MV Adula

MV Adula was one of nine Royal Dutch/Shell oil tankers converted to become a Merchant Aircraft Carrier (MAC ship). The group is collectively known as the Rapana class.

History
United Kingdom
Name: MV Adula
Operator: Anglo Saxon Royal Dutch/Shell
Builder: Blytheswood
Launched: 28 January 1937
Fate: Scrapped Briton Ferry 1953
General characteristics
Displacement: 8,040 tons (gross)
Length: 465 ft (142 m) (pp) 482.75 ft (147.14 m) (oa)
Beam: 59 ft (18 m)
Draught: 27 ft 6 in (8.38 m)
Propulsion:
  • Diesel
  • one shaft
  • 3,500bhp
Speed: 13 knots (24 km/h)
Complement: 100
Armament:
Aircraft carried: Four Fairey Swordfish

MV Adula was built at Blytheswood and completed in March, 1937 as an oil tanker for the Royal Dutch/Shell line. She was converted at Falmouth to a MAC ship, entering service in February 1944.[1]

As a MAC ship, she had no aircraft hangar, and continued to carry normal cargoes, although operating under Royal Navy control. Only her air crew and the necessary maintenance staff were naval personnel.[2]

At the end of the war, Adula was reconverted to an oil tanker. She served in this capacity until broken up for scrap at Briton Ferry in May 1953.

References
  1. "HMS Adula Aircraft Carrier Profile". Fleet Air Arm Archive. Retrieved 11 April 2009.
  2. H.T. Lenton & J. J. Colledge. Warships of World War II. Ian Allan. p. 296. ISBN 0-7110-0403-X.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.