Fort Class Stores Ships

During the Second World War (1939-45) the considerable losses of allied merchant shipping to enemy U-Boats prompted a massive shipbuilding programme. The priority was to build as many vessels in as shorter space of time as possible. Prefabrication and the standardisation of parts greatly reduced the time taken to build these vessels and during the course of the war a total of 2,710 were built for Britain and the United States. The 'Fort' and 'Park' classes were built for Britain in Canada. They differed from other Liberty and Victory ships in that they had a split superstructure rather than a single unit and were riveted, not welded. Also the Forts differed from the Parks in that they were coal powered while Parks were oil powered. They displaced 9,788 tons and measured 440 feet in length, 55 feet in beam with a draught of 27 feet. They were fitted with Babcock and Wilcox boilers and traveled at 11 knots.

Manpower restrictions in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) meant these vessels were operated by the Merchant Fleet Auxiliary (MFA). Many were lost in action during the war including Fort Norfolk, mined during D-Day operations and Fort Stinkine, which exploded in Bombay on April 14th 1944, destroying sister ship Fort Crevier.

After the war most 'Forts' were sold into commercial service but eight were commissioned into the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) between 1947 and 1954. Another, Fort Colville, was transferred to the Ministry of Transport in 1946. Unlike the members of the Canadian built 'Mull', 'Point' and 'Head' Classes that were commissioned into the Royal Navy, the Fort class remained relatively unchanged in appearance and specification. However during the 1950s helicopter landing pads were fitted to Fort Beauharnois, Fort Charlotte and Fort Duquesne.

Fort Beauharnois, Fort Charlotte and Fort Dunvegan were employed as Stores Issuing Ships, Fort Rosalie and Fort Sandusky as Armanet Stores Carriers and Fort Duquesne as an Air Stores Ship. They were often used for freight runs between Britain and her overseas bases such as Malta, Gibraltar, Singapore and Hong Kong. However they were deployed with the fleet during the Christmas Island tests, Korean War and Suez Operation.

Fort Roslaie and Fort Sandusky remained in service the longest, both being laid up at Rosyth on May 1st 1972. They were replaced in the fleet by the Ness Class Stores Support Ships (AFS). Although Canadian in origin the Fort names have remained in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and in 2000 Fort Grange was renamed Fort Rosalie (see RFA Today).

Class Details

Ship	Pennant Number	Builder	Launched	Entered RFA service
Fort Beauharnois		West Coast Shipbuilders, Vancouver	1944	1950
Fort Charlotte	A236	West Coast Shipbuilders, Vancouver	1944	1948
Fort Constantine		Burrard Dry Dock Co, Vancouver	March 11th 1944	1948
Fort Dunvegan	A160	Burrard Dry Dock Co, Vancouver	February 28th 1944	1951
Fort Duquesne	A229	West Coast Shipbuilders, Vancouver	1944	1947
Fort Langley	A230	Victoria Machinery Depot	1944	1954
Fort Rosalie	A186	United Shipyards, Montreal	November 18th 1944	19??
Fort Sandusky	A316	United Shipyards, Montreal	1944	19??

RFA Fort Dunvegan (A160)

Above: RFA Fort Dunvegan (A160). Thanks to Goerge Mortimore for providsing this picture.

Ship Histories

Ship	History
Fort Beauharnois	Involved in the Christmas Island Tests. Fitted with a helicopter pad during the 1950s. Sold for breaking up in 1962.
Fort Charlotte	Served in the Korean War and participated in Christmas Island tests. Fitted with a helicopter pad during the 1950s. For sale 1967.
Fort Constantine	Involved in the Christmas Island Tests. Placed on the disposal list in 1963. Sold in 1969 and broken up in Hamburg, Germany.
Fort Dunvegan	Broken up in Taiwan in 1968.
Fort Duquesne	In 1951 a special flight deck was constructed at the aft of the ship and Fort Duquesne was used for VERTREP trials wtih the Sikorsky Dragonfly helicopter. Participated in the invasion of the Suez Canal. Sold for scrapping in 1967 and broken up in Holland .
Fort Langley	Officially retunrned to the Candaian government in 1970. Sold for breaking up in Bilbao, Spain in 1970, arrving on July 21st..
Fort Rosalie	Participated in the Christmas Island Nuclear Tests. Laid up at Rosyth on May 1st 1972 and sold for breaking up in Spain the following year.
Fort Sandusky	Participated in the Suez Operation. Laid up at Rosyth on May 1st 1972 and broken up 1973.

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