Spa Water Class Carriers

RFA SpaThere were six single-screwed Admiralty-designed ships in this Class, which were all coal-fired and originally intended for full career service with the RFA. Several of them transferred to Dockyard Service later in their careers, either with the Port Auxiliary Service or it’s successor, the Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service. A couple of them were also employed by the Army at times, particularly in bases where adequate water supplies were difficult to obtain, while another one of the Class was for some years employed as a carrier of high test hydrogen peroxide fuel for the experimental submarines HMS EXCALIBUR and HMS EXPLORER, being specially converted for this task by Vickers Armstrong Ltd and based at Barrow-in-Furness. The advent of the nuclear-powered submarine finally made this technology redundant. A further two ships were chartered to the War Office for service in the Mediterranean and Far East. The three ships completed during WW2 were defensively armed with 1 x 12 pdr and 2 x 20 mm A.A. guns.

 

The full Class consisted of SPA, SPABECK, SPABROOK, SPABURN, SPALAKE and SPAPOOL

SPA:

RFA Spa

Builder: Philip & Son Ltd, Dartmouth

Launched: 8 November 1941 Completed: 24 April 1942. Cost £84,450

Yard Nr: 937 Official Nr: 168280 Signal Letters: MAAJ

Tonnages: 719 grt 250 nrt 615 dwt 1219 full load displacement.

Dimensions: 172’00” (o.a.) x31’06” x 12’00¼”

Machinery: Triple expansion 3 cyl by Plenty & Son, Newbury. 675 ihp

Speed: 9 knots

Pennant Nrs: X 92 / A 192

Battle Honour: None recorded

Fate: Arrived Passage West, Eire for demolition by Haulbowline Industries Ltd on 9 October 1970

SPABECK:

Spabeck2

Builder: Philip & Son Ltd, Dartmouth.

Launched: 21 June 1943 as RIVULET Completed: 3 September 1943 as SPABECK. Cost £75,188

Yard Nr: 1054 Official Nr: 169535 Signal Letters: MRQP

Tonnages: 702 grt 241 nrt 615 dwt 1219 full load displacement

Dimensions: 172’00” (o.a.) x 30’00” x 12’00¼”

Machinery: Triple expansion 3 cyl by Plenty & Son, Newbury. 675 ihp

Speed: 9 knots

Pennant Nrs: X 19 / A 227

Battle Honour: None recorded

Fate: Arrived Antwerp enroute to Willebroek for demolition on 14 May 1966.

SPABROOK:

Spabrook

Builder: Philip & Son Ltd, Dartmouth

Launched: 24 August 1944 Completed: 12 December 1944. Cost: £78,712

Yard Nr: 1073 Official Nr: 180026 Signal Letters: MDCB

Tonnages: 718 grt 250 nrt 615 dwt 1219 full load displacement

Dimensions: 172’00” (o.a.) x 30’00” x 12’00¼”

Machinery: Triple expansion 3 cyl by Plenty & Son, Newbury. 675 ihp.

Speed: 9 knots

Pennant Nrs: X 127 / A 224

Battle Honour: None recorded

Fate: Arrived Briton Ferry for demolition by T.W. Ward Ltd on 13 September 1977

SPABURN:

RFA Spaburn

Builder: Philip & Son Ltd, Dartmouth

Launched: 5 January 1946 Completed: 12 April 1946. Cost: £80,859

Yard Nr: 1128 Official Nr: 180850 Signal Letters: GNKD

Tonnages: 718 grt 232 nrt 615 dwt 1,219 full load displacement

Dimensions: 172’00” (o.a.) x 30’00” x 12’00¼”

Machinery: Triple expansion 3 cyl by Plenty & Son, Newbury. 675 ihp.

Speed: 9 knots

Pennant Nrs: X 122 / A 257

Battle Honour: None recorded

Fate: Arrived Dalmuir for demolition by W.H. Arnott Young & Co Ltd in August 1977

SPALAKE:

Spalake

Builder: Charles Hill & Sons Ltd, Bristol

Launched: 10 August 1946 Completed: 28 November 1946. Cost: £76,000

Yard Nr: 338 Official Nr: 181508 Signal Letters: GNLB

Tonnages: 672 grt 216 nrt 630 dwt 1219 full load displacement

Dimensions: 172’00” (o.a.) x 30’00” x 12’00¼”

Machinery: Triple expansion 3 cyl by C.D. Holmes & Co Ltd, Hull. 675 ihp

Speed: 9 knots

Pennant Nrs: X 123 / A 260

Battle Honour: None recorded

Fate: Arrived Troon for demolition by West of Scotland Shipbreaking Co Ltd in December
1977

SPAPOOL:

spapool1

Builder: Charles Hill & Son Ltd, Bristol

Yard Nr: 337 Official Nr: 180879 Signal Letters: GNKR

Tonnages: 672 grt 216 nrt 630 dwt 1219 full load displacement

Dimensions: 172’00” (o.a.) x 30’00” x 12’00¼”

Machinery: Triple expansion 3 cyl by C.D. Holmes & Co Ltd,. Hull. 675 ihp.

Speed: 9 knots

Pennant Nrs: X 124 / A 222

Battle Honour: None recorded

Fate: Sold commercially in July 1976 name unchanged. Sank at Mombasa on 25 December 1983, was raised by Divecom Ltd the following year and was scrapped locally.