RFA Stromness (A344)
RFA Stromness (A344)
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| History | |
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 United Kingdom
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| Name: | RFA Stromness |
| Ordered: | 7 December 1964 |
| Builder: | Swan Hunter |
| Yard number: | 2017 |
| Laid down: | 5 October 1965 |
| Launched: | 16 September 1966 |
| Fate: | Sold to USA |
 United States
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| Name: | USNS Saturn |
| Acquired: | 1 January 1983 |
| In service: | 1 January 1983 |
| Out of service: | 6 April 2009 |
| Identification: |
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| Fate: | Sunk October 27, 2010 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: |
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| Tonnage: | 6475 deadweight tonnage |
| Displacement: | 10,205 tons |
| Tons burthen: | 16,680 tons |
| Length: | 523 ft (159 m) o/a |
| Beam: | 72 ft (22 m) |
| Draft: | 26 ft (7.9 m) (max.) |
| Propulsion: | 8-cylinder Sulzer RD 76 turbocharged diesel engine, 11,520 bhp (8,590 kW) at 118 RPM, single propeller |
| Speed: | 18 knots (33 km/h) |
| Complement: |
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| Armament: | 6x pintle mounts for M240B 7.62mm machine guns or Browning M2 12.7mm machine guns in MSC service. Guns not normally fitted |
| Aircraft carried: | 2 × UH-46 Sea Knight or MH-60S Seahawk helicopters |
| Aviation facilities: | Fitted with a flight deck but no hangar facilities until purchased by U.S. Military Sealift Command, hangar for 2 CH-46, MH-60 or Super Puma post-refit |
RFA Stromness (A344) was a fleet stores ship which served the Royal Fleet Auxiliary until sold to the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command in 1983. While in the service of British forces, it saw service in the Falklands War. After the sale to the United States, it was renamed USNS Saturn (T-AFS-10) and acted as a combat stores ship until it was deactivated in 2009; it was able to supply two other ships at once. In 2010, it was sunk in an exercise by the U.S. Carrier Strike Group Two off the coast of North Carolina.
Originally known as RFA Stromness (A344), the vessel was built at Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd, Wallsend as Yard Nr 2017, United Kingdom, for the Royal Navy. She was laid down on 5 October 1965 and launched on 16 September 1966.
In 1973 she brought the expedition members of the Joint Services Egmont Islands Expedition (JSEI) from the Egmont Atoll back to Gan, Addu Atoll after their mission was over. Led by Sqn Leader “Dickie” Bird RAF, it was the first scuba diving expedition in the Chagos Archipelago. Following its success, a second expedition was undertaken to Danger Island the following year.
In 1982, Stromness saw service during the Falklands War, where she carried over 400 troops of 45 Commando Royal Marines to the beach landing in San Carlos Water.
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Wikipedia