imported>Trappist the monk: /* top */ convert table-based ship infobox to {{Infobox ship}};

2025-11-04T19:26:48Z

top: convert table-based ship infobox to {{Infobox ship}};

imported>Mikeyp72: Updated short description #article-change-desc

2024-06-30T05:57:04Z

Updated short description #article-change-desc

New page

{{Short description|1954 Retainer class armament support ship of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2017}}
{{more citations needed|date=December 2009}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
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|Ship country=[[United Kingdom]]
|Ship flag=[[File:British-Royal-Fleet-Auxiliary-Ensign.svg|60px|RFA Ensign]]
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|Ship laid down=11 October 1948
|Ship launched=19 January 1950
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|Ship commissioned=July 1954
|Ship recommissioned=
|Ship decommissioned=April 1978
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|Ship identification={{IMO|5293470}}
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|Ship fate=Demolished at Barcelona on 29 October 1979
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|Ship displacement=14,400 tons full load
|Ship length={{Convert|477|ft|2|in|m|0|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{Convert|62|ft|2|in|m|0|abbr=on}}
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|Ship draught={{Convert|25|ft|.75|in|m|0|abbr=on}}
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|Ship propulsion=6-cylinder Scott-Doxford diesel engine
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|Ship speed=15 knots
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|Ship aircraft=Fitted with a small landing platform
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'''RFA ''Retainer'' (A329)''' was an armament support ship of the [[Royal Fleet Auxiliary]].

Built by Scotts of Greenock as Chungking, a cargo/passenger liner for the China Navigation Co. Both ''Chungking'' and her sister vessel ''Changchow'' (later {{ship|RFA|Resurgent}} lost their initial purpose due to the Communist revolution. Chartered for a year and a half to the French [[Messageries Maritimes]], they were purchased by the [[British Admiralty]] in 1952.<ref>{{Cite web|lang=fr|title=Le paquebot Chungking, futur Retainer, affrété par les Messageries Maritimes|url=http://www.messageries-maritimes.org/chungking.htm|website=messageries-maritimes.org}}</ref>

In 1959, ''Retainer'' was used with the missile trials ship {{HMS|Girdle Ness|A387|6}} for trials of [[replenishment at sea]] with the new [[Seaslug (missile)|Seaslug]] missile.<ref>{{Cite web
|title=Seaslug transfer
|date=1959
|id=Imperial War Museum A 34233
|website=RFA Nostalgia
|url=http://www.rfanostalgia.org/gallery3/index.php/REPLENISHMENT-AT-SEA/RFAs/Retainer-Girdle-Ness
}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Retainer}}
[[Category:Ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary]]
[[Category:Stores ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary]]
[[Category:1950 ships]]

{{UK-aux-ship-stub}}

RFA Retainer - Revision history

imported>Trappist the monk: /* top */ convert table-based ship infobox to {{Infobox ship}};

imported>Mikeyp72: Updated short description #article-change-desc