The class was based on, which had served with the British Pacific Fleet during the Second World War.[1] Three ships were laid down for the RFA in 1953, with a fourth being ordered by the RAN at the same time.[1] Two more ships, built for the RFA to a modified design, were launched in 1962.
Upon completion, the RANs Tide Austral could not be accepted into service because of manpower and financial difficulties. The ship was instead loaned to the RFA from 1955 until 1962, when she was returned to the RAN and commissioned as . She was 'paid off' in 1985.[1]
The first three ships were removed from service and scrapped during the late 1970s. The two modified ships, Tidespring and Tidepool saw service in the Falklands War, after which Tidepool was sold to the Chilean Navy and renamed Almirante Jorge Montt.[2] Tidespring remained with the RFA and was scrapped in 1992. Supply remained with the RAN until 1985.
The original four ‘early Tide class’ ships were the initial tailor-made fleet replenishment tankers, deliberately designed by the Admiralty for continuous fleet aid for the Royal Navy. The designs were developed from first hand knowledge gained from everyday activities done on vessels such as former Kriegsmarine combination oiler and supply vessel, the former fleet tanker and some of the replenishment oilers.[3]
This ships served around the world and set the standard for future RFA operations. Three of the vessels were close to Suez when the 1956 Crisis started. One of the ‘Tides’ was low on fuel and returned to Malta as instructed, to refuel. However, it was the wrong ship that went back. It was realised that the names Tiderace and Tiderange were too similar they were changed to Tideflow and Tidesurge respectively in 1958.[3]
The two later ships, built at the beginning of the 1960s, were a further development of the class. These two were more advanced in terms of replenishment and were highly effective, even under severe operational environments.[4]
Tide-class replenishment oilers | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Early Tide class | |||||||
Name | Pennant | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Completed | Out of service | Fate |
A99 | Harland and Wolff, Belfast | 5 August 1952 | 1 September 1954 | 28 May 1955 | 15 August 1962 | Returned to Australia as HMAS Supply | |
A96 | Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Wallsend | 2 June 1953 | 2 June 1954 | 30 August 1955 | March 1978 | Broken up at Bilbao, 1979 | |
(ex-Tiderace) | A97 | J.L. Thompson and Sons, Sunderland | 30 August 1953 | 30 August 1954 | 24 January 1956 | November 1975 | Broken up at Bilbao, 1976 |
(ex-Tiderange) | A98 | Sir James Laing & Sons, Sunderland | 1 July 1953 | 1 July 1954 | 26 March 1956 | May 1976 | Broken up at Valencia, 1977 |
Later Tide class | |||||||
A75 | Hawthorn Leslie, Hebburn | 24 July 1961 | 3 May 1962 | 18 January 1963 | 13 December 1991 | Broken up at Alang, 1992 | |
A76 | 14 December 1961 | 11 December 1962 | 28 June 1963 | 13 August 1982 | Sold to Chile as Almirante Jorge Montt, 1982 | ||