The Sprite class were a class of spirit tankers that served with 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...

, supporting the 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...

 during the Second World War. They went on to support British and allied fleet units during the Cold War

Cold War

The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...

.

Class overview

Two ships were eventually built by the Blythswood Shipbuilding Company Ltd, Airsprite

RFA Airsprite (A115)

RFA Airsprite was a Sprite-class spirits tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. She was laid up in reserve at Devonport in October 1963, and put up for disposal in January 1965....

 and Nasprite

RFA Nasprite (A252)

RFA Nasprite was a Sprite-class tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. She served during the Second World War.She was laid up in reserve at Devonport on 31 August 1954, and put up for disposal in August 1963....

. They entered service in the during the Second World War and were used to carry aviation fuel and petroleum. Both survived the war, serving mainly in British waters and the Mediterranean, and continued in service until being retired in the early 1960s and scrapped soon afterwards.

Ships

Name	Pennant	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Completed	Fate
Airsprite RFA Airsprite (A115) RFA Airsprite was a Sprite-class spirits tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. She was laid up in reserve at Devonport in October 1963, and put up for disposal in January 1965....	A115	Blythswood Shipbuilding Company Ltd	September 1941	22 December 1942	16 February 1943	Scrapped in 1965
Nasprite RFA Nasprite (A252) RFA Nasprite was a Sprite-class tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. She served during the Second World War.She was laid up in reserve at Devonport on 31 August 1954, and put up for disposal in August 1963....	A252	Blythswood Shipbuilding Company Ltd	April 1940	28 November 1940	11 February 1941	Scrapped in 1964