RFA Plumleaf (A78)

For other ships with the same name, see RFA Plumleaf.

Plumleaf refueling USS America (CVA-66), circa 1970
History
United Kingdom
Name	RFA Plumleaf (A78)
Namesake	RFA Plumleaf (X54)
Operator	Royal Fleet Auxiliary
Builder	Blyth Drydock & Engineering Co
Launched	29 March 1960
Decommissioned	May 1986
In service	24 August 1960
Out of service	1986
Identification	IMO number: 5279979
Honours and awards	Falklands 1982
Fate	Scrapped in Kaohsiung 17 December 1986
General characteristics
Class and type	Leaf-class tanker
Displacement	12,459 gross registered tons
Length	560 ft 0 in (170.69 m)
Draught	30 ft 6 in (9.30 m)
Propulsion	1 × 6-cylinder Doxford diesel.
Speed	15 knots (28 km/h)

RFA Plumleaf (A78) was a Leaf-class support tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary of the United Kingdom.

Launched on 29 March 1960, she displaced 12,459 gross registered tons, with a length of 560 feet, a beam of 72 feet 1 inch and a draught of 30 feet 1⁄4 inch. She was powered by a 6-cylinder Doxford diesel giving the ship a top speed of 15 knots. Steam was provided by 2× Scotch marine boilers fired by oil or, if the engine speed was above 90 rpm, by the main engine exhaust gas. Electrical power was 110 V DC from 2× Allen diesel engines and a 90 kW 2 cylinder steam reciprocating engine. All main engineroom pumps were duplicated, one powered by a DC electric motor, the other by a steam reciprocating engine. With the boilers being steamed using the main engine exhaust gas and supplying all the steam pumps and dynamo, the diesel powered dynamos could be shut down making the engineroom a very pleasant working environment.

She saw service during the Falklands War. Plumleaf was decommissioned in 1986, arriving at Kaohsiung for demolition on 17 December 1986.

Prior to being sent for demolition, RFA Plumleaf spent time in Gibraltar being made ready for handover.