RFA Stromness

RFA Stromness

 

 

 

 

 

Previous name:
Subsequent name:                USNS Saturn 

Official Number:                     309912                                        

Class:                                   NESS CLASS Stores Support Ships

Pennant No:                         A344 then - USNS T-AFS-10

Laid down:                            5 October 1965
Builder:                                 Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd., Wallsend
Launched:                             16 September 1966
Into Service:                          30 March 1967
Out of service:                       1 January 1983
Fate:                                    27 October 2010 sunk as a target

 

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

 

Background Data:  The requirements for this Class, derived from an extensive feasibility study, placed in 1963, and undertaken in connection with the stowage, handling and issue of stores at sea, led to an order for 3 ships being placed in December the following year. They were MOD (Navy) designed to meet specific requirements and they were replacements for the War-built FORT CLASS. They were perhaps the most successful Class of RFA’s ever built and served as floating supermarkets. One was stored as an Air Stores Support Ship carrying some 10,000 items of naval and victual ling stores but with over 80,000 items of aircraft and naval stores to meet the requirements of aircraft carriers and their escorts. The other two carried varying quantities of up to 40,000 different items of general naval stores including stocks of clothing, mess gear and medical supplies, together with dry and refrigerated food which enabled the Fleet to remain at sea for considerable periods. They also carried up to 350 tons of potable water. With the demise of the British aircraft carriers, which this Class was designed to support, their need decreased and ultimately all 3 were sold to the United States Military Sealift Command. The major change made then was the addition of a hangar complex on all 3 vessels. When built, the Class cost approx £10½m.

 

12 September 1966 Mr J R Ramsay RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

16 September 1966 launched by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd, Wallsend as Yard Nr 2017 named STROMNESS. Named after one of the 2 largest towns in the Orkney Islands.  The Lady Sponsor was Mrs H.C. Lyddon, the wife of Vice Admiral Lyddon CB, OBE  the Chief Naval Supply and Secretariat Officer

1 March 1967 Captain Walter Gibb MBE RFA appointed as Master

21 March 1967 delivered 3 months ahead of schedule

30 March 1967 accepted into service but was remanded for the fitting of larger bilge keels to improve her stability. She replaced RFA FORT CHARLOTTE

10 October 1967 to 25 January 1968 Military withdrawal from that area codenamed Operation Magister along with nine other RFA‘s , and took part in the final Fleet Review along with five of the other RFA‘s involved

9 August 1968 her Ship’s Badge was officially presented to her

18 August 1968 Mr W E Young RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

7 September 1968 Captain Barry H Rutterford RFA appointed as Master

October 1969 along with RFA’s  TIDEREACH and TIDESURGE, she visited  New Zealand and Australia for the Cook Bicentenary celebrations

5 June 1970 arrived Singapore to load salvage equipment, a Wessex 5 helicopter complete with spares, drummed aviation fuel and dispersant equipment, a wreck marking buoy, a 36 ft workboat and other equipment to assist at Mahe, Seychelles after the sinking of  RFA ENNERDALE (2)

8 June 1970 sailed Singapore

16 June 1970 arrived Mahe and relieved RFA TIDEFLOW which had been acting as a communications link and a base for the newly-created post of NLO (Mahe)

18 June 1970 message was received from MoD (N) stating that it had ben decided that it was impractical to salvage the wreck and that her oil fuel tanks were to be ruptured so as to release her cargo whilst the SE Monsoon was favourable to carry the oil away from the islands

19 June 1970 sailed Mahe in company with RFA DEWDALE (2) and escorted her clear of the Seychelles Bank

20 June 1970 rendezvoused with the frigate HMS HERMIONE who transferred a quantity of mortar bombs to her for use in the rupturing operation

21 June 1970 returned to Mahe

23 June 1970 the Far East Fleet Clearance Diving Officer (FCDT) arrived Mahe to commence laying demolition charges on the wreck

24 June 1970 sailed to a position approximately 2 miles to windward of the wreck to commence operations but weather conditions deteriorated and the attempt had to be abandoned and an alternative solution sought

25 June 1970 an airborne alternative was devised and detonated which resulted in the wreck’s No 2 starboard wing tank being blown wide open

2 July 1970 by this date all port wing tanks had been ruptured and internal bulkheads had fractured thus allowing more oil to escape

17 July 1970 it was assessed that  all FFO had been released from the wreck, all starboard wing and bunker tanks had been ruptured and the supply of mortar bombs and demolition charges had all been used up

19 July 1970  HMS/m CACHALOT arrived with the original intention of firing ten torpedoes into the wreck to help disperse it more

21 July 1970 a decision was made not to fire the torpedoes and CACHALOT berthed on  STROMNESS to transfer the torpedoes to her

22 July 1970 After delays caused by weather conditions, ten torpedoes had been transferred and the warheads were then separated and subsequently placed on or near the wreck by helicopter and six of them successfully detonated

23 July 1970 HMS/m CACHALOT sailed Mahe

30 July 1970 after laying a new wreck buoy, sailed Mahe to resume her normal duties

 

19 November 1970  Humanitarian assistance - was in Operation Burlap the U.K. military relief operation to East Pakistan following extensive damage and flooding  caused by a cyclone, along with RFA’s SIR GALAHAD (1), RESOURCE and OLWEN (2)

31 October 1971 acted as the Saluting Ship for the final steam past of  17 ships from the RN, RAN, RNZN and RFA in the Far East Fleet in the Singapore Straits after the closure of the naval base there which also included RFA’s FORT SANDUSKY, GOLD RANGER,  OLNA (3), RELIANT (2), RESOURCE, TIDEFLOW and TIDEPOOL. Immediately afterwards for 3 hectic days she  participated in Operation Curtaincall - a combined RN, RAN, RNZN and RFA Fleet Exercise off the NW coast of Malaysia

August 1972 visited Jamestown, St. Helena

5 December 1972 Commodore Henry O L'Estrange DSC RD RFA discharged dead at Singapore

April 1973 Humanitarian aid - along with HMS HYDRA and RFA TIDESPRING, she provided support to the inhabitants of Rodrigues Island, 350 miles east of Mauritius, after the island was battered by 130 mph gales for 18 hours. Aid was airlifted in

11 June 1973 to 18 June 1973 Humanitarian assistance -acted as a helicopter base during Omani relief operations in Operation Simba along with RFA SIR LANCELOT

17 September 1974 along with RFA’s OLNA (3) and GREEN ROVER, sailed Portsmouth as part of Task Group 317.2 led by the helicopter cruiser HMS BLAKE

17 June 1976 to 22 June 1976 along with RFA GREY ROVER and the frigates HMS EXMOUTH and HMS MERMAID she stood by to evacuate British nationals from the Lebanon

25 September 1976 along with RFA OLNA (3) sailed Portsmouth as part of Task Group 317.4 led by the guided missile destroyer HMS ANTRIM

25 January 1977 along with RFA’s GREEN ROVER and TIDEPOOL sailed Devonport as part of Task Group 317.5 led by the helicopter cruiser HMS TIGER

24 June 1977 to 29 June 1977 took part in the Silver Jubilee Fleet Review at Spithead with eight other RFA's and units of the Royal Navy and foreign navies. 

14 September 1977 conducted landing trials of the Harrier GR3 on her Flight Deck at Chatham

October 1977 humanitarian aid - rescued a man trying to cross the North Atlantic in a rubber boat

14 March 1979 arrived Grand Harbour, Malta to load

30 March 1979 sailed Grand Harbour, Malta the day before the UK withdrew from the Island

7 October 1980 along with RFA OLWEN (2) were the first RFA’s to be deployed on Operation Armilla in the Persian Gulf

12 January 1981 Captain Barry H Rutterford RFA appointed as Master

 

Captain Barry H Rutterford RFA

 

3 August 1981 at Devonport Navy Days

February 1982 commenced destoring prior to withdrawal from service as a Defence Economy Measure

7 April 1982 after rapidly restoring, sailed Portsmouth for service during Operation Corporate - the Falklands Conflict - carrying stores, ammunition and also 429 Royal Marines

11 April 1982 along with RFA RESOURCE, she caught up with the Amphibious Landing Group at sea which consisted of RFA’s SIR GALAHAD(1), SIR PERCIVALE, SIR  GERAINT, SIR  LANCELOT and PEARLEAF(2) escorted by the LPD  HMS FEARLESS and the Type 21 frigates HMS ALACRITY and HMS ANTELOPE

13 May 1982 entered the TEZ (Total Exclusion Zone ) around the Falkland Islands

29 June 1982 sailed from the Falklands Islands for the U.K. Was awarded the Falkland Islands 1982 Battle Honour.

23 July 1982 arrived back in U.K. on completion of Operation Corporate duties

2 December 1982 sailed Devonport for refit at  Gibraltar, on completion of which  she was chartered by the U.S. Dept of Defence

April 1983 acquired on charter by the United States Military Sealift Command and was renamed  USNS SATURN (T-AFS- 10)

 

2008 USNS Saturn in Panama

1 October 1983 purchased by the USMSC for $10.5 m

13 December 1983 re-entered service after modifications which included the addition of a hangar complex to enable her to operate 2 x CH-46 helicopters

4 April 1990 berthed at Toulon, France

22 May 1998 deployed to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch - RASed withUSS Santa Barbara (AE 28)

27 May 1999 berthed at Genoa, Italy for a port visit

15 November 2000 transfered cargo during a vertical replenishment at sea (VERTREP) to USS George Washington (CVN 73) while underway in the Mediterranean Sea

9 February 2002 conducted a vertical replenishment with the US aircraft carrier USS John C Stennis (CVN 74). The ships are deployed and conducting missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom

10 April 2006 berthed at Norfolk, VA

19 May 2006 berthed at the NATO pier, Augusta Bay, Sicily

15 July 2006 berthed at Djibouti to take on fuel and supplies

29 August 2006 RASed with USS Iwo Jima (LPD7) while in the Gulf of Aden

14 February 2007 completed her last “blue water” turnover in the Red Sea with her sister  USNS SPICA (ex RFA TARBATNESS) and due to decommission in the fiscal year 2009

23 May 2007 berthed at Norfolk VA

27 August 2007 at Bahia Malaga, Columbia RASed with USNS Comfort (T-AH 20)

6 April 2009 struck from US Navy List and laid up at the US Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Philadelphia.

26 October 2010 towed by USNS Grasp (T-ARS-51) to be released 250 miles off the North Carolina coast

27 October 2010 sunk as a target by the US Navy in the North Atlantic off North Carolina led by the carrier  USS GEORGE H. W. BUSH. The first day’s attacks were aimed at her superstructure to prevent hull integrity breaches while the second day’s attacks achieved her sinking

 

Rounds from a Mk-15 Phalanx Close-in Weapon System from the USS Mitscher impact the ex-USNS Saturn during a sinking exercise

Copyright US Navy 2010

 

Notes:

 

1. Was one of the 11 storeships employed in the Mozchan on Beira Patrol duties.

 

2. As a unit in the  USMSC, her complement was 49 Navy Crew and 115 Civilians.