Part of the Acorn Archive

Hearts of Oak

 

 

RFA Wave Class Oilers

Royal Fleet Auxiliary

 

PAGE ONE

WAVE BARON, WAVE CHIEF, WAVE COMMANDER,

WAVE CONQUEROR, WAVE DUKE

 

WAVE BARON 1946

8,182 grt; 11,900 dwt; 16,483 tons full displacement.

465ft 3ins (492ft 6ins o/a) x 64ft x 35ft 6ins (68ft o/a)

Built 1946  Furness Shipbuilding Ltd, Haverton Hill-on-Tees.

Launched February 19th 1946 as EMPIRE FLODDEN

Three drum type boilers.

Two Metrovick type doubled reducing geared HP & LP Steam Turbines.

Single screw; 6,800 shp; 15 knots

1946 WAVE BARON; Royal Fleet Auxiliary

Pennant : A242

1950/3  Served in the Korean War

1954 July : Escorted damaged WAVE COMMANDER into Gibraltar.

1961 Refitted and modernised.

1969 Laid up at Devonport.

1972 Sold and Scrapped at Bilbao.

 

Wave Baron

 

Wave Baron

 

WAVE CHIEF  1946

8,159 grt; 11,900 dwt; 16,650 tons nominal full displacement.

465ft 3ins (492ft 6ins o/a) x 64ft x 35ft 6ins (68ft o/a)

Built 1946  Harland & Wolff Ltd., Govan, Glasgow

Launched April 4th 1946 as EMPIRE EDGEHILL

Three drum type boilers.

Two Metrovick type doubled reducing geared HP & LP Steam Turbines

Single screw; 6,800 shp; 15 knots

1946 WAVE CHIEF; Royal Fleet Auxiliary

Pennant : A265

Ran aground in Jahore Straits and suffered damage to bottom of her hull.

1950/3  Served in the Korean War

1958-61 Served in Cod Wars.

1974 Decommissioned; the last of the Wave Class.

1974 Scrapped at Inverkeithing..

 

Wave Chief

Wave Chief

 

WAVE COMMANDER 1944

8,141 grt; 16,650 tons nominal full displacement.

465ft 3ins (492ft 6ins o/a) x 64ft x 35ft 6ins (68ft o/a)

Built 1944  Furness Shipbuilding Ltd, Haverton Hill-on-Tees.

Launched 21^st April 1944 as EMPIRE PALADIN

Three drum type boilers.

Two Metrovick type doubled reducing geared HP & LP Steam Turbines

Single screw; 6,800 shp; 15 knots

1944 EMPIRE PALADIN ; MOWT ; Managed by Athel

1946 WAVE COMMANDER, Royal Fleet Auxiliary

Pennant : A244

1954  14^th July ; Involved in a collision in the Straits of Gibraltar, in fog,

          with the BP tanker BRITISH UNITY.

          WAVE COMMANDER was escorted back to Gibraltar by WAVE BARON.

1959 Scrapped Inverkeithing.

 

Wave Commander

 

WAVE CONQUEROR 1943

8,128 grt; 16,650 tons nominal full displacement.

465ft 3ins (492ft 6ins o/a) x 64ft x 35ft 6ins (68ft o/a)

Built 1943  Furness Shipbuilding Ltd, Haverton Hill-on-Tees.

Launched 27^th November 1943 as EMPIRE LAW  

Three drum type boilers.

Two Metrovick type doubled reducing geared HP & LP Steam Turbines

Single screw; 6,800 shp; 15 knots

1943 EMPIRE LAW ; MOWT ; managed Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Co.
1946 WAVE CONQUEROR, Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
Pennant : A245

1958 H.G.Pounds, Portsmouth, oil hulk at Le Havre
1960 Sold and Scrapped Spezia.

 

Wave Conqueror

 

WAVE DUKE 1944

8,199 grt; 16,650 tons nominal full displacement.

465ft 3ins (492ft 6ins o/a) x 64ft x 35ft 6ins (68ft o/a)

Built 1944  Sir J. Laing & Sons Ltd, Sunderland.

Launched 16^th November 1944, as EMPIRE MARS

Three drum type boilers.

Two Metrovick type doubled reducing geared HP & LP Steam Turbines

Single screw; 6,800 shp; 15 knots

1944 EMPIRE MARS ; MOWT

1946 WAVE DUKE ; Royal Fleet Auxiliary

Pennant : A246

1961  Laid up Rosyth

1964  Sold for scrap

1969  Scrapped Bilbao.

 

Wave Duke

 

 

 

 

Raymond Forward