View source for RFA Wave Chief

{{Short description|1946 Wave-class oiler of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2018}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=RFA Wave Chief (A265).png
|Ship caption=RFA ''Wave Chief'' (A265)
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=United Kingdom
|Ship flag=[[File:British-Royal-Fleet-Auxiliary-Ensign.svg|60px|RFA Ensign]]
|Ship name=* ''Empire Edgehill'' (1946)
* ''Wave Chief'' (1946-75)
|Ship namesake=
|Ship ordered=
|Ship builder=[[Harland & Wolff]], [[Govan]]
|Ship yard number=1306
|Ship laid down=
|Ship launched=4 April 1946
|Ship acquired=
|Ship completed=
|Ship owner=*Ministry of Transport (1946)
*Admiralty (1946–74)
*[[Thos. W. Ward]] (1974–75)
|Ship operator=Royal Fleet Auxiliary (1946-74)
|Ship commissioned=30 July 1946
|Ship decommissioned=August 1974
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship struck=
|Ship reinstated=
|Ship identification=*United Kingdom [[Official Number]] 180935
*[[Pennant number]]: X119 (1946– ), A265 ( –1974)
|Ship honours=Korea, 1951–53
|Ship fate=Scrapped 1975
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
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|Ship class=
|Ship tonnage={{GRT|8,187|disp=long}}
|Ship displacement=16,483 tons full load
|Ship length={{convert|492|ft|8|in|m|2|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|64|ft|4|in|m|2|abbr=on}}
|Ship draught={{convert|28|ft|6|in|m|2|abbr=on}}
|Ship draft=
|Ship propulsion=2 x [[Metropolitan-Vickers|Metrovick]] double reduction geared steam turbines, {{convert|6800|hp|kW|abbr=on}}.
|Ship speed={{convert|14.5|kn|km/h}}
|Ship range=
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'''RFA ''Wave Chief''''' was a [[Wave class oiler|Wave-class]] fleet support tanker of the [[Royal Fleet Auxiliary]] that was built in 1946 as '''SS ''Empire Edgehil''''' by [[Harland & Wolff]], [[Govan]], [[Glasgow]], United Kingdom.

She saw service during the [[Korean War]], earning a battle star. ''Wave Chief'' also served in the [[First Cod War]] and [[Second Cod War]] against [[Iceland]]. She was extensively modified in the early 1960s and escorted Sir [[Alec Rose]] around [[Cape Horn]], South America in April 1968. She was decommissioned and laid up at [[Rosyth]], [[Fife]], in August 1974, and arrived at [[Inverkeithing]], Fife, for scrapping on 13 November 1974.

==Description==
The ship was built by [[Harland & Wolff]], [[Govan]], [[Glasgow]].<ref name=Ships>{{cite book |last1= Mitchell |first1=W.H. |last2=Sawyer |first2=L.A. |year=1995 |title=The Empire Ships |page=not cited |publisher= Lloyd's of London Press Ltd |location= London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong |isbn=1-85044-275-4}}</ref> She was yard number 1306.<ref name=HRFA/>

The ship was {{convert|492|ft|8|in|m|2}} long, with a beam of {{convert|64|ft|4|in|m|2}}. She had a <!--depth of {{convert|xx|ft|x|in|m|2}} and a -->draught of {{convert|28|ft|6|in|m|2}}.<ref name=Colledge>{{cite book |first=J.J. |last=Colledge |author-link=J. J. Colledge |title=[[Ships of the Royal Navy]]: An Historical Index Volume 2: Navy-built Trawlers, Drifters, Tugs and Requisitioned Ships |edition=2nd |year=1989 |orig-year=1970 |publisher=Greenhill Books |location=London |ISBN=1-85367-028-6 |page=235}}</ref> She was assessed at {{GRT|8,187}}<!--, x,xxx [[net register tonnage|NRT]], xx,xxx [[deadweight tonnage|DWT]]-->.<ref name=Ships/>

The ship was propelled by two [[steam turbine]]s, double reduction geared, driving a single screw propeller <!--of {{convert|x|ft|x|in|m|2}} diameter-->. The turbines were made by [[Metropolitan-Vickers|Metrovick]], [[Manchester]], [[Lancashire]].<!-- Rated at x,xxx [[shaft horsepower|shp]], and driving the propeller at xx [[revolutions per minute|rpm]], --> They could propel her at {{convert|14.5|kn|km/h}}.<ref name=Colledge/><!-- Steam was supplied by x [[boiler]]s. Her range was {{convert|xxxx|nmi|km}}<ref name=xxxx/>-->

==History==
''Empire Edgehill'' was launched on 4 April 1946.<ref name=Ships/> On 27 July 1946, she was transferred to the [[British Admiralty|Admiralty]] and three days later she was completed as ''Wave Chief'', allocated the United Kingdom [[Official Number]] 180935 and the [[pennant number]] X119.<ref name=HRFA>{{cite web |url=http://www.historicalrfa.org/index.php/rfa-wave-chief-ships-details |title=RFA Wave Chief |publisher=Royal Fleet Auxiliary Historical Association |access-date=6 August 2011 |archive-date=5 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005111943/http://www.historicalrfa.org/index.php/rfa-wave-chief-ships-details |url-status=dead }}</ref>

''Wave Chief'' was initially [[bareboat charter|chartered out]] before she was taken over by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. She was operating in the [[Mediterranean]] in 1947, when one of her [[Fireman (steam engine)|firemen]] was discharged dead at [[Suez]], Egypt. In 1949, she loaded a cargo at [[Abadan, Iran]] and delivered it to [[Sydney]], Australia. On 25 June 1950, ''Wave Chief'' joined the [[United States Seventh Fleet]] for naval operations. On 18 November 1951, ''Wave Chief'' was refuelling {{HMAS|Sydney|R17|6}} off the coast of [[Korea]] when there was an accident which resulted in a large spill of fuel and damage to her rig.<ref name=HRFA/>

On 27 July 1953, ''Wave Chief'' was awarded a [[battle honour]] for her service during the Korean War. During December 1956 and January 1957, ''Wave Chief'' accompanied {{ship|HMY|Britannia}} during the [[Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh|Duke of Edinburgh's]] tour of the southern oceans. From 1957, she took part in [[Grapple X|Operation Grapple X]], the British [[hydrogen bomb]] tests at [[Christmas Island]]. On 13 November 1957, she ran aground at [[Batu Puteh]], [[Singapore]], holing all but four of her eighteen tanks.<ref name=HRFA/>

From November 1958, ''Wave Chief'' was deployed supporting [[Royal Navy]] ships in operations off [[Iceland]] in the [[First Cod War]]. These deployments continued until February 1961. In 1961, ''Wave Chief'' came to the assistance of the ''[[Haisboro Light Vessel]]'' which was sinking off the [[Norfolk]] coast after being in collision with another ship. From September to December 1965, ''Wave Chief'' accompanied {{HMS|London|D16|6}}, {{HMS|Lynx|F27|6}}, {{HMS|Odin|S10|6}} {{HMS|Penelope|F127|6}} and  {{HMS|Tiger|C20|6}} on a goodwill tour of [[South America]].<ref name=HRFA/> The squadron, under the command of Vice-Admiral Sir [[Fitzroy Talbot]], visited ports in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela.<ref name=Times190865>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Trade follows links with the Navy: Firmer links with South Africa |date=19 August 1965 |page=12 |issue=56404 |column=D }}</ref>

On 12 December 1967, ''Wave Chief'' was severely damaged in a storm in the Mediterranean. Repairs were carried out at [[Gibraltar]].<ref name=HRFA/> On 25 April 1968, ''Wave Chief'' departed from [[Punta Arenas]], Chile to rendezvous with the yacht ''[[Lively Lady]]'', which was being sailed single-handedly around the world by [[Alec Rose]].<ref name=Times260368>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Lone Voyage says 'all perfect' |date=26 March 1968 |page=1 |issue=57210 |column=G }}</ref> She escorted ''Lively Lady'' around [[Cape Horn]], [[South America]] on 1 April.<ref name=Times010468>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Alec Rose rounds Cape Horn |date=2 April 1968 |page=1 |issue=57216 |column=F }}</ref> From 15 to 17 March 1973, ''Wave Chief'' assisted [[Icelandic Coast Guard]], [[Royal Air Force]] and Royal Navy units in the unsuccessful search for survivors from the [[Fishing trawler|trawler]] ''Sjoestjaman''.<ref name=HRFA/>

From May to August 1973, ''Wave Chief'' operated in support of Royal Navy units involved in the [[Second Cod War]]. She was decommissioned in August 1974 and laid up at [[Rosyth]], [[Dunbartonshire]]. In September she was listed for disposal. ''Wave Chief'' was purchased for [[Pound Sterling|£208,825]] to [[Thos. W. Ward]]. She arrived at [[Inverkeithing]], [[Fife]] on 13 November 1974 for scrapping, which took place in 1975.<ref name=HRFA/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Empire ships}}
{{Wave class oiler}}
{{1961 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wave Chief}}
[[Category:1946 ships]]
[[Category:Ships built in Govan]]
[[Category:Empire ships]]
[[Category:Wave-class oilers]]
[[Category:Tankers of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1961]]
[[Category:Ships built by Harland and Wolff]]