Leaf Class Support Tankers

These enormous vessels have two roles- firstly, to move fuel between Ministry of Defence (MoD) depots and establishments and secondly to replenish warships underway at sea .More recently, one of these ships is permanently on station to support warships on the Armilla Patrol.

Only one of this class- Brambleleaf- is owned by the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The rest are on charter and were designed and built as commercial tankers .Appleleaf, Brambleleaf and Bayleaf entered service between late 1979 and and 1982, Orangeleaf and Oakleaf joined the service a few years later. Upon entering service with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) they have been fitted with the necessary equipment to undertake Replenishment at Sea (RAS).

Brambleleaf, Orangeleaf and Bayleaf measure 170.7 metres in length, 25.9 metres in breadth and have a beam of 11.8 metres. Bayleaf had a displacement of 37,930 tonnes while Orangeleaf and Brambleleaf are slightly heavier at 40,870 tonnes. Heavier still is RFA Oakleaf. She displaces 49,648 tonnes, making he the largest vessel operated by the Ministry of Defence (MoD).She is 174 metres long, with a breadth of 32 metres and draught of 11.2 metres and a complement of 39. The remaining three have a complement of 56 while all four vessels have a speed of 15 knots. Unlike the smaller Rover Class they have no flight deck although for self defence they are armed with two Oerlikon 20mm guns and four 7.62 mm MG's.

Above: RFA Brambleleaf (A81) at sea. Thanks to Tommy Sands of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary- Unofficallly! website for allowing me to use this picture.

Ship	History
Appleleaf	Appleleaf served with R.F.A sister ships Brambleleaf and Bayleaf and commercial sister ship Balder London during the Falklands conflict (1982). She was chartered to the Royal Australian Navy in 1989 for five years with an option to purchase and was renamed 'H.M.A.S Westralia'. She arrived in Australia on 20^th December 1989 and is based at HMAS Sterling. She has been fitted with a helicopter flight deck and participated in the 1991 Gulf War. However on 5th May 1998 four of her crew died from fume inhalations in a major fire started by leaking fuel lines. Westralia was subsequently towed to a safe harbour and a board of inquiry was set up. As well as being repaired Westralia will receive a number of small modifications including improved air conditioning, improved engine controls and in light of her accident new safety improvements.
Oakleaf	Oakleaf is the only vessel of this class not built by Cammal Laird and she differs from her sister ships. She was constructed in Sweden and chartered from her owners in 1984. She is currently the largest vessel in service with the Ministry of Defence. She carries her fuel in sixteen tanks within her ice strengthened hull.
Brambleleaf	Brambleleaf is the only vessel of this class to be owned outright by the Ministry of Defence as opposed to being on charter. She served in the 1982 Falklands Conflict. She was also on hand in the Gulf region during Operation Desert Fox.
Bayleaf	Bayleaf was one of the newest ships to serve in the 1982 Falklands Conflict as she had been with the Royal Navy for less than three weeks. Leased to the M.o.D by Lombard Leasing Services.
Orangeleaf	Orangeleaf, named at the time 'Balder London' was one of the many commercial vessels requisitioned to serve in the 1982 Falklands Conflict, alongside sister ships Appleleaf, Bayleaf and Brambleleaf. After the conflict she was chartered by the M.o.D and renamed 'Orangeleaf' and accepted into service on the 26^th March 1984. Leased to the M.o.D by Lloyds Industrial Leasing.

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Ship:	Pennant Number	Previous Name	Builder	Launched	Commissioned
Appleleaf	A79	Hudson Deep	Cammall Laird	July 24th 1975
Brambleleaf	A81	Hudson Cavalier	Cammall Laird	January 22nd 1976	May 6th1980
Bayleaf	A109	Hudson Progress	Cammall Laird	October 27th 1981
Orangeleaf	A110	Balder London	Cammall Laird		May 2nd 1984
Oakleaf	A111	Oktania	Uddevalla, Sweeden