RFA Cherryleaf (A82)
Leaf-class support tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
RFA Cherryleaf (A82) was a Leaf-class small fleet tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), the naval auxiliary fleet of the United Kingdom, in service from 1973 to 1980.
_underway_at_sea_in_August_1975_(NH_95321).jpg)
- London & Overseas Freighters (1963–73; 1980–81)[1]
- Royal Fleet Auxiliary (1973–80)[1]
London (1963–73; 1980–81)
(1973–80)
(1981–87)
Cherryleaf in August 1975 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | |
| Owner | London and Overseas Bulk Carriers (1963–81)[1] Petrostar Co Ltd (1981–86)[2] |
| Operator |
|
| Port of registry |
|
| Builder | Nordseewerke[1] |
| Yard number | 321[1] |
| Launched | 16 October 1962[1] |
| Completed | 21 February 1963[1] |
| Decommissioned | 1980 (RFA)[2] |
| Renamed | |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | Constructive total loss 1986[3] scrapped 1987[1] |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Leaf-class tanker |
| Tonnage | |
| Displacement | 18,560 t (18,267 long tons) |
| Length | 559 ft 4 in (170.48 m)[1] |
| Beam | 72 ft (22 m)[1] |
| Draught | 29 ft 6 in (8.99 m)[1] |
| Depth | 39 ft 4 in (11.99 m) |
| Installed power | 8,400 bhp[1] |
| Propulsion | 7–cylinder[4] MAN diesel[1] |
| Speed | 14.5 knots (26.9 km/h)[1] |
History
She was built by Nordseewerke in Emden, Germany and launched in 1962 as Overseas Adventurer for London and Overseas Bulk Carriers,[1] a subsidiary of London & Overseas Freighters (LOF). She was bareboat chartered for the RFA in February 1973 and renamed RFA Cherryleaf.[5]
In 1980 she was returned to LOF and her name reverted to Overseas Adventurer.[2] In 1981 LOF sold her to Petrostar Co Ltd of Saudi Arabia who renamed her Petrostar XVI.[2]
On 5 April 1986 during the Tanker War phase of the Iran–Iraq War she was off Halul Island[2] en route from Bahrain to Sharjah when Iranian helicopters[2] hit her with AGM-65 Maverick missiles.[3] Her accommodation was gutted by fire and four crewmembers were killed.[2] She was towed to Sharjah where she was declared a constructive total loss on 9 April 1986[2] and laid up for disposal.[4] She was sold to National Ship Demolition Co Ltd of Taiwan, arrived Kaohsiung on 24 January 1987 and her demolition began on 19 February 1987.[2]
