RFA Wave Monarch

RFA Wave Monarch

RFA Wave Monarch post war 

 

Previous name:                 Empire Venus
Subsequent name:           Noema

Official Number:                169962          

Class:                                  WAVE CLASS  Oiler (modified)

Pennant No:                       X108 / B 526 / A108

Laid down:                          17 June 1943
Builder:                                Harland & Wolff Ltd., (Govan)       
Launched:                           6 July 1944
Into Service:                        3 November 1944
Out of service:                     March 1960 sold out of service
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.

 

17 June 1943 Laid down as EMPIRE VENUS for the MoWT

28 January 1944 taken over by the Admiralty while still being built - name cancelled

3 July 1944 Mr W J Brown DSC RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

6 July 1944 Launched by Harland & Wolff Ltd, Govan as Yard Nr 1223 G named WAVE MONARCH

3 November 1944 completed

14 November 1944 sailed in Convoy UC 45A from Liverpool to New York arriving on the 25 November 1944

9 December 1944 sailed in convoy CU50 from New York to the Clyde arriving on 20 December 1944 along with EMPIRE PALADIN (later RFA WAVE COMMANDER)

28 January 1945 sailed in Convoy UC 54A from Clyde to Curacao via New York arriving on 10 February 1945 EMPIRE BOUNTY ( later RFA WAVE VICTOR ) was also in this Convoy.

13 February 1945 sailed independently from Curacao to Cristobal arriving 15 February 1945

17 February 1945 sailed independently arriving Manus 13 March 1945

March 1945 Took part in Operation Iceberg One - the British Pacific Fleet operations against  Okinawa and outlying islands - along with RFA’s ARNDALE, BACCHUS (2), BROWN RANGER,  CEDARDALE, DINGLEDALE and WAVE KING.

19 March 1945 sailed Manus independently arriving Leyte 26 March 1945

3 May 1945 HMAS NAPIER, NEPAL, NIZAM and NORMAN, (destroyers), screened the escort carriers STRIKER and RULER, and RFA's WAVE KING and WAVE MONARCH, in the Okinawa area.

6 May 1945 to 7 May 1945 Elements of the British Pacific Fleet met up with the Tanker Group at Cootie One - 21.12 N 128.44 E - for refuelling and mail transfers. This included RFA’s CEDARDALE, WAVE KING and WAVE MONARCH plus 2 other MFA oilers.

7 May 1945 with RFA Wave King deployed to Leyte under the escort of HMAS Norman

15 May 1945 with Fleet Train in Area COOTIE RASing BPF ships with RN Frigates HMS WOODCOCK, HMS PHEASANT, Destroyers HMAS NIZAM, Escort Carriers HMS RULER and HMS STRIKER for defence of Fleet Train tankers RFA DINGLEDALE RFA ARNDALE,  RFA WAVE KING and RFA WAVE MONARCH (Operation ICEBERG TWO)

22 May 1945 At Cortie One RFA’s WAVE KING and WAVE MONARCH again met up with HM and HMA ships for fuelling tasks

2 June 1945 sailed Manus independently arriving Brisbane, Australia 7 June 1945

22 June 1945 sailed Brisbane independently arriving Manus 28 June 1945

July 1945 member of Task Force 112 in the Pacfic

August 1945 RFA’s forming the Logistics Support Group attached to the British Pacific Fleet included RFA’s ARNDALE, BACCHUS (2), BIHOPDALE, 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)

6 August 1945 sailed indpendently from Manus arriving Sydney, NSW on 11 August 1945

28 September 1945 sailed independently from Sydney, NSW arriving at Manus 5 October 1945

16 October 1945 sailed independently from Manus arriving Hong Kong 23 October 1945

7 December 1945 Captain Frederick G Drake DSC RFA appointed as Master

8 January 1946 sailed Hong Kong to Singapore arriving 13 January 1946

15 January 1946 sailed Singapore to Bombay arriving 24 January 1946

24 January 1946 Captain T Elder DSC RFA appointed as Master

25 January 1946 under going repairs at Bombay

7 February 1946 sailed Bombay to Abadan arriving on 11 February 1946

14 February 1946 sailed Abadan to Hong Kong arriving on 8 March 1946

9 March 1946 sailed Hong Kong to Shanghai arriving on 12 March 1946

15 March 1946 sailed Shanghai to Hong Kong

3 April 1946 in port at Hong Kong

21 June 1946 at Singapore from Hong Kong sailed to Abadan arriving 4 July 1946

9 July 1946 sailed Abadan to Port Said and sailed 21 July 1946 passing Gibraltar on 27 July 1946, passing Beach Head and the Downs on 31 July 1946 arriving at Sheerness 1 August 1946

10 August 1946 arrived at Devonport from Sheerness

27 October 1946 sailed Devonport passing Gibraltar 30 October 1946 arriving at Port Said 4 November 1946

5 November 1946 sailed Port Said to Aden arriving 10 November 1946

10 November 1946 sailed Aden for Abadan but put back due to engine defects on 11 November 1946

13 November 1946 after repairs sailed again for Abadan arriving on 18 November 1946

3 July 1947 Mr Frederick O Brims RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

 

Chief Engineer Officer Frederick O Brims RFA - image taken earlier in his sea going career

30 July 1947 Captain George S Perry RFA appointed as Master

1 December 1947 Mr W G Downing RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

11 January 1949 Captain Archibald Hobson DSC RFA appointed as Master

18 November 1949 berthed at Melbourne, Victoria, Australia from Abadan to discharge

22 January 1950 sailed Fremantle, Australia to Abadan but was forced to return shortly after sailing with a defect to the engines. Sailed 24 hours later with the defect repaired.

13 March 1950 berthed at Chowder Bay, NSW, Australia from Abadan to discharge

19 March 1950 sailed Chowder Bay, NSW, Australia

19 June 1949 Mr George G Stenhouse RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

24 July 1950 Mr Keith U Rapley RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

22 February 1951 Captain A R Wheeler RD RFA (Lieutenant Commander RNR) appointed as Master

9 August 1951 berthed at SIngapore to discharge

8 August 1952 Mr K Jones RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

19 August 1952 Captain F A Shaw RFA appointed as Master

11 September 1952 at Charleston Roads, off Rosyth with USS Ammen (DD527) alongside being refuelled

12 July 1953 Captain Alfred Matthews Uglow RFA appointed as Master

13 July 1953 Mr G Thompson RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

19 November 1954 Captain Albert  E Curtain OBE RD RFA (Commander RNR Rtd) appointed as Master

1 May 1955 Mr J H Young RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

10 September 1955 Captain W H G Hine RFA appointed as Master

14 February 1956 ran aground within a few feet of Lower Barakka while entering Grand Harbour, Malta. She had sailed from Killingholme near Grimsby. Pulled off by the tugs Sea Giant, Diligent, Marauder, Mediator and Prompt without any apparent damage

25 September 1957 Captain J Bottomley RFA appointed as Master

28 November 1958 Mr J R Warne RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

14 January 1959 sailed Gibraltar for Trinidad 

March 1960 Sold to H G Pounds, Portsmouth and became a storage hulk at Le Havre replacing Wave Conquerer.

1960 Resold to Societe Miroline, Le Havre and renamed NOEMA

8 February 1964 arrived at Bilbao, Spain for breaking up.

 

 

Notes:

 

1. Was part of the British Pacific Fleet Train - hence the B-pennant number
2. The ships badge at the head of this card is an Unofficial one