 RFA A261 Eddyfirth approaching Portsmouth | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | RFA Eddyfirth |
| Builder | Lobnitz & Co., Renfrew, Scotland |
| Laid down | 28 April 1952 |
| Launched | 10 September 1953 |
| Commissioned | 25 April 1954 |
| Decommissioned | April 1981 |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | Scrapped at Seville on 28 March 1982. |
| General characteristics | |
| Length | 287 ft 1 in (88 m) |
| Beam | 44 ft 1 in (13 m) |
| Draught | 17 ft 3.5 in (5 m) |
| Propulsion | 3 cylinder Triple expansion steam |
| Speed | 12 knots |
| Complement | 8 officers, 18 ratings |
| Armament | No armament carried but fitted for two 50-cal machine guns on bridge wings and two 20mm AA guns aft. |
RFA Eddyfirth (A261) was an Eddy class coastal tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
Construction and design
Eddyfirth was launched at Lobnitz & Co.'s Renfrew shipyard on 10 September 1953 and completed on 10 February 1954. The ship had an overall length of 286 feet (87.2 m) and a length between perpendiculars of 270 feet (82.3 m). Beam was 44 feet (13.4 m) and draft 17 feet 2 inches (5.23 m). The ship displaced 1,960 long tons (1,990 t) light and 4,160 long tons (4,230 t) full load, with a capacity of 1650 tons of oil. Two oil fired boilers fed a triple-expansion steam engine rated at 1,750 indicated horsepower (1,300 kW) and drove a single propeller shaft, giving a speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph).[1]
Service history
Initially, Eddyfirth was based in Malta as support for the Motor Minesweeping Flotilla. In 1966 she returned to United Kingdom coastal waters, reclassified as a harbour oiler. Withdrawn from service in 1981, she was scrapped in Seville in March 1982. [2]
References
- ↑ Blackman 1971, p. 376.
- ↑ "Eddy Class Vessels". Historical RFA. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
Bibliography
- Blackman, Raymond V. B. (1971). Jane's Fighting Ships 1971–72. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co., Ltd. ISBN 0-354-00096-9.