Builder: Sir Raylton Dixon and Co Ltd, Middlesbrough
Yard No: 594
Official No: 137518
Launched: 2nd May 1916
Length: 400 feet
Beam: 54.1 feet
Draught: 32.5 feet
Machinery: Triple expansion engines by North Eastern Marine Engineering Co Ltd, Newcastle.

RFA Roseleaf                    

Builder: Sir Raylton Dixon and Co Ltd, Middlesbrough
Yard No: 594
Official No: 137518
Launched: 2nd May 1916
Length: 400 feet
Beam: 54.1 feet
Draught: 32.5 feet
Machinery: Triple expansion engines by North Eastern Marine Engineering Co Ltd, Newcastle.

Roseleaf was another of the World War 1 tankers taken over on the stocks to meet the growing need for oil transport ships, she was laid down as the cargo ship Rona, a ship ordered by the Colonial Sugar Refining Co Ltd of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The name was changed to Califol when she was launched, and changed again to Roseleaf after she had been taken into service.
 
The ship was completed in August 1916 and immediately placed under the management of Lane and Mac Andrew, London, though with Admiralty ownership, she was actually known as Oiler Transport No 171, as she did not have a pennant number that can be traced, and was based at Portsmouth.
 
This ship, like a number of others was used to transport oil from across the Atlantic to Naval Bases in the UK, they flew the Red Ensign as would be expected for a vessel under commercial management, this was to get around the American Neutrality Act, which was in force at the time.
 
In 1920 the ship was no longer required and was sold to British Tanker Co Ltd and renamed British Rose, and continued as a commercial ship until 1930, when she was sold again to La Riviera Societa Anon Nav, Genoa, and re-named Portofino.
 
At the outbreak of World War 2 she was requisitioned by The Italian government for their war effort, little is known of her wartime exploits until the 6th November 1942.  By this time Rommel’s Afrika Corps was retreating from El Alamein, the allies were charging forward and in the Harbour at Benghazi was the Italian Tanker Portofino, she came under attack from aircraft of the Royal Air Force, conducting bombing and anti-shipping strikes against the port, the Portofino was struck by bombs and sank in the harbour.  On the 19th November 1942, just thirteen days after the Portofino sank, Benghazi fell to the Allies.
 
Footnote: As the Admiralty oiler Roseleaf she had the call sign JNKO, and as the Italian Portofino she had the call sign ICPM