RFA Tidespring (A75)

History

United Kingdom
Name:	RFA Tidespring
Ordered:	28 February 1961
Laid down:	24 July 1961
Launched:	3 May 1962
Commissioned:	18 January 1963
Decommissioned:	13 December 1991
Fate:	Broken up, 1992
General characteristics
Class and type:	Tide-class replenishment oiler
Displacement:	27,400 long tons (27,840 t)
Length:	583 ft 8 in (177.90 m)
Beam:	71 ft 3 in (21.72 m)
Draught:	32 ft 1 in (9.78 m)
Propulsion:	2 × Foster Wheeler watertube steam boilers, 2 × Parmetrada steam turbines, double reduction gearbox, single shaft
Speed:	17 knots (20 mph; 31 km/h)
Aircraft carried:	3 × Westland Wessex helicopters
Service record
Operations:	Falklands War

RFA Tidespring (A75) was a Tide-class replenishment oiler of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. As a replenishment oiler, her main purpose was to refuel other ships. The ship had a long career in the RFA, entering service in the early 1960s, and finally being decommissioned in 1991.

Tidespring took part in the Falklands War, particularly in the recapture of South Georgia. At the time, she was carrying M Company (Captain Chris Nunn Royal Marines) of 42 Commando Royal Marines. The ship accommodated prisoners of war taken during operations. The Falklands provided a reprieve of ten years for Tidespring which had been due to decommission in 1982.

She eventually sailed from Portsmouth in tow on 20 March 1992 for the breakers, arriving in Alang, India for demolition on 2 July 1992.

British Naval Forces of the Falklands War

Royal Navy	Active Alacrity Ambuscade Andromeda Antelope ^S Antrim Ardent ^S Argonaut Arrow Avenger Brilliant Bristol Broadsword Cardiff Conqueror Cordella Courageous Coventry ^S Dumbarton Castle Endurance Exeter Famella Fearless Glamorgan Glasgow Hecla Herald Hermes Hydra Intrepid Invincible Junella Leeds Castle Minerva Northella Onyx Penelope Pict Plymouth Sheffield ^S Spartan Splendid Valiant Yarmouth

Royal Fleet Auxiliary	Appleleaf Brambleleaf Bayleaf Blue Rover Engadine Fort Austin Fort Grange Plumleaf Pearleaf Olna Olmeda Regent Resource Sir Bedivere Sir Galahad ^S Sir Geraint Sir Lancelot Sir Percivale Sir Tristram Stromness Tidespring Tidepool

Ships Taken Up From Trade	Alvega Anco Charger Astronomer Atlantic Conveyor ^S Atlantic Causeway Avelona Star Balder London Baltic Ferry British Avon British Dart British Enterprise III British Esk British Tamar British Test British Trent British Wye Canberra Contender Bezant Eburna Elk Europic Ferry Fort Toronto G.A.Walker Geesport Iris Irishman Laertes Lycaon Nordic Ferry Norland Queen Elizabeth 2 Rangatira Salvageman Saxonia Scottish Eagle St Edmund St Helena Stena Inspector Stena Seaspread Strathewe Tor Caledonia Uganda Wimpey Seahorse Yorkshireman

Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service	Goosander Typhoon

^S - Sunk

Tide-class replenishment oilers

Royal Fleet Auxiliary	Tidereach Tideflow (ex-Tiderace) Tidesurge Tide Austral Tidespring Tidepool

Royal Australian Navy	Supply (ex-Tide Austral)

Chilean Navy	Almirante Jorge Montt (ex-Tidepool)

List of replenishment ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary List of ships of the Royal Australian Navy

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