There 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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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.