Official Number
Class: GATLING CLASS Armament Stores Carrier
Pennant No: A 377
Laid down:
Builder: Lobnitz & Co Ltd, Renfrew
Launched: 6 August 1945
Into Service: 14 November 1945
Out of service:
Fate: Scrapped 15 November 1977
Items of historic interest involving this ship: –
Background Information: – One of a group of five coasters which were not normally classed as RFA’s They are included here as the ancestors of the more modern ammunition ships These five ships were designed by the Director of Naval Construction to the requirements of the Naval Armament Department. They were designed for Pacific Operations to carry ammunition from larger ships offshore which were of too deep a draught to go close inshore to the coastal areas or small harbours and had their bottoms strengthened to permit grounding when loaded if required. This was a 1943 plan connected with a future invasion of Japan. As there was no requirement to carry large naval guns they were provided with two cargo holds. The order for them was placed in October 1944 and none of them was completed before the end of hostilities, which meant that only one of them (GATLING) was needed to proceed to the Far east to assist in the rehabilitation of Singapore. GATLING and NORDENFELT were completed to mercantile standards and were registered and classed with Lloyds Register and were run on National Maritime Board conditions, while the other three were on “Yard Craft” Dockyard agreements and were completed with naval style accommodation.
6 August 1945 launched by Lobnitz & Co Ltd, Renfrew as Yard Nr 1086 named MAXIM
14 November 1945 completed with naval-type accommodation
30 November 1945 sailed Hollyhead for Plymouth
11 April 1947 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east
5 September 1947 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east
19 May 1948 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east
14 July 1948 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west
27 August 1948 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east
10 September 1948 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west
15 December 1948 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west
24 February 1949 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east
3 March 1949 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west
29 March 1949 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east
12 December 1949 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east
18 November 1949 sailed Hollyhead for Plymouth
20 December 1949 passed the Lloyd’s Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west
15 June 1953 was part of the Coronation Fleet Review at Spithead
7 June 1955 passed Dover
23 October 1959 berthed on the Admiralty Ammunition Depot pier at Upnor
5 January 1960 at Devonport moved from No: 1 basin to No: 2 dock
27 January 1960 at Devonport moved from No: 2 dock to No: 1 basin
26 February 1960 at Devonport entered No: 4 basin from sea
2 March 1960 at Devonport sailed from No: 1 jetty to Plymouth Sound
13 March 1960 was anchored about two miles off Harwich, Essex when the ship’s liberty boat got into difficulties and over turned. Eight crew members in the boat were thrown into the water. Six were rescued, albeit requiring hospital treatment for exposure and two others – a Stoker Harris and Ordinary Seaman G Crumpton both from Devonport were lost
14 March 1960 the Torbay Express & South Devon Echo newspaper reported …
6 May 1960 at Devonport moved from No: 1 Basin to Ernesettle
5 August 1960 at Devonport moved from Bull Point to No: 10 wharf then to No: 1 basin
21 December 1960 at Devonport moved from Plymouth Sound to Bull Point
11 January 1961 at Devonport moved from Bull Point to Plymouth Sound
15 February 1961 at Devonport moved from Plymouth Sound to Ernesettle
26 February 1961 at Devonport moved from Plymouth Sound to Ernesettle
5 March 1961 at Devonport moved from Bull Point to Plymouth Sound
20 June 1961 at Devonport moved from No: 3 jetty to No: 3 basin
18 July 1961 at Devonport moved from No: 3 Basin to No: 6 wharf on HMS VIRAGO
19 July 1961 at Devonport moved from No: 6 wharf on HMS VIRAGO to No: 8 dock
18 August 1961 at Devonport moved from No: 8 dock to No: 1 basin
4 September 1961 at Devonport in No: 1 basin RFA FRESHBURN was moved alongside her from No: 4 basin
9 November 1961 at Devonport moved from No: 1 Basin to No: 1 buoy then to Plymouth Sound and then to No: 2 jetty on HMS WHIMBREL
10 November 1961 at Devonport moved from No: 2 jetty on HMS WHIMBREL to Plymouth Sound returning letter to No: 2 jetty on HMS WHIMBREL
15 November 1961 at Devonport moved from No: 2 jetty to Slip Jetty then later to Bull Point
18 December 1961 at Devonport moved from Bull Point to Slip Jetty returning later to Bull Point
4 April 1962 at Devonport moved from Plymouth Sound to Ernesettle
4 June 1962 at Devonport moved from Ernesettle to No: 3 jetty on RFA ADVICE
6 June 1962 at Devonport moved from No: 3 jetty to No: 3 basin on RFA BUSTLER
14 June 1962 at Devonport moved from No: 3 basin on RFA BUSTLER to Bull Point
17 June 1962 at Devonport moved from Ernesettle to Plymouth Sound
3 June 1965 from sea into the River Medway and then entered Chatham Dockyard
15 November 1977 arrived Briton Ferry for demolition by T.W. Ward Ltd.
Notes:
- Based at Naval Armaments Depots Milford Haven and Plymouth between 1945 to 1959