RFA Olmeda |
|
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Ol-class tanker |
| Builders: | Hawthorn Leslie and Company, Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson |
| Operators: | Royal Fleet Auxiliary |
| Preceded by: | Tide-class replenishment oiler |
| Succeeded by: | Wave-class tanker |
| In service: | 1965 - 2000 |
| Completed: | 3 |
| Retired: | 3 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Ol-class tanker |
| Displacement: | 33,240 long tons (33,773 t) full load |
| Length: | 648 ft (198 m) |
| Beam: | 84 ft 2 in (25.65 m) |
| Draught: | 34 ft (10 m) |
| Propulsion: | 2 × PAMETRADA steam turbines, double reduction geared |
| Speed: | 21 kn (24 mph; 39 km/h) |
| Range: | 10,000 nmi (19,000 km) at 16 kn (18 mph; 30 km/h) |
| Complement: | 88 RFA 40 RN |
| Armament: | • 2 × 20 mm guns • 2 × Chaff launchers |
| Aircraft carried: | 3 × Westland Wessex or Westland Sea King helicopters |
The Ol-class tankers were Royal Fleet Auxiliary "fast fleet tankers" tasked with providing fuel, food, ammunition and other supplies to Royal Navy vessels around the world. The three ships in the class, RFA Olmeda, RFA Olna and RFA Olwen were an evolution of the earlier Tide class replenishment oilers. The ships were replaced by the Wave class.
The lead ship of the class was RFA Olwen, although she was launched as RFA Olynthus, before being renamed in 1967 to avoid confusion with HMS Olympus. Similarly, RFA Olmeda originally entered service as RFA Oleander, but was later renamed to avoid confusion with HMS Leander.
The three ships in the Ol-class saw service in a wide range of locations, including during the Falklands War, which saw Olmeda take part in the recapture of Thule Island, and in the Persian Gulf during the 1990/91 Gulf War.
| Name | Pennant | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Decommisioned |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olwen (ex-Olynthus) | A122 | Hawthorn Leslie and Company, Tyneside | 11 July 1963 | 10 July 1964 | 21 June 1965 | 1999 |
| Olna | A123 | Hawthorn Leslie and Company, Tyneside | 2 July 1964 | 28 July 1965 | 1 April 1966 | 24 September 2000 |
| Olmeda (ex-Oleander) | A124 | Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Wallend, Tyne and Wear | 27 August 1963 | 19 November 1964 | 18 October 1965 | January 1994 |
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