Tanker Made War Debut

RFA Bayleaf's first deployment for the Ministry of Defence was to a war zone - and one of her first customers was the liner Queen Elizabeth 2.

Bayleaf is a fleet support tanker, tasked with replenishing warships at sea and transferring fuel between MOD depots.

She was originally designed as a commercial tanker, but underwent a major conversion to make her fit for her new Fleet Auxiliary role, which involved adding a considerable amount of communications and navigational electronics, fitting two RAS (replenishment at sea) rigs and increasing accommodation.

The first Bayleaf was a White Star liner, originally named Cevic when built in 1894 but bought by the Admiralty in 1917.

She was followed by an 18,000-ton vessel which was chartered to the Service between 1959-73.

The current Bayleaf was still in the builder's yard at Cammell Laird in Birkenhead when the Falklands Task Force sailed in 1982, but she was rapidly completed, loaded, and sailed to the South Atlantic.

She also saw service in the Gulf War in 1991, and since then has spent much of her time in that region.

She returned to the United Kingdom in April after almost two years on station.

During the latter part of her deployment, at the height of the UN weapons inspection crisis, she was supporting Armada ships refuelling other RN warships and acting as a link for the RN carrier groups.

Because the store ships RFAs Fort Victoria and Fort George were restricted in the ports were they could pick up fuel because they carried ammunition, Bayleaf would fill up in the Gulf ports and transfer the fuel to the Forts in lengthy RAS operations, allowing the Task Group to remain on station.

Although she carries some food and stores support, Bayleaf's main cargo is furnace fuel oil, diesel and aviation fuel.

Transferring this fuel under way - RASing - requires a high degree of seamanship, especially at night or in poor conditions.

The 38,000-ton tanker can refuel two ships at once abeam - one on each side - and can also refuel a ship astern, a method which is less efficient but safer when the sea is rough.

Facts and Figures
Class:	Support tanker
Pennant number:	A109
Builder:	Cammell Laird Ltd, Birkenhead
Launched:	October 27, 1981
Commissioned:	March 26, 1982
Displacement:	37,747 tonnes
Length:	170 metres
Beam:	26 metres
Draught:	11 metres
Complement:	56 (19 officers)
Machinery:	Two Crossley Pielstick 14PC 2V engine, 14,000hp sustained; one shaft
Speed:	13.5 kts normal, 16 kts maximum
Cargo Capacity:	22,000 cubic metres of diesel, 3,800 cubic metres of aviation fuel
Armaments:	Two Oerlikon 20mm guns and four 7.62mm machine guns
Radars:	Racal Decca 1226 and 1229
Lloyds classification:	+100A1

(Ship of the Month June 1998)

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