|
Rosalie Makes Her Name
One of 14 Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels to take part
in the war against Saddam Hussein, RFA Fort Rosalie is no
stranger to service in the former name of Fort Grange.
The year 2000 saw the change of title in order to lessen
confusion with the replenishment ship RFA Fort George.
In the recent Operation Telic, RFA Fort Rosalie kept the
Coalition Maritime Forces and British Forces ashore in Iraq
supplied with ammunition, stores and food. During this period,
Fort Rosalie remained in the Northern Gulf, close to the
shore.
Fort Rosalie was despatched in haste from the UK – a
late addition to the main Task Group – and eventually
joining up with her fellow ships in the Red Sea.
At one time the RFA ship was meant to have deployed with
the original Naval Task Group 2003 (NTG03), but when that
group was reduced in size Fort Rosalie returned to the UK,
arriving back in Scotland at the end of May.
The ship is now due to take part in Exercise Northern Lights
this autumn, after a period of maintenance, and scheduled
to carry out Operational Flying Training with Naval helicopter
squadrons.
As Fort Grange, the RFA won battle honours in the Falklands
Conflict, and saw service in the Gulf War in the early 1990s.
She has also served in the Adriatic in support of UN Forces
in the former Yugoslavia, and spent three years based at
the Croatian port of Split supporting British and Allied
Forces ashore.
Both Fort Rosalie and her sister ship Fort Austin are ‘dry
stores’ supply ships, keeping Naval warships provided
with food, spare parts and ammunition while under way.
Stores are transferred through the replenishment at sea (RAS)
process – a cable rigged between RFA and warship as
both steam along side-by-side.
Fort Rosalie is fitted with a large flight deck and can provide
hangar space for up to four Sea King helicopters – which
can also be used to re-supply warships in a Task Group by
means of vertical replenishment (or VERTREP).
These helicopters also give the RFA ship the flexibility
of acting as an independent force unit in the anti-submarine
or commando role.
The Fort-class names began from an earlier group of RFAs
that operated in World War II named after forts in Canada.
The previous Fort Rosalie was built in Montreal in November
1944, but was not broken up until March 1973.
(Ship of the Month September 2003)
Join Ship of the Month and receive a new postcard sized
photograph every month!
Each month Navy News looks at a different ship, her compliment,
armoury, propulsion and her recent activities. Join the many
subscribers who have been collecting Ship of the Month since
1969. more>
|
