NAV Maxim

 

 

 

Maxim0065

 

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 …

 

14 3 1960 Torbay Express South Devon Echo Maxim

 

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:

 

  1. Based at Naval Armaments Depots Milford Haven and Plymouth between 1945 to 1959