The Round Table class, also known as the Sir Lancelot class, was a British ship class designed for amphibious warfare missions in support of the main amphibious warfare ships. They were designated landing ship logistics (LSL).
 RFA Sir Bedivere | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Round Table-class landing ship logistics |
| Builders | |
| Operators | |
| Preceded by | Mark 8 Landing Craft Tank |
| Succeeded by | Bay-class landing ship |
| Built |
|
| In commission | 1964-present |
| Completed | 7 |
| Active | 1 |
| Lost | 1 |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| Type | Landing ship logistics |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 413 ft (126 m) |
| Beam | 59 ft (18 m) |
| Draught | 13 ft (4.0 m) |
| Propulsion | 2 × diesel engines, 9,400 bhp (7,010 kW), 2 shafts |
| Speed | 17.25 knots (31.95 km/h; 19.85 mph) |
| Capacity |
|
| Troops | 402 |
| Complement | 65 |
| Armament | 2 × 20 mm guns |
| Aviation facilities | Helicopter deck aft |
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All ships were named after Knights of the Round Table.[2]
Class history
editIn December 1961, the Ministry of Transport ordered the first in a new class of 6,000-ton military supply vessels from Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company of Govan. The class was designed to replace the World War II-era Mark 8 Landing Craft Tank vessels in service.[2] The first ship, Sir Lancelot, was launched in June 1963.[3] In March 1963, two more vessels were ordered, with Sir Galahad and Sir Geraint launched by Alexander Stephen and Sons of Linthouse in April 1966 and January 1967. The final three ships were ordered in April 1965; Sir Bedivere and Sir Tristram were launched by Hawthorn Leslie and Company of Hebburn in July and December 1966, followed by Sir Percivale from Swan Hunter of Wallsend in October 1967.[3] At 6,390 GRT, Sir Lancelot was slightly larger than her successors, and was powered by two 12-cylinder Sulzer diesel engines, while the others were 4,473 GRT and had two 10-cylinder Mirrlees Monarch engines.[4]
The ships had both bow and stern doors leading onto the main vehicle deck, making them roll-on/roll-off, combined with ramps that led to upper and lower vehicle decks. Thanks to their shallow draught, they could beach themselves and use the bow doors for speedy unloading of troops and equipment. The ships also had helicopter decks on both the upper vehicle deck and behind the superstructure.
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The ships were operated and managed by the British India Steam Navigation Company for the Royal Army Service Corps until January 1970, then were transferred to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.[5] One vessel, Sir Galahad, was lost during the Falklands War, while another, Sir Tristram, was badly damaged. The former was replaced by a new, 8,861 GT vessel of the same name, while the latter was rebuilt and returned to service. All of the vessels in this class were replaced by the Bay class,[6][7] with Sir Bedivere the last to leave service in 2008.
HMAS Tobruk, formerly operated by the Royal Australian Navy, was based on the Round Table design.[8]
Ships
edit| Name | Pennant Number | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Original Design | ||||||
| Sir Bedivere | L3004 | Hawthorn Leslie, Hebburn | 28 October 1965 | 20 July 1966 | 18 May 1967 | Sold to Brazilian Navy as Almirante Saboia, 2008 |
| Sir Galahad (I) | L3005 | Alexander Stephen and Sons, Govan | 22 February 1965 | 19 April 1966 | 17 December 1966 | Sunk following air attack, 21 June 1982 |
| Sir Geraint | L3027 | Alexander Stephen and Sons, Govan | 21 February 1965 | 26 January 1967 | 12 July 1967 | Broken up at Gadani, 2005 |
| Sir Lancelot | L3029 | Fairfields, Govan | March 1962 | 25 June 1963 | 16 January 1964 | Sold into mercantile service, 1989 and broken up 2008 |
| Sir Percivale | L3036 | Swan Hunter, Wallsend | 27 July 1966 | 4 October 1967 | 23 March 1968 | Broken up at Liverpool, 2010 |
| Sir Tristram | L3505 | Hawthorn Leslie, Hebburn | 14 March 1966 | 12 December 1966 | 14 September 1967 | Moored at Portland as static training ship |
| Modified Design | ||||||
| Tobruk | L 50 | Carrington Slipways, Tomago | 7 February 1978 | 1 March 1980 | 23 April 1981 | Sunk as artificial reef, June 2018 |
| Sir Galahad (II) | L3005 | Swan Hunter, Wallsend | 12 May 1985 | 13 December 1986 | 25 November 1987 | Sold to Brazilian Navy as Garcia D'Avila, 2007. Retired in 2019. |
References
edit- ^ "Round Table-class Landing Ship Logistic". globalsecurity.org. 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
- ^ a b "RFA Sir Lancelot". RFA Historical Society. Retrieved 5 August 2017.
- ^ a b White, Christopher J; Robinson, Peter (2012). "RFA Sir Lancelot". historicalrfa.org. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
- ^ "The LSL Class". merchantnavyofficers.com. 2007. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
- ^ "British India SN Fleet list – Managed vessels". biship.com. 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
- ^ Saunders, Stephen, ed. (2008). Jane's Fighting Ships 2008–2009. Jane's Fighting Ships (111th ed.). Surrey: Jane's Information Group. p. 876. ISBN 978-0-7106-2845-9. OCLC 225431774.
- ^ "Bay Class LSD(A) Alternative Landing Ship Logistic (ALSL)". naval-technology.com. 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
- ^ Jones, Peter (2001). "Towards Self Reliance; A Period of Change and Uncertainty". In Stevens, David (ed.). The Royal Australian Navy. The Australian Centenary History of Defence. Vol. III. South Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press. p. 222. ISBN 0-19-555542-2. OCLC 50418095.
External links
edit
- "Sir Lancelot Class". battleships-cruisers.co.uk.