RFA Cherryleaf (A82)

History
Name:
  • Overseas Adventurer (1963–73; 1980–81)[1]
  • RFA Cherryleaf (1973–80)[1]
  • Petrostar XVI[2]
Owner:

London and Overseas Bulk Carriers (1963–81)[1]

Petrostar Co Ltd (1981–86)[2]
Operator:
  • London and Overseas Freighters (1963–73; 1980–81)[1]
  • Royal Fleet Auxiliary (1973–80)[1]
Port of registry:
  • United Kingdom London (1963–73; 1980–81)
  • United Kingdom (1973–80)
  • Saudi Arabia (1981–87)
Builder: Rheinstahl Nordseewerke[1]
Yard number: 321[1]
Launched: 16 October 1962[1]
Completed: 21 February 1963[1]
Decommissioned: 1980 (RFA)[2]
Renamed:
  • Overseas Adventurer (1962–73; 1980–81)[1]
  • Petrostar XVI (1981–87)[2]
Fate: Set on fire by AGM-65 Maverick missile strike in 1986[3]
Status: Scrapped 1987[1]
General characteristics
Class and type: Leaf-class tanker
Tonnage:
Length: 559 ft 4 in (170.48 m)[1]
Beam: 72 ft (22 m)[1]
Draught: 29 ft 6 in (8.99 m)[1]
Installed power: 8,400 bhp[1]
Propulsion: 7–cylinder[4] MAN diesel[1]
Speed: 14.5 knots (26.9 km/h)[1]

RFA Cherryleaf (A82) was a Leaf-class small fleet tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, the third ship to bear this name.

She was built by Rheinstahl Nordesswerke 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]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Sedgwick et al., p. 101
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Sedgwick et al., p. 102
  3. 1 2 ACIG 2004, p. 26
  4. 1 2 "London & Overseas Freighters 1941–97". LOF–News. Retrieved 29 June 2010.
  5. ↑ Sedgwick et al., pp. 101–102.

Sources and further reading

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