RFA Orangeleaf during refit at Cammell Laird, Birkenhead
History
United Kingdom
NameRFA Orangeleaf
BuilderCammell Laird
Launched12 February 1975
Commissioned1979[1]
Decommissioned30 September 2015
Identification
Honours and
awards		Al Faw 2003
FateScrapped
General characteristics
Class and typeLeaf-class fleet support tanker
Displacement40,870 tonnes
Length560 ft (170.69 m)
Beam85 ft (25.91 m)
Draught36 ft (10.97 m)
Speed15 knots (28 km/h)
Complement56
Armament
  • 2 20mm GAM-BO1
  • 4 7.62 mm GPMGs

RFA Orangeleaf was a Leaf-class fleet support tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.[2]

As MV Balder London,[3] before joining the RFA, she saw action in 1982, carrying aviation fuel to the Falkland Islands from Ascension. At the end of the conflict, she entered San Carlos water.

Orangeleaf saw action in the Gulf War in 1991. During early-to-mid-2004, the ship took part in a deployment with a French carrier battle group, centred on the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, to the Indian Ocean. She also appeared in the International Fleet Review of 2005.

On 23 October 2009, she was moved from Birkenhead dry-docks into the River Mersey and so to the Cammell Laird shipyard to continue a major refit.

In 2011, she conducted a light jackstay transfer with HMS Dragon.[4] She was decommissioned on 30 September 2015.

In late February 2016 she was towed to Aliaga, Turkey to be broken up for scrap.[5][6][7] Leyal reported scrapping was completed by June 2016.[8]

References

  1. ↑ "ORANGELEAF". www.marinetraffic.com. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  2. ↑ "The RFA ORANGELEAF". www.fleetmon.com. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  3. ↑ "RFA Orangeleaf". www.royalnavy.mod.uk. Archived from the original on 19 January 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  4. ↑ "Dragon notches up another first as she conducts a Light Jackstay". Royal Navy. 27 March 2012. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
  5. ↑ "Royal Fleet Auxiliary bids farewell to RFA Orangeleaf". Royal Navy. 29 September 2015. Archived from the original on 30 September 2015. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  6. ↑ "Last of the RFA Leaf Class Tankers to Retire". Navaltoday.com. 29 September 2015. Archived from the original on 2 November 2015. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  7. ↑ "Farewell to Orangeleaf". navynews.co.uk. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  8. ↑ https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/583144/DSA_ship_recycling_orangeleaf_Web.pdf
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