British Pacific Fleet Replenishment

[Don Bowen]

Rerding The British Pacific Fleet: The Royal Navy's Most Powerful Strike Force by David Hobbs. Very detailed description of underway replenishment by the BPF in 1945.

So far, have found two British ships that were used as AE: Robert Maersk and Corinda. Also an additional AO: Carelia, a comercial tanker converted in AO in Australia in 1945.

[Kereguelen]

ORIGINAL: Don Bowen


Rerding The British Pacific Fleet: The Royal Navy's Most Powerful Strike Force by David Hobbs. Very detailed description of underway replenishment by the BPF in 1945.

So far, have found two British ships that were used as AE: Robert Maersk and Corinda. Also an additional AO: Carelia, a comercial tanker converted in AO in Australia in 1945.

Interesting, but I'm not sure if Robert Maersk (and its sister ship Gudrun Maersk, also under BPF) really were Armament Stores ships (despite your otherwise excellent source) because both had originally been build as refrigerated cargo ships. Would have been a strange conversion anyway and both are nowhere listed as RFA ships (same with Corinda and Carelia, btw.).

[Terminus]

Well, the Robert Maersk was.

Great book, BTW.

[JWE]

Really hard to say, Don, whether a ship was an Ax, Ay, or Az on any given day.

Just for fun, there was bunch of ships in 1941, that the Navy called AGs, but were really replenishment ships for the fleet. One of them had this gigantic 120,000 cubic foot refrigerator capacity for beef sides, hog jowls, butter beans, eggs and bacon. Gigantic till ya realize that's only 1/3 of the 360,000 bale cubics of a medium sized 4-5000 GRT freighter. Sooo .. what do ya call a ship? And if it humped chilled beef one day, and a couple bombs another, was it an xAK, an AK, an AG, an AKE ?? I'm clueless on this one, pal.

[Don Bowen]

All this pummels the feces out of poor Don. But "da zygotes" is gonna have some additional British underway rep ships in '45!

[JWE]

ORIGINAL: Don Bowen
All this pummels the feces out of poor Don. But "da zygotes" is gonna have some additional British underway rep ships in '45!

Well, perhaps we forgot an orifice, or two. Oh, well.

We probably didn't think of "ships" and "conversions" in terms of what would be needed by a realistic Fleet Train. It's one of those, OK, Didn't think of that, so Rewind, Reset, Refill this with some more Rum please, thank you, Rethink, and Reevaluate. I mean, Zygotes are serious bio precursers.

[Don Bowen]

My head spins - where is my Run ration?

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: Don Bowen

My head spins - where is my Run ration?

You have to run for your rum? That ain't fair!

[Don Bowen]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

ORIGINAL: Don Bowen

My head spins - where is my Run ration?

You have to run for your rum? That ain't fair!

Evidence of either poor typing or early rum ration...

[jmalter]

ORIGINAL: Don Bowen

ORIGINAL: witpqs

ORIGINAL: Don Bowen

My head spins - where is my Run ration?

You have to run for your rum? That ain't fair!

Evidence of either poor typing or early rum ration...

can't find my reference book, it's buried somewhere. But the Brits had at least one bakery ship (used for the Normandy invasion), and had a brewery ship for their late-war far-east fleet-supply train.

[msieving1]

ORIGINAL: JWE

Really hard to say, Don, whether a ship was an Ax, Ay, or Az on any given day.

Just for fun, there was bunch of ships in 1941, that the Navy called AGs, but were really replenishment ships for the fleet. One of them had this gigantic 120,000 cubic foot refrigerator capacity for beef sides, hog jowls, butter beans, eggs and bacon. Gigantic till ya realize that's only 1/3 of the 360,000 bale cubics of a medium sized 4-5000 GRT freighter. Sooo .. what do ya call a ship? And if it humped chilled beef one day, and a couple bombs another, was it an xAK, an AK, an AG, an AKE ?? I'm clueless on this one, pal.

The USN classed them as AF - Provision Stores Ships. The game classifies them as AG. AG in the USN scheme simply meant Miscellaneous Auxiliary, and was used for a wide variety of functions, from general cargo carrying to Q-ships to remote controlled targets.

As far as I can tell, all the AG ships in the game, at least USN, are either AF or AKS - General Issue Stores Ships. They weren't really small ship tenders (the Navy had a bunch of those, mostly converted LSTs). Instead, they were more like floating grocery and department stores, carrying food, clothing, toilet paper, and other items that ships of the fleet might need. The ship in the movie Mister Roberts was an AKS. Not a very glamorous job, but important all the same.

[Pascal_slith]

Is there a book about the history of the RFA, especially pre-WWII and during WWII?

Didn't the RN only develop/train for UnRep during the second half of the war?

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: Pascal

Is there a book about the history of the RFA, especially pre-WWII and during WWII?

Didn't the RN only develop/train for UnRep during the second half of the war?

I doubt that - I've read numerous accounts of them doing UnRep on convoy escorts even before Pearl Harbor.

[Iron Duke]

ORIGINAL: Pascal

Is there a book about the history of the RFA, especially pre-WWII and during WWII?

Didn't the RN only develop/train for UnRep during the second half of the war?

try - The Royal Fleet Auxilliary . A Century of Service by Thomas A Adams and James R Smith ISBN 1-86176-259-3
Covers from 1905 to 2005

Royal Navy conducted the first RAS (Replenishment at Sea) in 1906 between HMS Dominion and Petroleum transfering fuel across the stern of the tanker(Stirrup Method).

[mike scholl 1]

ORIGINAL: Kereguelen

ORIGINAL: Don Bowen


Rerding The British Pacific Fleet: The Royal Navy's Most Powerful Strike Force by David Hobbs. Very detailed description of underway replenishment by the BPF in 1945.

So far, have found two British ships that were used as AE: Robert Maersk and Corinda. Also an additional AO: Carelia, a comercial tanker converted in AO in Australia in 1945.

Interesting, but I'm not sure if Robert Maersk (and its sister ship Gudrun Maersk, also under BPF) really were Armament Stores ships (despite your otherwise excellent source) because both had originally been build as refrigerated cargo ships. Would have been a strange conversion anyway and both are nowhere listed as RFA ships (same with Corinda and Carelia, btw.).

Given the susceptability of explosives to deterioration under heat, this would make good sense when planning for service in the Pacific.

[JWE]

ORIGINAL: Iron Duke

ORIGINAL: Pascal
Is there a book about the history of the RFA, especially pre-WWII and during WWII?

Didn't the RN only develop/train for UnRep during the second half of the war?

try - The Royal Fleet Auxilliary . A Century of Service by Thomas A Adams and James R Smith ISBN 1-86176-259-3
Covers from 1905 to 2005

Royal Navy conducted the first RAS (Replenishment at Sea) in 1906 between HMS Dominion and Petroleum transfering fuel across the stern of the tanker(Stirrup Method).

The RFA website has a nice list of books, including the one Pascal (ed, oops, Iron Duke) mentioned. Perhaps try here:
http://www.historicalrfa.org/the-rfa-in-print

[CaptBeefheart]

I don't know about you guys, but I'd certainly like a brewery ship to be part of my fleet (maybe as an "AB?"), although it would certainly have to be very well protected lest it sink and crush morale.

Cheers,
CC

[Skyland]

Do not forget to add one of the french navy's wine tanker.

[SargeantTex]

I read where the US Navy was concerned about a British Task Force operating with their CBGs because the British still used the over the stern replenishment and felt they wouldnt be able to keep up with them!!!

[msieving1]

ORIGINAL: SargeantTex

I read where the US Navy was concerned about a British Task Force operating with their CBGs because the British still used the over the stern replenishment and felt they wouldnt be able to keep up with them!!!

In general, British replenishment procedures were less efficient than US procedures, and the RN oilers were slower. Admiral King thought the British would be dependent on US support, and was reluctant to provide that support. As it turned out, the BPF did require more US support than had originally been intended, but the US commanders on the scene, Nimitz and Halsey, had no problem with providing the support.