Round Table-class landing ship logistics

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). The class was almost certainly so named on account of the phonetic similarity between the abbreviation LSL and Lance-'S'-Lot.[2]

RFA Sir Bedivere
Class overview
NameRound Table-class landing ship logistics
Builders
Operators
Preceded byMark 8 Landing Craft Tank
Succeeded byBay-class landing ship
Built
  • 1962-1967
  • 1985-1986
In commission1964-present
Completed7
Active1
Lost1
General characteristics [1]
TypeLanding ship logistics
Displacement
  • 3,270 tons standard
  • 5,674 tons fully loaded
Length413 ft (126 m)
Beam59 ft (18 m)
Draught13 ft (4.0 m)
Propulsion2 × diesel engines, 9,400 bhp (7,010 kW), 2 shafts
Speed17.25 knots (31.95 km/h; 19.85 mph)
Capacity
Troops402
Complement65
Armament2 × 20 mm guns
Aviation facilitiesHelicopter deck aft

All ships were named after Knights of the Round Table.[3]

Class history

In 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.[3] The first ship, Sir Lancelot, was launched in June 1963.[4] 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.[4] 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.[5]

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.

The Australian Landing Ship Heavy HMAS Tobruk is a modified derivative of the Round Table class design.

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.[6] 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,[7][8] 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.[9]

Ships
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
  1. "Round Table-class Landing Ship Logistic". globalsecurity.org. 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  2. Pearson-Chisman, T. (2012), Round Table Class LSLs. [email]
  3. "RFA Sir Lancelot". RFA Historical Society. Retrieved 5 August 2017.
  4. White, Christopher J; Robinson, Peter (2012). "RFA Sir Lancelot". historicalrfa.org. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  5. "The LSL Class". merchantnavyofficers.com. 2007. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  6. "British India SN Fleet list – Managed vessels". biship.com. 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  7. 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.
  8. "Bay Class LSD(A) Alternative Landing Ship Logistic (ALSL)". naval-technology.com. 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  9. 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.
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