Editing RFA Tidepool

{{Short description|1963 Tide-class replenishment oiler of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2018}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=RFA Tidepool (A76) underway c1982.JPEG
|Ship caption=
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country= United Kingdom
|Ship flag= [[File:British-Royal-Fleet-Auxiliary-Ensign.svg|100x35px|RFA Ensign]]
|Ship name= RFA ''Tidepool''
|Ship namesake=
|Ship ordered=28 February 1961
|Ship builder= [[Hawthorn Leslie and Company]]
|Ship yard number= 753
|Ship way number=
|Ship laid down= 4 December 1961
|Ship launched= 11 December 1962
|Ship completed= 
|Ship acquired= 
|Ship commissioned=
|Ship decommissioned=
|Ship in service= 28 June 1963
|Ship out of service= 13 August 1982
|Ship renamed=
|Ship struck= 
|Ship reinstated=
|Ship homeport=
|Ship identification=*{{IMO Number|5425607}}
*[[Maritime call sign|Callsign]]: GJMB
*[[Pennant number]]: A76
*[[Helicopter deck|Deck code]]: TP
|Ship motto=  
|Ship nickname=
|Ship honours=
|Ship fate= Sold to Chile, 1982
|Ship status=
|Ship notes=<ref name="historicalrfa-tidepoola76">{{Cite web |date=15 October 2008 |title=RFA Tidepool - Historical RFA |url=https://historicalrfa.uk/rfa-tidepool/ |website=historicalrfa.uk |access-date=21 August 2024}}</ref><ref name="helis-tidepoola76">{{Cite web |title=A76 RFA Tidepool |url=https://www.helis.com/database/unit/638-RFA-Tidepool/ |website=helis.com |access-date=21 August 2024}}</ref>
|Ship badge=[[File:Tidepool Ships Badge.gif|100px]]
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=title
|Ship country= [[Chile]]
|Ship flag= {{shipboxflag|Chile|naval}}
|Ship name=''Almirante Jorge Montt''
|Ship namesake= [[Jorge Montt]]
|Ship acquired= 
|Ship commissioned=13 August 1982
|Ship decommissioned=15 December 1997
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship renamed=
|Ship struck= 
|Ship reinstated=
|Ship homeport=
|Ship identification={{IMO Number|5425607}}
|Ship motto=  
|Ship nickname=
|Ship honours=
|Ship fate= 
|Ship status=
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class= {{sclass2|Tide|replenishment oiler}}
|Ship tonnage= *{{GRT|14130}}
*{{NRT|7411}}
*{{DWT|17400}}
|Ship displacement= {{Convert|27400|LT|t|0|lk=in|abbr=on}}
|Ship length= {{Convert|583|ft|8|in|m|abbr=on}} 
|Ship beam= {{Convert|71|ft|3|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship draught= {{Convert|32|ft|1|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship depth= {{Convert|40|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship power= *2 × [[Foster Wheeler Corporation|Foster Wheeler]] watertube steam boilers
*{{Convert|15000|shp|abbr=off}}
|Ship propulsion= *2 × Hawthorn Leslie/[[Pametrada]] geared turbines, double reduction gearbox
*single shaft
|Ship speed= {{Convert|17|kn|mph km/h|lk=in}}
|Ship range= 
|Ship complement= 110 - plus embarked RN flight party
|Ship sensors=
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=
|Ship armour=
|Ship aircraft= 3 × [[Westland Wessex]] helicopters
|Ship aircraft facilities= [[Helicopter deck]], [[hangar]]
|Ship notes= {{sfn|Puddefoot|2009|p=190}}
}}
{{Infobox service record
|is_ship=yes
|label= 
|partof=
|codes=
|commanders=
|operations=*[[Cod War]]
*[[Beira Patrol]]
*[[Falklands War]]
|victories=
|awards=
}}
|}
'''RFA ''Tidepool'' (A76)''' was a {{sclass2|Tide|replenishment oiler}} of the [[Royal Fleet Auxiliary]].

''Tidepool'' had a long and busy life in the fleet. The ship participated in both the [[Cod Wars]] and the [[Beira Patrol]] during the 1970s. In 1982 when the [[Falklands War]] broke out ''Tidepool'' was on its way to [[Chile]] to be disposed of. The ship was temporarily reclaimed by the [[United Kingdom]] and was finally handed over to the Chilean Navy on 13 August 1982 and renamed ''Almirante Jorge Montt''.

== Design and construction ==

''Tidepool'' had a normal complement consisting 110 Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel with provision for up to 24 [[Royal Navy]] personnel. She was designed with abeam [[replenishment at sea]] rigs, which had automatic tensioning winches and she had an astern fuelling rig. ''Tidepool'' was also fitted with a single spot 50 x 70 ft [[helicopter deck]], designed to be capable of handling the Royal Navy [[Westland Wessex]] helicopters used at the time. She had [[hangar]] facilities for a single helicopter and could support aviation refuelling. The ship was built to carry 9,500 tons of [[Furnace Fuel Oil]], 5,500 tons of [[diesel oil]] and 2,000 tons of [[avcat]] and the forward hold could take dry cargo.{{sfn|Adams|Smith|2005|p=105}} 

The construction of ''Tidepool'' was carried out by the shipbuilder Hawthorn Leslie, at Hebburn. The ship was laid down on 4 December 1961 and launched twelve months later on 11 December 1962.<ref name="historicalrfa-tidepoola76"/> She displaced, fully loaded, 27,400 tons, was just under 584 ft in overall length and was capable of 17 knots.{{sfn|Puddefoot|2009|p=190}}

== Operational history ==

''Tidepool'' was completed and entered service with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary on 11 December 1962,{{sfn|Adams|Smith|2005|p=108}} replacing the fleet support tanker {{RFAux|Wave Sovereign|A211|2}}.<ref name="helis-tidepoola76"/>

=== Beira Patrol ===

Along with air stores support ship {{RFAux|Reliant|A84|2}} and the armament support ship {{RFAux|Resurgent|A280|2}},<ref>{{Cite web |title=Beira Patrol |url=https://www.helis.com/database/ops/33-Beira-Patrol/ |website=helis.com |access-date=21 August 2024}}</ref> ''Tidepool'' was deployed on the [[Beira Patrol]] in the [[Mozambique Channel]] in March 1966, to enforce [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 221|United Nations sanctions]] against [[Rhodesia]]. The RFA provided support for initially a Royal Navy [[aircraft carrier]] and two [[frigate]]s.{{sfn|Adams|Smith|2005|p=114}} On this deployment ''Tidepool'' claimed the record for the longest time in the Mozambique Channel at fifty-three days,<ref>{{cite news |title=Oh why .. are we wait .. ing (off Beira) |newspaper=[[Navy News]] |date=January 1967 |page=8 |url=https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/-/media/royal-navy-responsive/images/navynews/archivepdfs/1960s/1967/navy-news-march-1967-issue-153.pdf |access-date=21 August 2024}}</ref> and was continuously at sea for eighty-one days.{{sfn|Adams|Smith|2005|p=115}}

=== Task Group 317.5 ===

On 25 January 1977 ''Tidepool'' left [[HMNB Devonport]] as part of Task Group 317.5, for an [[Atlantic]] deployment led by the Royal Navy’s converted helicopter cruiser {{HMS|Tiger|C20|2}},<ref name="historicalrfa-tidepoola76"/> in the company of the RFA’s small fleet tanker {{RFAux|Green Rover|A268|2}} and the fleet stores ship {{RFAux|Tarbatness|A345|2}}. She returned to the United Kingdom in May.<ref name="helis-tidepoola76"/>

=== Task Group 317.6 ===

On 5 September 1977, along with RFA’s small fleet tanker {{RFAux|Grey Rover|A269|2}}, the ammunition, explosives and stores supply ship {{RFAux|Regent|A486|2}} and the fleet stores ship ''Tarbatness'', ''Tidepool'' departed [[HMNB Portsmouth]] involved in Task Group 317.7, again supporting the helicopter cruiser ''Tiger'', the task group’s flagship,<ref name="historicalrfa-tidepoola76"/> and accompanied by the Royal Navy's ''Rothesay''-class frigate {{HMS|Rhyl|F129|2}}. The deployment was for seven and half months, and covered [[Australia]] and the [[Far East]]. She returned to the United Kingdom on 20 April 1978.<ref name="helis-tidepoola76"/>

[[File:RFA Tidepool in Total Exclusion Zone, May 1982.JPG|left|thumb|RFA ''Tidepool'' in the [[Total Exclusion Zone]], May 1982.]]
{{clear}}

== References ==

=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

=== Bibliography ===
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last1=Adams |first1=Thomas A |last2=Smith |first2=James R |title=The Royal Fleet Auxiliary A Century of Service |date=2005 |publisher=Chatham Publishing, Lionel Leventhal Ltd, London |isbn=1-86176-259-3 |language=en}}
* {{cite book |last=Puddefoot |first=Geoff |title= The Fourth Force The Untold Story of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary since 1945|year=2009 |publisher= Seaforth Publishing |location= [[Barnsley]], [[South Yorkshire]], UK |isbn= 978-1-84832-046-8 |language=en}}
{{Refend}}

== External links ==
{{commonscat|IMO 5425607}}
* Chilean Navy website [https://archive.today/20130219205508/http://www.armada.cl/prontus_armada/site/artic/20090705/pags/20090705224446.html Almirante Jorge Montt]

{{Falklands War British ships}}

{{Tide class replenishment oiler}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tidepool}}
[[Category:Tide-class replenishment oilers]]
[[Category:Falklands War naval ships of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:1962 ships]]
[[Category:Tide-class replenishment oilers of the Chilean Navy|Almirante Jorge Montt]]


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