The Eddy-class coastal tankers were a series of eight
replenishment oiler
A replenishment oiler or replenishment tanker is a naval auxiliary ship with fuel tanks and dry cargo holds which can supply both fuel and dry stores during underway replenishment (UNREP) at sea. Many countries have used replenishment oilers.
Th ...
s used by the
Royal Fleet Auxiliary
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is a naval auxiliary fleet owned by the UK's Ministry of Defence. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service and provides logistical and operational support to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines.
The RF ...
(RFA), the naval
auxiliary fleet
An auxiliary ship is a naval ship designed to support combatant ships and other naval operations. Auxiliary ships are not primary combatant vessels, though they may have some limited combat capacity, usually for purposes of self-defense.
Auxil ...
of the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
. They were built from 1951 to 1953 tasked with transporting and providing fuel and other liquids to
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
vessels and stations around the world.
History
There were originally ten ships planned in the class, although the final two were cancelled in 1952. Originally designed to act as fleet attendant oilers, in this role the ships were obsolete almost as soon as they were built due to the increasing prevalence of
replenishment at sea, and their role was refocused to coastal transport duties.
Most of the class had relatively short service careers, although ''Eddyfirth'' remained in service until 1981. Several of the vessels were based at
Gibraltar
Gibraltar ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory and British overseas cities, city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Bay of Gibraltar, near the exit of the Mediterranean Sea into the A ...
in the Mediterranean for most of their service years.
Ships
See also
*
List of replenishment ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary
This is a list of replenishment ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, the naval auxiliary fleet of the United Kingdom.
Active
Tankers
* Tide (II)-class fast fleet tanker (2017)
**
** '' ''Tiderace' (in extended readiness - uncrewed rese ...
*
T1 tanker
The T1 tanker or T1 are a class of sea worthy small tanker ships used to transport fuel oil before and during World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War. The T1 tanker classification is still in use today. T1 tankers are about in length and a ...
US coastal tanker
*
T2 tanker
The T2 tanker, or T2, was a class of oil tanker constructed and produced in large numbers in the United States during World War II. Only the T3 tankers were larger "navy oilers" of the period. Some 533 T2s were built between 1940 and the end of 1 ...
*
T3 Tanker
*
Replenishment oiler
A replenishment oiler or replenishment tanker is a naval auxiliary ship with fuel tanks and dry cargo holds which can supply both fuel and dry stores during underway replenishment (UNREP) at sea. Many countries have used replenishment oilers.
Th ...
*
References
Auxiliary replenishment ship classes
Ol
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