RFA Jaunty
Previous name: HMS Jaunty
Subsequent name: Nisos Chios
Official Number: 181622
Class: ASSURANCE Class Tug
Pennant No: W30 / A140
Laid down:
Builder: Cochrane & Sons Shipbuilders at Selby
Launched: 11 June 1941
Into Service:
Out of service: 1965 Sold commercially
Fate: 1973 Broken Up
Items of historic interest involving this ship: –
Background Data: There were originally twenty one ships in this Class, seven of which saw service as RFA’s. Of 700 t standard displacement and 1350 t full load displacement, they had a complement of thirty one and a bollard pull of 13½ tons. In wartime they were armed with 1 x 3“ gun, 1 x 20mm AA gun and 2 x .303 machine guns.
11 June 1941 launched by Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby as Yard Nr: 1233 named HMS JAUNTY
7 November 1941 commissioned
22 December 1941 sailed from Scapa Flow as part of Force J to carry out landings on Lofoten Islands together with RFA’s BLACK RANGER and GRAY RANGER
1 January 1942 returned to Scapa Flow as part of Force J which had carried out landings on Lofoten Islands together with RFA’s BLACK RANGER and GRAY RANGER on completion of Operation Anklet
24 January 1942 sailed to assist vessel THYRA II which had signalled she required immediate assistance – her position given as 165 miles 267 degrees Barra Head and 297 degrees Malin Head – from signal from the FOIC Greenock
17 April 1942 sailed Loch Ewe towing ss Rudderman in escorted convoy UR20 to Reykjavik, Iceland arriving on 22 April 1942 with the assistance of the British tug GONDIA
ss Rudderman
11 May 1942 escorted by HMS AMAZON to join Refuelling Group (Force R) which was with PEDESTAL ships. Commanding Officer Lt. Commander H Osburn RNR
18 May 1942 towed SS Gemini, suffering from a damaged propeller while escorted by USS Gemini and USS Williamsburg arrived at Havfjordur, Iceland on 2 June 1942
11 August 1942 carried out rescue work with two RN units when HMS EAGLE was hit by torpedo fired by German submarine U-73 and sank within eight minutes. 927 survivors were rescued by the three ships
HMS EAGLE
August 1942 assisted in bringing the tanker Ohio into Malta
8 November 1942 with ss ALASKA, which had been damaged by a torpedo, in tow in the North Atlantic arrived Lisbon 9 November 1942. After ss ALASKA had been berthed at Lisbon JAUNTY directed to return to Gibraltar – Source Admiralty War Diary of 8 November 1942 page 580
15 November 1942 took in tow USS Almaack (AK27) which had been torpedoed by the German submarine U-155 (Kapitanleutnant Adolf Piening) eight miles off the coast of Portugal – under the escort of HMS BRILLIANT. She towed the USS Almaach into Gibraltar arriving on 17 November 1942
USS ALMAACK
9 February 1943 east of Algiers took in tow the Italian submarine Avorio which had been brought to the surface by HMCS REGINA – the submarine sank. He crew were landed at Bone, Algeria
25 February 1943 sailed Bone in convoy ET12 with HMS ITHURIEL in tow to Gibraltar arriving 2 March 1943
7 March 1943 arrived at Oran
1 April 1943 involved in the salvage of the tanker ss Seminole at Oran which had been hit by two torpedoes. The crew were awarded salvage money as detailed in the London Gazette of 11 May 1945
4 April 1943 sailed Gibraltar to Oran
5 April 1943 arrived at Oran as part of Force H with HMS NELSON, HMS RODNEY, HMS FORMIDABLE. Sailed later the same day to Gibraltar
HMS NELSON
11 May 1943 arrived at Oran
3 June 1943 sailed Alexandria in convoy XTG1 towing HMS BADSWORTH to Gibraltar arriving 17 June 1943. RFA GREEN RANGER was in the same convoy
HMS BADSWORTH
15 June 1943 arrived at Oran
24 June 1943 sailed Gibraltar to Cape St. Vincent for HM S/m P56 which required the assistance of a tug
30 June 1943 sailed Gibraltar in escorted convoy KMS17 to Malta arriving on 6 July 1943. RFA’s ABBEYDALE, PRESTOL, ORANGELEAF (1), SALVEDA and SALVESTOR were in the same convoy
10 September 1943 involved in assisting the Italian Fleet into Malta to surrender
19 September 1943 the British battleship HMS WARSPITE was hit by a German FX1400 guided bomb and near-missed by a second. The ship was heavily damaged. She was towed by the U.S.N. tugs to Malta arriving there on the same day After emergency repairs she was towed to Gibraltar by HMS Jaunty
HMS WARSPITE
5 June 1944 LCT2428 was due to take part in the D Day landings (Operation Neptune) but developed a leak and after capsizing she was sunk by the tug Jaunty in the Channel as she was a hazard to navigation. LCT2428 was the ‘leader’ of the 105th Flotilla of Assault Group J1Support Squadron, assigned to Juno beach to support the 7th Infantry of the 3rdCanadian Division at Courseulles.
Plan of a Mark V Landing Craft Tank of the same type as LCT(A) 2428, source: English Heritage
19 June 1944 sailed Seine Bay in escorted convoy FTC12 to Southend arriving the next day towing HMS DESPATCH
HMS DESPATCH
26 June 1944 sailed Solent in escorted convoy ETC19 to Seine Bay arriving the next day
10 September 1944 sailed Southend in escorted convoy ETC94 to Seine Bay arriving the next day
24 November 1944 while attempting to provide a tow to vessel Cyrus with the tug Griper both tugs sustained damage which prevented them being able to tow. Tug Gripper in the tow of tug Attentive and in the company of Jaunty sailed to Portsmouth for repairs. Not shown in the Portsmouth Admiralty Pilots records of any of the tugs entering Portsmouth
28 November 1944 Lieutenant William Sutton Lowrey RNR the ship’s Commanding Officer was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions during Operation Neptune
21 March 1945 Western Morning News reported that –
28 April 1945 took ss REDMILL in tow. HMS RUPERT escorting the tow
August 1945 Lieutenant Carlton Arthur Hire RNR appointed as Commanding Officer until 20 July 1946
October 1945 she towed a Floating crane to Ceylon and spent the next year in the Far East
22 January 1947 Mr J T W Coulson appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
22 Aug 1947 Captain Reginald E Coad appointed as Master
6 November 1947 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east
7 November 1947 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour
19 December 1947 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west with a tow
14 January 1948 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east
24 January 1948 the Dundee Courier reported –
25 February 1948 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east
17 March 1948 passed Dungeness while on passage to Plymouth with a tow
14 April 1948 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east
24 May 1948 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east with a tow
3 June 1948 on passage from the River Clyde to Portsmouth with two barges in tow. In heavy weather both barges broke their tow. One barge ran aground at Lands End and the other had its tow reconnected south of Start Point. The tow to Portsmouth continued
5 June 1948 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour
10 June 1948 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour
18 June 1948 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east bound
24 June 1948 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west with a tow
10 September 1948 sailed Plymouth with HMS NUBIAN in tow to Scotland for trials
1949 under RFA Conditions as JAUNTY
3 January 1949 sailed the River Tyne for Sheerness with a tow
11 January 1949 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west with a tow
5 March 1949 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east with a tow
23 March 1949 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west
17 May 1949 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west with a tow
17 August 1949 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east with a tow
24 August 1949 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east with a tow
16 September 1949 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east with a tow
4 November 1949 arrived at Portsmouth Harbour and berthed on the North Wall
13 March 1950 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east
28 March 1950 passed Flamorough Head sailing northbound
21 April 1950 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west bound
23 April 1950 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east with a tow
26 April 1950 sheltered in Mounts Bay
11 May 1950 off the Medway Buoy in the River Thames Able Seaman John Joseph Phillips discharged dead presumed drowned
18 May 1950 arrived at the River Tyne from Sheerness
19 May 1950 sailed the River Tyne for Rosyth with a tow
24 May 1950 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west
31 July 1950 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east with a tow
11 August 1950 together with RFA’s ENFORCER and SAUCY passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west towing HMS ANSON
24 August 1950 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east
30 August 1950 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east
21 September 1950 arrived at Aberdeen from Scapa Flow with HMS BARLOW in tow for the boom defence vessel to be refitted by Alex Hall & Co Ltd.
HMS BARLOW
4 October 1950 sailed from Aberdeen
13 October 1950 berthed at Plymouth
14 October 1950 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west with a tow
17 October 1950 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east bound
20 October 1950 arrived at Immingham sailing later the same day
21 October 1950 arrived the River Tyne
24 October 1950 sailed the River Tyne with LC10 in tow
26 October 1950 arrived at the River Humber
13 December 1950 sailed Rosyth
22 December 1950 arrived Devonport
28 December 1950 sailed Plymouth
9 January 1951 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west
11 March 1951 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west
13 March 1951 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east with a tow
11 August 1951 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west with RFA SAUCY with HMS ANSON in tow to be laid up at the Gareloch
19 August 1951 while towing a tank landing craft from the River Clyde to Sheerness lost the tow off the Cornish Coast and which then sank
20 August 1951 arrived at Portsmouth
3 September 1951 together with RFA’s SAUCY and ENVOY sailed from Portsmouth with HMS DUKE OF YORK in tow to be laid up at the Gareloch
HMS DUKE OF YORK
7 September 1951 while arriving off the Gladstone Dock Liverpool with HMS DUKE OF YORK in tow the battleship was in collision with the m.v. Royal Iris 60 people on the m.v. Royal Iris were injured
25 September 1951 arrived at Aberdeen to tow HMS BARFOUNT to Aultbea
28 March 1952 berthed at No: 7 Tier, Jarrow Slake
29 March 1952 berthed at TIC Hebburn Quay
2 April 1952 sailed the River Tyne for Sheerness towing HMS SILVERTON
12 May 1955 at Sheerness Dockyard
17 June 1955 sailed Harwich with tug Vengeance towing two heavy lift vessels to Portland to be used in the salvage of HMS/m SIDON
30 June 1955 passed the Lloyds Signal Station at Dover sailing west
1956 to 1958 based at Chatham on Yard Craft Agreement and PAS manned
1958 in reserve at Pembroke Dockyard
10 May 1962 entered Chatham Dockyard from the River Medway
30 July 1962 sailed from Chatham Rockyard into the River Medway berthing on the hulk PHILOL
31 July 1962 entered Chatham Dockyard from the River Medway
1963 at Portland target towing replacing RESTIVE
19 March 1964 based at Chatham
1 April 1964 entered No: 6 dry dock at Chatham
31 August 1965 advertised for sale in the Times newspaper “as lying” at Chatham –
15 November 1965 sold to Jos De Smedt, Antwerp for demolition
21 December 1966 sold again.