RFA Wave Duke

RFA Wave Duke

 

 

 

Previous name:                      Empire Mars

Official Number:                     180153  

Class:                                   WAVE CLASS  Freighting Oiler (unmodified) 

Pennant No:                         X138 / A246

Laid down:
Builder:                                Laings, Deptford Yard, Sunderland
Launched:                            16 November 1944
Into Service:                         16 November 1946
Out of service:                      30 April 1960
Fate:                                    Broken Up

 

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

 

Background Data:  A need for fast tankers to bring oil into the country had been envisaged early in the Second World War, but by the time the material had been collected and the Yards had space to build them, the need had largely passed and the original design of diesel-engined ships was abandoned. Instead, the standard 12000t Class being built were given sharper bows and sterns and turbine engines with water tube boilers. In all, 21 of this type were built and were offered to the Admiralty, who wanted faster tankers for the Pacific Fleet Train. The Admiralty took 20 of them ( the final vessel being completed commercially for Oil and Molasses Tankers Ltd, London as BEECHWOOD) and renamed them with the WAVE nomenclature. Performance varied considerably from ship to ship and they underwent various modifications in their rigs for RAS work. The 8 best ones were finally given an extensive refit, with extra accommodation added to the Bridge Deck and extra turbo cargo pumps and derricks to make them more satisfactory for Fleet work. Initially expensive to run, they recouped some of their expensive repair bills by earning revenues from charter work after the Korean War. From this Class was evolved the TIDE CLASS oilers.

 

16 November 1944 Launched by Sir James Laing & Sons Ltd, Deptford Yard, Sunderland as Yard Nr 755 named  EMPIRE MARS for the MoWT

20 November 1944 towed from Sunderland to the Tyne arriving on 21 November 1944

17 January 1945 sailed the Tyne to Sunderland arriving on 21 January 1945

18 April 1945 sailed from the Tyne in convoy FS1785 to Southend arriving on 20 April 1945

22 April 1945 sailed Southend in a Liverpool convoy UC65A to New York arriving on 5 May 1945 This convoy also contained EMPIRE PALADIN (later RFA WAVE COMMANDER) and EMPIRE SALISBURY (later RFA WAVE MASTER)

10 May 1945 sailed New York in convoy CU69 to the Downs arriving 21 May 1945 passing Southend the same day and arriving Gravesend 25 May 1945 with EMPIRE PALADIN (later RFA WAVE COMMANDER ) bound Liverpool

2 June 1945 sailed Gravesend independently to Delaware Capes arriving on 11 June 1945

15 June 1945 sailed Delaware Capes independently passing the Downs on 25 June 1945 and anchoring in the the Thames Estuary the next day. To the Isle of Grain to discharge.

25 June 1945 sailed the Isle of Grain to the Tyne arriving on 29 June 1945

30 June 1945 under repair on the Tyne which was completed on 1 September 1945

2 September 1945 sailed the Tyne to Curacao

19 September 1945 sailed Curacao to Cristobal arriving on 22 September 1945

22 September 1945 transited the Panama Canal

22 September 1945 sailed Balboa to Melbourne, Australia arriving 15 October 1945

19 October 1945 sailed Melbourne, Australia for Abadan arriving 6 November 1945

10 November 1945 sailed Abadan to Suez arriving on 19 November 1945

20 November 1945 sailed Port Said to Malta arriving on 23 November 1945

30 November 1945 sailed Malta to Suez arriving 4 December 1945

4 December 1945 sailed Suez to Abadan arriving 12 December 1945

14 December 1945 sailed Abadan to Singapore arriving 25 December 1945

1 January 1946 at Singapore for repairs

16 November 1946 acquired for the Admiralty and renamed Wave Duke

4 October 1947 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

6 October 1947 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour

29 January 1948 Mr George McBain RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer. He remained on the ship until 18 December 1950

29 July 1948 was involved in a collision in thick fog about 50 miles south east of Land's End with the British steamer Esperance Bay which was bound for Brisbane, Australia. Both vessels suffered slight damage and no one was hurt. The Esperance Bay returned to Southampton for examination

30 July 1948 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

4 August 1948 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour

2 September 1948 Captain E W J Rousell RFA appointed as Master

4 June 1949 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

9 June 1949 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour

13 December 1949 Captain R L Barber RFA appointed as Master

3 January 1950 Captain P H Brooke OBE RFA appointed as Master

3 February 1950 arrived Melbourne, Australia from Abadan to discharge

22 May 1950 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

27 May 1950 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour

25 June 1950 to 27 July 1953 saw service during the Korean War along with 18 other RFA‘s

19 July 1950 at Plymouth

11 December 1950 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour

16 December 1950 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour

18 December 1950 at Newcastle upon Tyne

21 December 1950 Mr H C A Brain RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

3 January 1953 at Portland, Maine, USA Lascar Seaman Rama Raghow discharged dead - natural causes - heart attack

18 April 1953 Captain Stanley C Kernick RFA appointed as Master

27 April 1953 Mr Lionel W Pool RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

22 November 1953 in the Arabian Sea Seaman 1st Class Baboo Sonya discharged dead - drowned

13 January 1954 at Swansea Secunny Email Eusoff discharged dead - natural causes

28 June 1954 Mr R A Higgie RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

13 January 1955 two RAF Shackleton aircraft were reported overdue from a training flight over the Atlantic. Diverted to join in the search for them.

11 January 1956 Captain W L Holtham RFA appointed as Master

15 July 1956 Mr A M Evans RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

7 February 1957 Captain Allistoun M Macquire-Samson RFA appointed as Master

25 March 1957 sailed Houston for the U.K. with a full cargo of oil and struck a submerged wreck in the Houston Channel  and sustained damage. She was still in the Channel 2 weeks later having transhipped her cargo to RFA DERWENTDALE (1)

27 December 1957 Mr J P Mair RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

21 March 1958 South East of Tyne Piers Seaman 1st Class Abdoolla Hasson discharged dead - found hanged

26 August 1958 Captain Edmund H Butterworth RFA appointed as Master

 

Captain Edmund H Butterworth RFA

 

6 November 1958 Mr F Barclay RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

4 January 1959 sailed Aruba for Invergordon

19 May 1959 arrived at Malta from Gibraltar

13 August 1959 arrived Malta from Bahrein

18 August 1959 sailed Malta for the UK

30 April 1960 destored and laid up at Devonport

1961 still laid up but had been moved to Rosyth

1 November 1969 offered for sale 'as lying' at Devonport Dockyard in the Times of this day

25 December 1969 arrived Bilbao, Spain for breaking up by Hierros Ardes