RFA Wave Ruler (A212)
Encyclopedia
Wave Ruler was a that was built in 1946 as Empire Evesham by Furness Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Haverton Hill-on-Tees, Co Durham, United Kingdom for the British Ministry of Transport. In 1947, she was transferred to the Admiralty
and commissioned into the Royal Fleet Auxiliary
(RFA) as Wave Ruler. She was in active service until 1970 when she was hulked
in the Maldive Islands, serving RAF Gan
until 1975. She was sold in 1976 and scrapped in Taiwan in 1977.
The ship was 473 in 6 in (144.32 m) long, with a beam of 64 in 3 in (19.58 m). She had a draught of 35 in 4 in (10.77 m). She was assessed at 8,138 GRT
, 4,554 NRT
. Her full displacement was 16,650 tons.
The ship was propelled by two Parsons turbines
., double reduction geared, driving a single screw propeller. The turbines were made by Richardsons Westgarth & Co Ltd
, West Hartlepool
, Co Durham. They were rated at 6,800 shp. They could propel her at 14.5 knots (28.4 km/h). Steam was supplied by three boiler
s.
. Empire Evesham was completed in April 1946. The United Kingdom Official Number 180849 was allocated. Her Code Letters
were GKNR. She was placed under the management of the Eagle Oil and Shipping Company
, Middlesbrough
, Yorkshire
.
On 7 March 1947, Empire Evesham was commissioned into the Royal Fleet Auxiliary
(RFA) and renamed Wave Ruler. The Pennant number
A212 was allocated. This would later be changed to X135. In May 1951, her captain refused to enter the harbour at Cairns, Queensland
, Australia as there was insufficient depth of water for Wave Ruler. As a result of this, the harbour authorites purchased a dredger. On 3 April 1952, Wave Ruler caught fire whilst anchored off Greenock
, Renfrewshire
. At the time, she was fully laden and all non-essential personnel took to the lifeboats
. The fire, which was in a pumproom, was under control within two hours. It damged Wave Rulers steering gear and she had to be assisted by four tugs
to berth for the discharge of her cargo. On 3 October, Wave Ruler was in the Montebello Islands
, Australia in support of Operation Hurricane
.
On 18 September 1953, Wave Ruler lost all power off Oporto, Portugal. The tugs and were sent to her aid. On 28 September, she ran aground off Swansea
, Glamorgan
. Her cargo was transferred to on 3 October and she was refloated two days later and taken to Swansea for examination. On 1 December 1957, Wave Ruler arrived at Christmas Island
to participate in Operation Grapple
. From 30 September 1958 to 15 December 1960, Wave Ruler was deployed off Iceland in support of Royal Navy
ships participating in the First Cod War. She was then refitted at Hebburn
.
In July 1961, Wave Ruler was one of thirteen RFA ships deployed in support of the Kuwait Crisis
. On 10 September 1962, she participated in Exercise Tucker Box 2 in the Coral Sea
and in November she was at Perth, Western Australia
where the Commonwealth Games
were taking place. On 21 November, a mayday
was received from the Scripps
research vessel
, which was off St Paul Island
and had a crewmember who was critically ill. Wave Ruler responded and gave assistance. In July 1963, Wave Ruler was one of four RFA ships that escorted from the United Kingdom to the Far East. In February 1965, Wave Ruler suffered a major engine breakdown off Port Said
, Egypt. She slowly sailed to Malta
for repairs, arriving on 10 February. In 1967, she was one of the last British naval vessels to be refitted in Malta..
On 26 August 1970, Wave Victor departed from HMNB Devonport
for the Maldive Islands, where she was to replace as a fuel hulk
. She arrived on 3 October and her colours were struck for the last time on 14 October. She served until 1975, when RAF Gan closed. In October that year she was offered for sale. On 11 November, her remaining cargo was transferred to . In January 1976, Wave Ruler was sold to Straits Engineers Contracting Private Ltd, Singapore
for scrapping. She was towed to Singapore in March and laid up in the Singapore Roads. In 1977, she was sold to Taiwanese shipbreakers. Wave Ruler was scrapped that year at Kaohsiung
.
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
and commissioned into the Royal Fleet Auxiliary
Royal Fleet Auxiliary
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary is a civilian-manned fleet owned by the British Ministry of Defence. The RFA enables ships of the United Kingdom Royal Navy to maintain operations around the world. Its primary role is to supply the Royal Navy with fuel, ammunition and supplies, normally by replenishment...
(RFA) as Wave Ruler. She was in active service until 1970 when she was hulked
Hulk (ship)
A hulk is a ship that is afloat, but incapable of going to sea. Although sometimes used to describe a ship that has been launched but not completed, the term most often refers to an old ship that has had its rigging or internal equipment removed, retaining only its flotational qualities...
in the Maldive Islands, serving RAF Gan
RAF Gan
The former Royal Air Force Station Gan commonly known as RAF Gan, was a Royal Air Force military airbase on Gan Island, the southern-most island of Addu Atoll which is part of the larger groups of islands which form the Maldives, in the middle of the Indian Ocean.-History:The area was originally...
until 1975. She was sold in 1976 and scrapped in Taiwan in 1977.
Description
The ship was built in 1946 by Furness Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Haverton Hill-on-Tees, Co Durham. She was yard number 373.The ship was 473 in 6 in (144.32 m) long, with a beam of 64 in 3 in (19.58 m). She had a draught of 35 in 4 in (10.77 m). She was assessed at 8,138 GRT
Gross Register Tonnage
Gross register tonnage a ship's total internal volume expressed in "register tons", one of which equals to a volume of . It is calculated from the total permanently enclosed capacity of the vessel. The ship's net register tonnage is obtained by reducing the volume of non-revenue-earning spaces i.e...
, 4,554 NRT
Net register tonnage
Net register tonnage is a ship's cargo volume capacity expressed in "register tons", one of which equals to a volume of . It is calculated by reducing non-revenue-earning spaces i.e. spaces not available for carrying cargo, for example engine rooms, fuel tanks and crew quarters, from the ship's...
. Her full displacement was 16,650 tons.
The ship was propelled by two Parsons turbines
Steam turbine
A steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam, and converts it into rotary motion. Its modern manifestation was invented by Sir Charles Parsons in 1884....
., double reduction geared, driving a single screw propeller. The turbines were made by Richardsons Westgarth & Co Ltd
Richardsons Westgarth & Company
Richardsons Westgarth & Company was a leading British shipbuilding and marine engineering business. The Company was based in Hartlepool and was a major employer in the area.-History:...
, West Hartlepool
West Hartlepool
This article refers to the place; for the Rugby Football Club see West Hartlepool R.F.C.West Hartlepool refers to the western part of the what has since the 1960s been known as the borough of Hartlepool in North East England...
, Co Durham. They were rated at 6,800 shp. They could propel her at 14.5 knots (28.4 km/h). Steam was supplied by three boiler
Boiler
A boiler is a closed vessel in which water or other fluid is heated. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications.-Materials:...
s.
History
Empire Evesham was laid down on 27 October 1944. She was launched on 17 January 1946. In February, she was transferred to the AdmiraltyAdmiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
. Empire Evesham was completed in April 1946. The United Kingdom Official Number 180849 was allocated. Her Code Letters
Code letters
Code letters were a method of identifying ships before the introduction of modern navigation aids. Later, with the introduction of radio, code letters were also used as radio callsigns.-History:...
were GKNR. She was placed under the management of the Eagle Oil and Shipping Company
Eagle Oil and Shipping Company
Eagle Oil and Shipping Company was a United Kingdom merchant shipping company that operated oil tankers between the Gulf of Mexico and the UK. Weetman Pearson, 1st Viscount Cowdray founded it as the Eagle Oil Transport Company in 1912 and sold it to Royal Dutch Shell in 1919...
, Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
, Yorkshire
North Riding of Yorkshire
The North Riding of Yorkshire was one of the three historic subdivisions of the English county of Yorkshire, alongside the East and West Ridings. From the Restoration it was used as a Lieutenancy area. The three ridings were treated as three counties for many purposes, such as having separate...
.
On 7 March 1947, Empire Evesham was commissioned into the Royal Fleet Auxiliary
Royal Fleet Auxiliary
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary is a civilian-manned fleet owned by the British Ministry of Defence. The RFA enables ships of the United Kingdom Royal Navy to maintain operations around the world. Its primary role is to supply the Royal Navy with fuel, ammunition and supplies, normally by replenishment...
(RFA) and renamed Wave Ruler. The Pennant number
Pennant number
In the modern Royal Navy, and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth, ships are identified by pennant numbers...
A212 was allocated. This would later be changed to X135. In May 1951, her captain refused to enter the harbour at Cairns, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia as there was insufficient depth of water for Wave Ruler. As a result of this, the harbour authorites purchased a dredger. On 3 April 1952, Wave Ruler caught fire whilst anchored off Greenock
Greenock
Greenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
, Renfrewshire
Renfrewshire
Renfrewshire is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Located in the west central Lowlands, it is one of three council areas contained within the boundaries of the historic county of Renfrewshire, the others being Inverclyde to the west and East Renfrewshire to the east...
. At the time, she was fully laden and all non-essential personnel took to the lifeboats
Lifeboat (shipboard)
A lifeboat is a small, rigid or inflatable watercraft carried for emergency evacuation in the event of a disaster aboard ship. In the military, a lifeboat may be referred to as a whaleboat, dinghy, or gig. The ship's tenders of cruise ships often double as lifeboats. Recreational sailors sometimes...
. The fire, which was in a pumproom, was under control within two hours. It damged Wave Rulers steering gear and she had to be assisted by four tugs
Tugboat
A tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
to berth for the discharge of her cargo. On 3 October, Wave Ruler was in the Montebello Islands
Montebello Islands
The Montebello Islands, also known as the Monte Bello Islands, are an archipelago of around 174 small islands lying north of Barrow Island and off the Pilbara coast of north-western Australia. Montebello is Italian for "beautiful mountain"...
, Australia in support of Operation Hurricane
Operation Hurricane
Operation Hurricane was the test of the first British atomic device on 3 October 1952. A plutonium implosion device was detonated in the lagoon between the Montebello Islands, Western Australia....
.
On 18 September 1953, Wave Ruler lost all power off Oporto, Portugal. The tugs and were sent to her aid. On 28 September, she ran aground off Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
, Glamorgan
Glamorgan
Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...
. Her cargo was transferred to on 3 October and she was refloated two days later and taken to Swansea for examination. On 1 December 1957, Wave Ruler arrived at Christmas Island
Christmas Island
The Territory of Christmas Island is a territory of Australia in the Indian Ocean. It is located northwest of the Western Australian city of Perth, south of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, and ENE of the Cocos Islands....
to participate in Operation Grapple
Operation Grapple
Operation Grapple, and operations Grapple X, Grapple Y and Grapple Z, were the names of British nuclear tests of the hydrogen bomb. They were held 1956—1958 at Malden Island and Christmas Island in the central Pacific Ocean. Nine nuclear detonations took place during the trials, resulting in...
. From 30 September 1958 to 15 December 1960, Wave Ruler was deployed off Iceland in support of Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
ships participating in the First Cod War. She was then refitted at Hebburn
Hebburn
Hebburn is a small town situated on the south bank of the River Tyne in North East England, sandwiched between the towns of Jarrow and Bill Quay...
.
In July 1961, Wave Ruler was one of thirteen RFA ships deployed in support of the Kuwait Crisis
July 1961
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in July 1961.-July 1, 1961 :...
. On 10 September 1962, she participated in Exercise Tucker Box 2 in the Coral Sea
Coral Sea
The Coral Sea is a marginal sea off the northeast coast of Australia. It is bounded in the west by the east coast of Queensland, thereby including the Great Barrier Reef, in the east by Vanuatu and by New Caledonia, and in the north approximately by the southern extremity of the Solomon Islands...
and in November she was at Perth, Western Australia
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
where the Commonwealth Games
1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
The 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in Perth, Western Australia, Australia from 22 November-1 December 1962. Athletic events were held at Perry Lakes Stadium in the suburb of Floreat and swimming events at Beatty Park in North Perth....
were taking place. On 21 November, a mayday
Mayday
Mayday is a distress signalMayday or May Day may also refer to:* May Day, a holiday on or around May 1** International Workers' Day* Mayday, Colorado- Music :* Mayday , an electronic music festival* Mayday...
was received from the Scripps
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California, is one of the oldest and largest centers for ocean and earth science research, graduate training, and public service in the world...
research vessel
Research vessel
A research vessel is a ship designed and equipped to carry out research at sea. Research vessels carry out a number of roles. Some of these roles can be combined into a single vessel, others require a dedicated vessel...
, which was off St Paul Island
Île Saint-Paul
Île Saint-Paul is an island forming part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands in the Indian Ocean, with an area of . It is located about southwest of the larger Île Amsterdam, and south of Réunion...
and had a crewmember who was critically ill. Wave Ruler responded and gave assistance. In July 1963, Wave Ruler was one of four RFA ships that escorted from the United Kingdom to the Far East. In February 1965, Wave Ruler suffered a major engine breakdown off Port Said
Port Said
Port Said is a city that lies in north east Egypt extending about 30 km along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Suez Canal, with an approximate population of 603,787...
, Egypt. She slowly sailed to Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
for repairs, arriving on 10 February. In 1967, she was one of the last British naval vessels to be refitted in Malta..
On 26 August 1970, Wave Victor departed from HMNB Devonport
HMNB Devonport
Her Majesty's Naval Base Devonport , is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy . HMNB Devonport is located in Devonport, in the west of the city of Plymouth in Devon, England...
for the Maldive Islands, where she was to replace as a fuel hulk
Hulk (ship)
A hulk is a ship that is afloat, but incapable of going to sea. Although sometimes used to describe a ship that has been launched but not completed, the term most often refers to an old ship that has had its rigging or internal equipment removed, retaining only its flotational qualities...
. She arrived on 3 October and her colours were struck for the last time on 14 October. She served until 1975, when RAF Gan closed. In October that year she was offered for sale. On 11 November, her remaining cargo was transferred to . In January 1976, Wave Ruler was sold to Straits Engineers Contracting Private Ltd, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
for scrapping. She was towed to Singapore in March and laid up in the Singapore Roads. In 1977, she was sold to Taiwanese shipbreakers. Wave Ruler was scrapped that year at Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...
.
