Reproduced with permission of the MOD
Subsequent name: KRI Arun
Official Number: 337864
Class: ROVER CLASS Small Fleet Tanker
Pennant No: A268 / 903
Laid down: 28 February 1968
Builder: Swan Hunter, Hebburn on Tyne
Launched: 19 December 1968
Into Service: 15 August 1969
Out of service: 1992
Fate: In service with Indonesian Navy as ‘KRI Arun’
Items of historic interest involving this ship: –
Background Data: In 1967, tenders were invited for what eventually turned out to be five ships in this Class. Owing to unsatisfactory performance from the original engines, which had been a political decision, the first three ships in the Class were re-engined in 1974. The final two ships differed slightly from the earlier three and had improved accommodation standards and different stern anchor arrangements.
January 1968 ordered
28 February 1968 laid down
19 December 1968 launched by Swan Hunter Shipbuilders Ltd, Hebburn as Yard Nr: 6 named GREEN ROVER. The Lady Sponsor was Mrs R.H. Shipway, the wife of the Director of Fuel, Movements & Transport (Naval)
March 1969 Captain Archibald Proudlock RFA appointed as Master and Mr R Cann RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
9 July 1969 her Ship’s Badge was officially presented to her
15 August 1969 completed at a cost of £3m
16 August 1969 was accepted from the builders. 2 months ahead of the original planned date
17 August 1969 sailed from the Tyne after acceptance from the builders and proceeded to Chatham for Navy Days there
31 August 1969 to 1 September 1969 at Chatham Dockyard open to the public during Navy Days. 13,371 members of the public visited the ship
September 1969 towed the disabled RFA APPLELEAF (2) from the North Atlantic to Devonport where she underwent extended repairs
1 January 1970 at Portsmouth
12 January 1970 sailed Portsmouth to the Great Nore and anchored
13 January 1970 sailed from her anchorage at the Great Nore to the Isle of Grain
14 January 1970 at the Isle of Grain loaded 4,691 tons of diesol as cargo then sailed the same day to Gosport Oil Fuel Jetty
15 January 1970 at Gosport Oil Fuel Jetty loaded 2,675 tons of diesol and 2,460 tons of FFO
19 January 1970 sailed Gosport Oil Fuel Jetty to Portland and secured to A3 buoy
20 January 1970 to 22 January 1970 engaged in exercises with RN ships in the Portland Exercise Area
23 January 1970 sailed Portland to Spithead anchorage
24 January 1970 berthed at Gosport Oil Fuel Jetty from Spithead anchorage
27 January 1970 sailed Gosport Oil Fuel Jetty to Spithead anchorage
28 January 1970 berthed at Gosport Oil Fuel Jetty from Spithead anchorage
2 February 1970 sailed Gosport Oil Fuel Jetty to alongside at Portland
3 February 1970 alongside at Portland with RFA BLACK RANGER berthed alongside
4 February 1970 to 26 February 1970 day sailing to the Portland Exercise area
26 February 1970 anchored at Spithead
27 February 1970 entered Portsmouth Harbour – No 1 berth at Fountain Lake
5 March 1970 moved to alongside RFA TIDEFLOW on Gosport Oil Fuel Jetty. Loaded 2,577 tons of FFO and sailed
8 March 1970 berthed at Gibraltar on berths 47/48 on the South Mole
11 March 1970 sailed Gibraltar
13 March 1970 entered French Creek, Malta berthed starboard side to on Canteen Wharf
16 March 1970 sailed Malta for Augusta
17 March 1970 loaded cargo at Augusta
18 March 1970 sailed Augusta
20 March 1970 passed Gibraltar
23 March 1970 anchored at Spithead
24 March 1970 berthed alongside Gosport Oil Jetty
10 April 1970 sailed Gosport Oil Fuel Jetty
12 April 1970 berthed at No: 6 Berth, Faslane
14 April 1970 sailed Faslane to Belfast Lough arriving the same day
15 April 1970 sailed Belfast Lough
17 April 1970 to 24 April 1970 engaged in exercises in the Cromarty Firth
25 April 1970 berthed at Aarhus – 7 basin
28 April 1970 sailed Aarhus to Rosyth
30 April 1970 berthed at Rosyth Dockyard – south arm
6 May 1970 sailed Rosyth to Tayport returning to Rosyth the next day
8 May 1970 sailed Rosyth to Sunderland
9 May 1970 berthed at Hudson Dock, Sunderland to back up the Sunderland Careers Exhibition
15 May 1970 sailed Sunderland to Portland
16 May 1970 arrived at Portland
17 May 1970 engaged in day sailing in the Portland Exercise area until 5 June 1970
5 June 1970 sailed Portland to Gibraltar arriving 7 June 1970 berthing on the South Arm of the Dockyard in No: 47 berth
18 June 1970 sailed Gibraltar
21 June 1970 berthed on A3 buoy, Portland Harbour
22 June 1970 to 25 June 1970 engaged in day sailing in the Portland Exercise area
26 June 1970 sailed Portland to Gosport Oil Fuel Jetty
30 June 1970 sailed Gosport Oil Fuel Jetty to A3 buoy, Portland Harbour
8 December 1970 berthed at Simonstown Dockyard, South Africa
4 April 1971 RASed with HMAS SYDNEY while she was on passage from Australia to Vung Tau, Vietnam
12 September 1971 carried out deck landing trials with the new Harrier Jump Jet while Green Rover was moored at Greenwich Pier
December 1971 visited Jamestown, St. Helena
19 February 1972 R/V’ed with HMS MIVERVA
29 June 1972 RASed with HMS KIRKLISTON
20 June 1973 deployed in support of RN units off Iceland during 2nd Cod War until 25 June 1973
29 June 1973 deployed in support of RN units off Iceland during 2nd Cod War until 4 July 1973
8 July 1973 deployed in support of RN units off Iceland during 2nd Cod War until 11 July 1973
27 July 1973 deployed in support of RN units off Iceland during 2nd Cod War until 30 July 1973
4 August 1973 deployed in support of RN units off Iceland during 2nd Cod War until 9 August 1973
14 August 1973 deployed in support of RN units off Iceland during 2nd Cod War until 19 August 1973
26 August 1973 deployed in support of RN units off Iceland during 2nd Cod War until 2 September 1973
6 September 1973 deployed in support of RN units off Iceland during 2nd Cod War until 14 September 1973
19 September 1973 deployed in support of RN units off Iceland during 2nd Cod War until 22 September 1973
December 1973 re-engined with 2 x 16 cyl Pielstick 400 x 460mm diesel engines by Crossley Premier Engines Ltd, Manchester. 15360 bhp. Speed now 19½ knots
17 September 1974 along with RFA’s OLNA (3) and STROMNESS, sailed Portsmouth as part of TaskGroup 317.2 led by the helicopter cruiser HMS BLAKE
29 March 1975 to 26 April 1975 humanitarian aid – was part of Operation Stellaalong with the frigate HMS LOWESTOFT – the evacuation of refugees from Vietnam
24 November 1975 to 1 June 1976 provided support during the Third Cod War – the Fishing Dispute with Iceland
14 April 1976 at Faslane
11 October 1976 at Loch Striven
19 January 1977 sailed from Chatham Dockyard into the River Medway
25 January 1977 along with RFA’s STROMNESS and TIDEPOOL sailed Devonport as part of Task Group 317.5 led by the helicopter cruiser HMS TIGER
8 May 1977 at 08°50N 23°29W RASed with RFA PLUMLEAF (2)
31 May 1977 at Chatham Dockyard
31 May 1978 along with RFA’s STROMNESS and TIDESPRING (1) sailed Portsmouth as part of Task Group 317.7 led by the helicopter cruiser HMS BLAKE
5 July 1978 to 7 July 1978 with the frigate HMS JUNO was present off the Virgin Islands owing to internal security problems
15 January 1979 sailed from Chatham Dockyard into the Medway River
16 February 1979 at Faslane
14 May 1979 at Southampton
19 April 1980 to 21 April 1980 at Portland berthed outboard of RFA BRAMBLELEAF (3)
7 August 1980 to 12 August 1980 involved with the frigate HMS SCYLLA off Cayman Islands providing humantarian relief in the wake of Hurricane Allen
18 February 1981 at North Shields
22 August 1981 at Chatham Dockyard
18 January 1982 at Portland Port. RASed with RFA OLNA (3)
1982 was one of the very few RFA vessels which did not see service during the Falklands Conflict
25 August 1982 at Portland
25 January 1982 at Portsmouth
16 May 1985 the Greek Government refused permission for Green Rover to use refueling facilities at Souda Bay, Crete while the ship was taking part in a NATO Exercise ‘Distant Hammer’. The Greek Government was boycotting the NATO Exercise. The ship was deployed to Izmir, Turkey instead
18 August 1985 transferred 1350 gallons of fuel to Richard Branson’s VIRGIN ATLANTIC CHALLENGER during its Blue Riband attempt. Unfortunately the 32-ton vessel overturned just 140 miles (224km) short of its target, the Isles of Scilly off Cornwall and sank just 4 hours later without completing its Atlantic crossing
10 July 1986 at North Shields, River Tyne
3 February 1987 at Port Stanley, Falkland Islands
12 March 1987 Mr Robert Settle RFA appointed Chief Engineer Officer
Chief Engineer Officer Robert Settle RFA
September 1987 sailed Portsmouth Harbour
19 May 1988 entered Portsmouth Harbour
27 May 1988 placed in reserve on 30 days notice and was laid up in No 3 Basin
7 April 1992 purchased by her builders who then resold her to the Indonesian Navy for £6m
9 April 1992 was towed from Portsmouth to the Tyne renamed C to be taken in hand for a 4 month refurbishment before re-entering service for her new owners. She became the Flagship of the Training Commander
10 March 1993 at Portsmouth
22 October 1993 with other Indonesian Naval units berthed at Sydney, NSW on a visit to RAN Navy
KRI ARUN 903
24 April 2000 At least 900 people comprising of local elite, religious and community leaders launch a reconciliation effort on aboard to reduce religious tension in Maluku
11 November 2000 used as a Vice Presidential Yacht by Megawati Sukarnoputri the Vice President of Indonesia for two days in the city of Ambon and Tual, Southeast Maluku District. 112 Navy personnel were deployed to secure the KRI Arun
28 June 2004 caught Hong Kong flagged motor vessel Law Kit Ting carrying about 300 kilogrammes of live Napoleon fish. The ship was also carrying 1.5 tons of group and live lobsters. The ship did not have the necessary authorities to catch this type of fish
14 October 2004 to 17 October 2004 visited Perth, Western Australia with two other units of the Indonesian Navy. The three ships were under the command of Commodore Agus Suhartono, Commander of the Command Task Group
9 December 2004 with two other ships from the Indonesian Navy held joint exercises with the Royal Brunei Armed Forces
February 2006 KRI Arun and two other ships of the Indonesian Navy impounded fourteen Chinese and Thai as well as nine Indonesian-flagged vessels after catching them red-handed fishing illegally in the Aru Sea, Maluku Province. All of the apprehended vessels were held at the Navy`s bases in Timika and Merauke, Papua Province pending legal proceedings. The Chinese flagged vessels` names were KM Hai Wang, KM Dech Alsung, MV Qiong Yu Wanyu-01, MV Qiong Yu Wanyu-02, MV Hai Xing-01 and MV Hai Xing-02, and the Thai-flagged ones MV Phong Thip Piyapoom, MV Phong Thip Cholphum, MV Por Ruanglarp, MV Netchantri-12, MV Or Apirachainapiee, MV Apirachainapiee-05, MV Sea Hunter, and MV Chaipichitnapiee-12
30 December 2006 a ship with 25 crew members was reported to have sunk in the Suar mandalika waters some 30 nautical miles of South Kalimantan at the early hours “The East Java naval base has sent KRI Arun, another warship and an aircraft to help rescue the victims
23 May 2007 involved in Naval and Army exercises ‘Striker Quick Reaction Force’ in Tarakan, East Kalimantan (Kaltim) to enhance the capabilities, skills and professionalism of the Indonesian Forces
10 April 2008 arrested a tramp ship belonging to a Chinese national in the Fak-Fak waters, Papua province. MV Fuyuan Yu F 80 1,344 GT vessel was skippered by Cheng Kong Zhang and had served as a tramper to collect fish catch. It was reported she had the capacity of carry 1,000 tons
12 August 2009 to 20 August 2009 took part in Exercise Sail Bunaken activities with 24 other ships from 14 countries
9 October 2012 at Surabaya, Indonesia Navy Colonel (P) Eko Joko Wijono took over command
Command hand over
19 March 2018 during a replenishment at sea with KRI Dr Soeharso (990) a list developed. The Arun was towed back to the Eastern Fleets Semanpur pier at Surabaya by two coastal tug boats. No casualties were reported
Notes:
1. KRI = Kapal Republik Indonesia = Republic of Indonesia Ship
2. Was one of the 17 tankers employed in the Mozchan on Beira Patrol duties