Sprite-class tanker
The Sprite class were a class of spirit tankers that served with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, supporting the Royal Navy during the Second World War. They went on to support British and allied fleet units during the Cold War.
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Sprite class |
| Builders | Blythswood Shipbuilding Company Ltd |
| Operators |  Royal Fleet Auxiliary |
| Preceded by | Dale class |
| Succeeded by | Ranger class |
| Built | 1940–1943 |
| In commission | 1941–1964 |
| Completed | 2 |
| Retired | 2 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Spirits tanker |
| Displacement | 965 long tons (980 t) |
| Length | 204 ft 6 in (62.33 m) |
| Beam | 33 ft 3 in (10.13 m) |
| Draught | 12 ft 9 in (3.89 m) |
| Propulsion | Triple-expansion engines, 900 ihp (670 kW) |
| Speed | 11 knots (13 mph; 20 km/h) |
Class overview
Two ships were eventually built by the Blythswood Shipbuilding Company Ltd, Airsprite and Nasprite. They entered service in the during the Second World War and were used to carry aviation fuel and petroleum.[1] Both survived the war, serving mainly in British waters and the Mediterranean Sea, and continued in service until being retired in the early 1960s and scrapped soon afterwards.[2]
Ships
| Name | Pennant | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Completed | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airsprite | A115 | Blythswood Shipbuilding Company Ltd | September 1941 | 22 December 1942 | 16 February 1943 | Scrapped in 1965 |
| Nasprite | A252 | Blythswood Shipbuilding Company Ltd | April 1940 | 28 November 1940 | 11 February 1941 | Scrapped in 1964 |
Notes
- Jane's Fighting Ships. p. 82.
- Olver. "Sprite Class Tankers". Archived from the original on 6 October 2008. Retrieved 8 March 2009.
References
- Colledge, J.J. Ships of the Royal Navy: An Historical Index Volume 2: Navy-built Trawlers, Drifters, Tugs and Requisitioned Ships. Newton Abbot: David & Charles.
- Jane's Fighting Ships of World War II. New York: Crescent Books. 1989.
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