RFA Tidereach

RFA Tidereach with the aircraft carrier HMS Hermes
History
United Kingdom
Name	RFA Tidereach
Builder	Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Wallsend
Yard number	1847
Laid down	2 June 1953
Launched	2 June 1954
Commissioned	30 August 1955
Decommissioned	March 1978
Identification	IMO number: 5361021
Fate	Sold for scrap, 22 February 1979
General characteristics
Class and type	Tide-class replenishment oiler
Displacement	26,000 long tons (26,417 t)
Length	583 ft 2 in (177.75 m) o/a 561 ft (171 m) w/l
Beam	71 ft 3 in (21.72 m)
Draught	32 ft 1 in (9.78 m)
Propulsion	2 × Parmetrada steam turbines 3 × Babcock & Wilcox boilers
Speed	17 knots (20 mph; 31 km/h)
Complement	90 RFA
Armament	Fitted for, but not with, light AA guns

RFA Tidereach (A96) was a Tide-class replenishment oiler of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

Laid down on 2 June 1953 by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson, and launched on 2 June 1954, Tidereach was commissioned on 30 August 1955 and served until March 1978.

She was then laid up in Portsmouth for disposal. On 22 February 1979 she was sold for scrap, and left Portsmouth under tow on 16 March 1979. On 20 March 1979 she arrived at Bilbao, Spain to be broken up.