RFA Tidespring (A75) was a of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. As a replenishment oiler, her main purpose was to refuel other ships. The ship had a long career in the RFA, entering service in the early 1960s, and finally being decommissioned in 1991.
Tidespring took part in the Falklands War, particularly in the recapture of South Georgia. At the time, she was carrying "M" Company of 42 Commando Royal Marines. The ship accommodated prisoners of war taken during operations. The Falklands conflict provided a reprieve of ten years for Tidespring which had been due to decommission in 1982.
Design and construction
Tidespring had a normal complement consisting 110 Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel with provision for up to twenty-four Royal Navy personnel. She was designed with abeam replenishment at sea rigs, which had automatic tensioning winches and she had an astern fuelling rig. Tidespring was also fitted with a single spot 50 x 70 ft helicopter deck, designed to be capable of handling the Royal Navy Westland Wessex helicopters used at the time. She had hangar facilities for a single helicopter and could support aviation refuelling. The ship was built to carry 9,500 tons of Furnace Fuel Oil, 5,500 tons of diesel oil and 2,000 tons of avcat and the forward hold could take dry cargo.
The construction of Tidespring was carried out by the shipbuilder Hawthorn Leslie, at Hebburn. The ship was laid down on 24 July 1961 and launched the following year on 3 May 1962. She displaced, fully loaded, 27,400 tons, was just under 584 ft in overall length and was capable of 17 knots.
Operational history
Tidespring was completed and entered service with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary on 18 January 1963, replacing the fleet support tanker .
Task Group 318
Tidespring was included in Task Group 318, the Aden Task Force, which was formed to secure the British military withdrawal from the State of Aden, and also known as Operation Magister, between 11 October 1967 and 25 January 1968. Along with Tidespring, the RFA contingent within the group were sister ship , fast fleet tanker , the mobile bulk tanker , the support tanker , two armament support ships and , the fleet stores ship , an air stores support ship and the armament stores carrier . The Royal Navy warships consisted four aircraft carriers, one destroyer, two assault landing ships and five Landing Ship Tanks, along with one submarine.
Exercise Coral Sands
From 20 September until 13 October 1968, Tidespring was deployed participating in Exercise Coral Sands which took place in the Solomon Sea, the Coral Sea and Shoalwater Bay, together with RFAs Olna, the ammunition, explosives and stores supply ship and the fleet stores ship , and alongside the Royal Navy’s aircraft carriers and , the destroyers and , the amphibious warfare ship and the heavy repair ship , the Royal Australian Navy’s aircraft carrier , the replenishment oiler and the Escort Maintenance ship , and the Royal New Zealand Navy’s frigate .
Task Group 317.1
On 8 June 1973, along with Regent, Tidespring deployed from HMNB Portsmouth as part of Task Group 317.1, the first Group deployment, led by its Flagship the cruiser . The group also included the Leander-class frigates and , and the Rothesay-class frigate . The Task Group arrived back to the United Kingdom on 21 December.
Task Group 317.7
On 31 May 1978, along with RFA’s and Stromness, she departed HMNB Portsmouth involved in Task Group 317.7, led by the Royal Navy’s converted helicopter cruiser , the task group’s flagship,
Operation Paraquet
Tidespring was involved with the operation to recapture the island of South Georgia from Argentine military control, designated Operation Paraquet, during the early stages of the Falklands War. She was part of the task force led by the destroyer , which also included two frigates: and , plus the Royal Navy’s ice patrol vessel .
Two Westland Wessex HU.5 troop transporter helicopters, serial nos. XT464 and XT473, of 845 Naval Air Squadron, ‘C’ Flight, embarked on 11 April 1982.
Operation Matchstick
In 1983, between 1 and 4 February, Tidespring was involved in Operation Matchstick.
Armilla patrol
November 1986 saw Tidespring deployed to the Persian Gulf on the Armilla Patrol, the Royal Navy's permanent presence in the area at the time. the capital and largest city of Liberia, to assist with any evacuation required during the First Liberian Civil War, once again supporting the frigate Broadsword,
Decommissioning and fate
By December 1991 she was laid up at Portsmouth and was eventually towed out on 20 March 1992 for the breakers, arriving at the Alang Ship Breaking Yard, India, for demolition on 2 July 1992.