RFA Wave Emperor

RFA Wave Emperor

 

Previous name:                     
Subsequent name:

Official Number:                    180034

Class:                                     WAVE CLASS  Freighting  Oiler (unmodified)

Pennant No:                           X100 / B523 / A100

Laid down:                             19 September 1943
Builder:                                   Furness Shipbuilding Company, Haverton Hill
Launched:                             16 October 1944
Into Service:                           20 December 1944
Out of service:
Fate:                                        Arrived at Barrow for breaking up 19 June 1960

 

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.

 

 

3 February 1943 ordered

15 September 1943 laid down

16 October 1944 launched by Furness Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Haverton Hill as Yard Nr 361 named WAVE EMPEROR for the Admiralty

20 December 1944 completed

12 January 1945 Mr R N Foster RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

14 January 1945 sailed Middlesborough to Southend arriving on 17 January 1945

19 January 1945 sailed Southend in convoy UC53A arriving New York on the 2 February 1945

19 February 1945 sailed New York in convoy CU59 arrived Avonmouth 2 March 1945 along with EMPIRE BOUNTY ( later RFA WAVE VICTOR )

4 March 1945 sailed Avonmouth to the Clyde arriving the next day

11 April 1945 sailed the Clyde in convoy UC63B independently arriving Curacao on the 24 April 1945

27 April 1945 sailed Curacao independently to Cristobal arriving 29 April 1945

30 April 1945 sailed Balboa independently to Manus arriving 25 May 1945

July 1945 Pacific Task Force 112

August 1945 RFA’s forming the logistics support group for the British Pacific Fleet included RFA’s ARNDALE, BACCHUS (2), BISHOPDALE, BROWN RANGER, CEDARDALE, DINGLEDALE, EASEDALE, EMPIRE SALVAGE, GREEN RANGER, RAPIDOL, SERBOL, WAVE EMPEROR, WAVE GOVERNOR, WAVE KING, WAVE MONARCH and HMS (later RFA) OLNA (2)

13 August 1945 Along with HMS (later RFA) OLNA conducted the last wartime RAS in WW2 to the  British Pacific Fleet and refuelled the Escort Carrier HMS RULER, the Escort  Sloop HMS PHEASANT and HM frigates BARLE, CRANE and FINDHORN as well as units of the Australian and U.S. navies

21 August 1945 sailed Eniwetok independently arriving Leyte 28 August 1945

7 December 1945 Captain William W Peddle RFA appointed as Master

 

Captain William W Peddle RFA

 

7 October 1946 sailed Colombo to Freemantle, Australia having loaded at Abadan

17 October 1946 berthed at Perth, Western Australia to discharge

21 October 1946 sailed Perth, Western Australia for Bombay

15 June 1947 at Abadan Hospital 2nd Cook John Soares discharged dead. He had left the ship on 11 June 1947, had been admitted to hospital, and died from empyema

20 August 1947 Mr J Wilson RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

26 February 1948 Captain Cecil R Rosen OBE RFA appointed as Master

24 August 1948 at Chowder Bay, Mosman, NSW, Australia to discharge

7 January 1949 Captain Frederick S Harvey RFA appointed as Master

5 May 1949 Captain C F Cunningham RFA appointed as Master

3 August 1949 at Abadan Pantryman Joaquim Rodrigues discharged dead having either heat stroke or cerebral malaria

30 August 1949 Mr G McK Blair RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

10 April 1950 Mr F Hobson RFA (Warrant Engineer RNR) appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

28 April 1951 arrived Chowder Bay, Mosman, NSW, Australia from Abadan to discharge

28 June 1951 Captain Edward  E A Le Sage RFA appointed as Master

16 July 1951 Mr R N Foster RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

24 February 1952 arrived Malta to discharge

24 October 1952  Captain E Payne RFA appointed as Master

5 April 1954 Captain James H Chant RFA appointed as Master

23 August 1954 Mr D F Gorrie RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

27 March 1956 Captain Alfred Matthews Uglow RFA appointed as Master

30 November 1956 Mr A C Hawk RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

4 July 1957 Captain George Baker RFA appointed as Master

2 December 1958 sailed Falmouth to Plymouth arrived the same day to destore prior to being laid up at Portland for disposal

7 May 1959 offered for sale in 'The Times' lying 'as is' at Portland

19 June 1960 arrived at Barrow to be broken up by T.W.Ward Ltd

 

Notes:

 

Was part of the British Pacific Fleet Train - hence the B-pennant number