RFA Sir Bedivere (L3004)

RFA "Sir Bedivere" (L3004) was a Landing Ship Logistic of the Round Table class. The ship was originally built for army service, and was taken over by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary in 1970. It was commissioned in 1967 and saw extensive service in many of Britain's naval operations since. It was homeported at Marchwood, Hampshire, which is the UK's major purely military port.

"Sir Bedivere" first saw combat in the Falklands War of 1982, when along with all the Royal Navy's other amphibious shipping, it was sent to recapture the Falkland Islands from an Argentine occupation force. At the start of the war, the ship was at Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, but started back to Marchwood immediately. After loading at Marchwood, it left for Ascension Island straight away. The ship suffered slight damage on 24 May whilst lying in San Carlos Water, when an Argentine Skyhawk dropped a bomb that glanced off the ship.

The ship deployed to the Persian Gulf in 1991 in support of Operation Granby. It had a considerably more quiet war than during the Falklands War, as this time the might of the United States Navy and United States Air Force prevented any serious attacks on the warships in the Persian Gulf.

In 1994, the ship was modernised in a service life extension programme to give it 15 more years of service life. The ship was lengthened by 12 metres, had its superstructure altered to a more modern design, the engines were replaced, and the ship's bow thrusters were changed for more powerful models.

After returning to service in 1998, the ship was sent to Sierra Leone in 2000 when the UK intervened there. Its most recent deployment was in support of Operation Telic in 2003, where the ship operated as the command vessel for the British and American mine countermeasures ships. "Sir Bedivere" left the UK in September 2002 for the Mediterranean, and operation Argonaut 2002. It was then diverted to the Persian Gulf accompanied by four British minesweepers. After minesweeping operations were complete, the vessel operated as a troop support ship for the Royal Marines. The ship returned to the UK on 29 May 2003, carrying the boats and men of 539 Assault Squadron Royal Marines. In 2006 Sir Bedivere returned from Sierra Leone and its part in operation Vela.

Although originally intended to serve until 2011, "Sir Bedivere" was decommissioned on 18th February 2008.

References

*Raymond Blackman, "Ships of the Royal Navy" (Macdonald and Jane's, London, 1973)