- Leaf class tanker
The Leaf class is a class of support tanker of the British
Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA). The class is somewhat unusual as it is an amalgam of various civilian tankers chartered for naval auxiliary use and as such there have been many different designs of ship in this particular class. Leaf names are traditional tanker names in the RFA, and are recycled when charters end and new vessels are acquired. Thus, there have been multiple uses of the same names, confusingly sometimes sharing a commonpennant number .The role of support tanker generally involves the bulk transport of
fuel oil s between distribution centres, the replenishment of front-line fleet tankers such as the "Wave Knight" and "Fort Victoria" classes and using theirreplenishment at sea (RAS) abilities to allow them to directly support navalwarship s. For RAS, Leaf-class ships have an amidships derrick allowing a single vessel on either beam and a single point for a vessel astern.hips
RFA "Appleleaf"
*(1979-1989) "Appleleaf" (ex-"Hudson Deep") - A79 - 40,200 tons, to
Royal Australian Navy as HMAS "Westralia"
*(1960-1970) "Appleleaf" - A83 - 22,980 tonsRFA "Bayleaf"
*(1982-) "Bayleaf" (ex-"Hudson Progress") - A109 - 37,700 tons, chartered originally for
Falklands War
*(1959-1973) "Bayleaf" - A79 - 17,960 tonsRFA "Brambleleaf"
*(1979-) "Brambleleaf" (ex-"Hudson Cavalier") - A81 - 40,200 tons
*(1959-1972) "Brambleleaf" - A81 - 17,960 tonsRFA "Cherryleaf"
* (1973-197?) "Cherryleaf" - A82 - 18,560 tons
*(1960-1966) "Cherryleaf" - A82 - ? tonsRFA "Oakleaf"
*(1986-) "Oakleaf" (ex-"Oktania") - A111 - 50,000 tons
RFA "Orangeleaf"
*(1984-) "Orangeleaf" (ex-"Balder London") - A110 - 33,750 tons
*(1959-1978) "Orangeleaf" - A80 - 17,470 tonsRFA "Pearleaf"
*(1960-1985) "Pearleaf" - A77 - 25,790 tons
RFA "Plumleaf"
*(1960-1985) "Plumleaf" - A78 - 26,480 tons
References
* "Warships of the Royal Navy", Captain John E. Moore RN, Jane's Publishing, 1979, ISBN 0-531-03730-4
* "Britain's Modern Royal Navy", Paul Beaver, Patrick Stephens Limited, 1996, ISBN 1-85260-442-5
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