Image above © Imperial War Museum
Official Number 181861
Class: GATLING CLASS Armament Stores Carrier
Pennant No: A135
Laid down:
Builder: Lobnitz & Co Ltd, Renfrew
Launched: 30 November 1945
Into Service: 14 March 1946
Out of service:
Fate: Broken up
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.
30 November 1945 launched by Lobnitz & Co Ltd, Renfrew as Yard Nr 1089 named NORDENFELT
14 March 1946 completed to mercantile standards
9 May 1947 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east bound
27 August 1947 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west bound
7 October 1947 sailed Liverpool for Plymouth
30 October 1947 when off Dungeness transmitted an SOS call. Tugs from Dover attended. Towed to Portsmouth by the Admiralty Tug Foremost 32
Press report from the Dover Express & East Kent News of 31 October 1947
31 October 1947 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour
24 March 1948 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east bound
16 May 1948 arrived Workington having sailed from Plymouth
1 August 1948 sailed Belfast for Plymouth
15 February 1949 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east bound
10 June 1949 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west bound
27 March 1950 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west bound
30 March 1950 Captain J K Pearce appointed as Master
27 April 1950 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west bound
19 May 1950 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east bound
3 August 1950 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west bound
26 January 1951 Mr H Osborne appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
1 February 1951 passed the Lloyds Signal Station at Dover sailing west bound for Portsmouth
25 January 1955 passed the Lloyds Signal Station at Dover sailing east bound
14 February 1955 passed the Lloyds Signal Station at Dover sailing west bound
16 May 1956 the Leven Mail newspaper reported …
2 April 1959 sailed from the Medway River into Chatham Dockyard
20 January 1960 on ‘F’ buoy in Plymouth Sound
6 April 1960 at Devonport moved from Bull Point to No: 1 basin
8 April 1960 at Devonport moved from No: 1 basin to Bull Point
29 June 1960 at Devonport moved from Ernsettle to No: 1 basin
27 July 1960 at Devonport moved from No: 1 basin to No: 4 wharf and later to Ernsettle
13 October 1960 at Devonport moved from Bull Point to No: 1 basin
18 October 1960 at Devonport moved from No: 1 basin to Ernsettle
2 January 1961 at Devonport moved from Bull Point to Plymouth Sound
22 February 1961 at Devonport moved from Bull Point to No: 1 basin on HMS BARRINGTON
2 March 1961 at Devonport moved from No: 1 basin to south lock
3 March 1961 at Devonport moved from south lock to No: 5 dock
20 March 1961 at Devonport moved from No: 5 dock to No: 2 basin
19 April 1961 at Devonport moved from No: 2 basin to Plymouth Sound and then moving later to No: 1 buoy
17 June 1961 at Devonport moved from Bull Point to Plymouth Sound
5 July 1961 berthed on the Upnor Pier, River Medway
6 December 1961 at Devonport moved from Bull Point to No: 3 basin
5 January 1962 at Devonport moved from No: 3 basin to Bull Point
2 April 1962 at Devonport moved from Bull Point No: 4 wharf
3 April 1962 at Devonport moved from No: 4 wharf to No: 1 basin
9 April 1962 at Devonport moved from No: 1 basin to Shallow Dock
8 May 1962 at Devonport moved from Shallow Dock to No: 1 basin
13 January 1964 grounded off Alderney during a sleet storm but was refloated
September 1971 on disposal list at Devonport
11 February 1977 arrived Pembroke Dock for demolition
Notes:
- Based at Naval Armaments Depots Plymouth and Priddy’s Hard between 1946 to 1959