RFA Olwen (A122)

RFA Olwen (A122) was an Ol-class "fast fleet tanker" of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

RFA Olwen in the 1980s
History
RFA EnsignUnited Kingdom
NameRFA Olwen
Ordered4 February 1963
BuilderHawthorn Leslie and Company
Yard number755
Laid down11 July 1963
Launched10 July 1964, as Olynthus
Commissioned21 June 1965
Decommissioned1999
RenamedOlwen, 5 August 1967
IdentificationIMO number: 6418572
Fate
  • Renamed Kea in May 2001.
  • Arrived Alang for demolition 21 July 2001.
Badge
General characteristics
Class and typeOl class tanker
Displacement33,240 long tons (33,773 t) full load
Length648 ft (198 m)
Beam84 ft 2 in (25.65 m)
Draught34 ft (410 in)
PropulsionPametrada steam turbines, double reduction geared
Speed21 knots (24 mph; 39 km/h)
Range10,000 nmi (19,000 km) at 16 kn (18 mph; 30 km/h)
Complement
  • 88 RFA
  • 40 RN
Armament
  • 2× 20 mm guns
  • Chaff launchers
Aircraft carriedWestland Wessex or Westland Sea King helicopters

The lead ship of her class, and launched in 1964 as RFA Olynthus, the second ship to bear this name, she was renamed Olwen in 1967 to avoid confusion with HMS Olympus.

Operational history

1970

In November and December 1970 Olwen was involved in Operation Burlap giving humanitarian assistance to East Pakistan after a cyclone caused extensive damage and flooding.[1]

1973

In the Second Cod War, Olwen supported Royal Navy ships three times.[1]

Decommissioning

She was decommissioned in 1999 and laid up at Portsmouth, before being broken up at Alang, India in 2001.

References

  1. "RFA Olwen(1)". Historical RFA. Retrieved 2 August 2017.


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