RFA Olna (A123) was the third and final of the three "fast fleet tanker" of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), the naval auxiliary fleet of the United Kingdom. When she entered service she was one of the largest and fastest ships in the RFA Fleet. Olna saw service in the Falklands War and the Gulf War.
Her design was a development of the later Tide-class ships of the early 1960s. She was entered service in 1966 and served in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary for 34 years. Olna was the third ship to bear the name.
Design and description
Olna had a normal complement consisting 88 Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel with provision for 40 Royal Navy personnel and she was armed with two 20 mm guns and two Corvus chaff launchers. She was designed to achieve a speed of with a fully loaded displacement of .
The ship had the capability to supply fuel and other liquid cargo to vessels using four pairs of replenishment rigs which were located between the forward and aft superstructures. She was able to carry four types of fuels: Furnace Fuel Oil, Diesel, Avcat and Mogas. Limited supplies of lubricating oils, fresh water and dry stores could also be carried. She could operate Westland Wessex or Westland Sea King helicopters, or other helicopters of similar size, from a hangar and flight deck at the stern.
From 20 September until 13 October 1968, Olna was deployed participating in Exercise Coral Sands which took place in the Solomon Sea, the Coral Sea and Shoalwater Bay, together with RFAs , and , alongside the Royal Navy’s , , , , and , the Royal Australian Navy’s , and , and the Royal New Zealand Navy’s .
On 19 May 1971 she was involved in a collision with Regent, which occurred during a replenishment at sea (RAS), off Portland. A hole was discovered once the RAS was completed which was serious enough for Olna to be ordered to discharge and tank clean in Portsmouth. She then sailed to Southampton for emergency dry dock, returning later to anchor off Portland. The following day the Standing Naval Force Atlantic (STANAVFORLANT) flotilla left HMNB Portland. Hovering above the ships a Fleet Air Arm Westland Wessex HAS.1 helicopter, XM875, which was carrying five press photographers, lost power and ditched. Three photographers were killed in the incident.
In July 1974 Olna was part of the Task Force including: the with, No. 41 (Royal Marine) Commando, and RFA’s , and , she stood by in Akritori Bay, off Cyprus, supporting evacuations, following a Greek junta-sponsored Cypriot coup d'état attempt and the subsequent Turkish invasion of Cyprus.
On 17 September 1974 along with RFA’s and she sailed as part of Task Group 317.2 for a Far East deployment, led by the Royal Navy’s helicopter cruiser with the Leander-class frigates , and the lead ship , along with the s and . Between 14 and 21 October the Task Group visited the South African Navy’s base at Simon’s Town, near Cape Town, en route.
See also
- List of replenishment ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary