ships by forming 3 subsidiary companies which then offered the ships for sale or charter. These eventually became RFA’s APPLELEAF (3), BRAMBLELEAF (3) and ORANGELEAF (3). Some years later, the 4th ship from this original order was built as RFA BAYLEAF (3). All 4 ships had additional accommodation and full RAS capabilities fitted and became useful units in the Fleet. Later on, a 5th vessel was chartered and was renamed RFA OAKLEAF (2), but she differed considerably from the earlier 4 Leafs

 

2 July 1981 Launched by Uddervallavarvet Aktiebolaget, Uddevalla as Yard Nr 312 named OKTANIA for Rederi AB Oktetten, Stockholm

29 March 1985 approval given to charter her to replace RFA PLUMLEAF (2)

June 1985 purchased by James Fisher & Sons, Barrow-in-Furness for bare-boat charter to the MoD (N)

7 September 1985 arrived on the Tyne for formal docking and inspection

September 1985 approval granted by Lloyds Register and the Admiralty Ship’s Name and Badge Committee for her new name

December 1985 invitations to tender for her conversion were issued

15 January 1986 her Ship’s Badge was officially presented to her

17 February 1986 arrived Falmouth for conversion by Falmouth Shiprepairer Ltd.

19 February 1986 conversion work began

11 August 1986 conversion completed at a cost of approximately £5m

13 August 1986 ran sea trials in Falmouth Bay

14 August 1986 formally renamed OAKLEAF(2) by Mrs Patricia Kemp, the wife of Mr Anthony Kemp, DST (SF)

26 August 1986 sailed Falmouth for Plymouth to store and then to Portland for BOST

28 September 1986 sailed Portland on her maiden voyage to Fort Lauderdale

17 September 1987 arrived Portsmouth for the first time

3 November 1987  Mr Robert Settle RFA appointed Chief Engineer Officer. The ship was berthed at Rosyth

13 September 1988 to 20 September 1988 humanitarian relief - supported the frigate HMS ACTIVE in relief ops after Hurricane Gilbert had hit Grand Cayman and Jamaica

23 September 1993 to ( December 1993 humanitarian aid - Supported Operation Snowdon - supported the frigate HMS ACTIVE in international interdiction operations during political problems in Haiti

17 September 1994 to 30 September 1994 In Operation Spartan - supported HM ships in Maritime Interdiction Operations off  Haiti

5 January 1995 Captain (E) Robert Settle RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

5 January 1995 at Plymouth

July 1995 while supporting the West Indies Guard ship HMS Southampton provided assistance following volcanic activity on the Island of Montserrat 

6 September 1995 to 15 September 1995 humanitarian aid - with the destroyer HMS SOUTHAMPTON she provided relief teams to Anguilla after Hurricane Luis had devastated the area

2 June 1997 to 22 August 1997 routine docking

10 October 1997 with the survey ship HMS HERALD she provided medical assistance to an injured   yachtsman who was transferred to OAKLEAF and then by helicopter to Spain.

14 May 1999 Captain Pat Thompson OBE RFA appointed as Commanding Officer

14 February 2000 to 21 April 2000 in refit

21 April 2001 to 30 April 2001 berthed at Gibraltar

15 August 2001 to 16 August 2001 berthed at Algerciras, Spain

17 August 2001 to 27 August 2001 berthed at Gibraltar

3 September 2001 to 5 September 2001 berthed at Malaga, Spain

22 November 2001 to 27 November 2001 berthed at Malaga, Spain

17 December 2001 to 7 January 2002 berthed at Gibraltar

16 January 2002 to 18 January 2002 berthed at Algeciras, Spain

18 January 2002 to 25 January 2002 berthed at Gibraltar

26 August 2002 to 22 September 2002 contractor support period

7 April 2003 to 30 May 2003 routine docking

18 August 2004 berthed at Gibraltar sailing on 27 August 2004

September 2004 purchased by MoD (N)

September 2004 Captain Kim Watts RFA in command

31 January 2005 berthed at Gibraltar from Plymouth sailing on 2 March 2005

19 August 2005 humanitarian aid - rescued 2 fishermen adrift in the Straits of Gibraltar after their boat had sunk and landed them at Gibraltar

19 August 2005 berthed at Gibraltar from Plymouth sailing on 20 September 2005

25 September 2005 berthed at the oil fuel depot at the Gare Loch

28 August 2006 berthed at Gibraltar sailing on 7 September 2006

27 September 2006 berthed at Gibraltar

3 December 2006 in the River Clyde

12 March 2007 arrived Portsmouth for the last time to lay-up for disposal

April 2007 announced that she would be reduced to “zero manning” along with RFA BRAMBLELEAF (3)

September 2007 on the Disposal List at Portsmouth

26 September 2008 due to leave Portsmouth in tow, but the proposed sale fell through

29 September 2010 left Portsmouth under tow of the tug Mega One to ship breakers in Turkey

 

22 October 2010 arrived under tow at Aliaga, Turkey for breaking up by Leyal Ship Recycling Ltd

 

 

31 January 2011 reported by Leyal Ship Recycling Ltd that RFA Oakleaf (2) had been completely dismantled and recycled in accordance with all EU waste management legislation