RFA Empire Gull (L3513)

History
Empire Gull (L3513)
Name:	LST 3523 (1944–47) HMS Trouncer (1947–56) SS Empire Gull (1956–70) RFA Empire Gull (1970–80)
Operator:	Royal Navy (1944–56) Atlantic Steam Navigation Company Ltd (1956-61) British-India Steam Navigation Company Ltd (1961-70) Royal Fleet Auxiliary (1970–80)
Port of registry:	United Kingdom (1956–70)
Ordered:	24 April 1944
Builder:	G.T. Davie Shipbuilding & Repairing Co Ltd., Lauzon, Quebec
Yard number:	970
Laid down:	20 December 1944
Launched:	9 July 1945
Commissioned:	October 1945
Decommissioned:	3 September 1978
Fate:	Arrived Santander for demolition, 18 March 1980
General characteristics
Type:	Landing Ship, Tank
Tonnage:	4,820 GRT
Displacement:	4,980 long tons (5,060 t) full load
Length:	347 ft 6 in (105.92 m)
Beam:	55 ft 1 in (16.79 m)
Draught:	12 ft 2.5 in (3.721 m)
Propulsion:	2 × 4-cylinder triple expansion^[1] steam engines
Speed:	10 knots (12 mph; 19 km/h)^[1]
Complement:	63, plus accommodation for 80 troops

For other ships of the same name, see SS Empire Gull.

RFA Empire Gull (L3513) was a landing ship, tank of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. She was familiarly known as the "Black Pig" and was one of the last serving British LSTs. She was built as LST 3523, one of the Empire Ships, and later commissioned as HMS Trouncer.^[2] During the Suez Crisis she was pressed into Government service as SS Empire Gull. In 1970 she was transferred to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary as RFA Empire Gull, serving for ten years before being scrapped.

History

LST 3523 was built by Davie Shipbuilding and Repairing Co Ltd, Lauzon, Quebec, launched on 9 July 1945,^[3] and completed in October 1945.^[4] In 1947 she was commissioned as HMS Trouncer.

After spending some time mothballed on the River Clyde, she was pressed into service as SS Empire Gull during the Suez Crisis of 1956. She was operated under the management of the Atlantic Steam Navigation Company until 1961, when management passed to the British-India Steam Navigation Company. In 1970, she was transferred to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and was renamed RFA Empire Gull,^[1] and allocated pennant number L3513. She served in the Mediterranean and later between Marchwood and Antwerp^[1] and also between Liverpool and Belfast. She was scrapped in Santander, Spain in 1980.^[3]

References

1 2 3 4 "RFA Empire Gull 1970 - 1978.". RFA ASSOCIATION, Plymouth and District Branch. Retrieved 9 April 2010. GRT 4258 ... Marchwood -Antwerp/Zeebrugge runs
↑ "Landing Ship Gantry/ Tank". RFA ASSOCIATION, Plymouth and District Branch. Retrieved 9 April 2010. RFA Empire Gull. L3513 (Ex LST 3523, Ex HMS Trouncer). RFA Service from 1970 - 1978
1 2 "LST (Landing Ship Tank/Troop)". Luton Model Boat. Retrieved 26 February 2009.
↑ Mitchell, W. H. and Sawyer, L. A. (1995). The Empire Ships. London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. p. 360. ISBN 1-85044-275-4.

External links

Colour photo of RFA Empire Gull
Landing Ship Gantry/ Tank (4 images)

LST (3)-class tank landing ships

Completed	LST 3001 LST 3002 LST 3003 / Anzio LST 3004 LST 3006 / Tromso LST 3007 LST 3008 LST 3009 LST 3010 / Attacker / Empire Cymric LST 3011 / Avenger LST 3012 / LST(Q) 1 / Ben Nevis LST 3013 / LST(Q) 2 / Ben Lomond LST 3014 LST 3015 / Battler LST 3016 / Dieppe LST 3017 LST 3018 LST 3019 / Vaagso LST 3020 LST 3021 LST 3022 LST 3023 LST 3024 LST 3025 / Bruiser LST 3026 / Charger LST 3027 / Lofoten LST 3028 LST 3029 / Chaser LST 3030 LST 3031 LST 3032 LST 3033 LST 3035 LST 3036 / Puncher LST 3037 LST 3038 / Fighter LST 3039 LST 3041 LST 3042 / Hunter LST 3043 / LST(C) 3043 / Messina LST 3044 / LST(C) 3044 / Narvik LST 3501 LST 3502 LST 3503 LST 3504 / Pursuer LST 3505 / Ravager LST 3506 LST 3507 LST 3508 / Searcher LST 3509 LST 3510 / Slinger LST 3511 / Reggio LST 3512 / Empire Celtic LST 3513 / Salerno LST 3514 / Smiter LST 3515 / Stalker LST 3516 / Striker LST 3517 / St Nazaire LST 3518 / Suvla LST 3519 / Empire Baltic LST 3520 / Thruster LST 3522 / Tracker LST 3523 / Trouncer LST 3524 / Trumpeter LST 3525 / Walcheren LST 3526 LST 3527 LST 3530 LST 3531 LST 3532 / Zeebrugge LST 3534 / Empire Cedric

Scrapped or scuttled before completion	LST 3005 LST 3034 LST 3040 LST 3045 LST 3521 LST 3535 LST 3536 LST 3537

Cancelled	LST 3528 LST 3529 LST 3533 LST 3538 LST 3539 LST 3540 LST 3541 LST 3542 LST 3543 LST 3544 LST 3545 LST 3546 LST 3547 LST 3548 LST 3549 LST 3550 LST 3551 LST 3552 LST 3553 LST 3554 LST 3555 LST 3556 LST 3557 LST 3558 LST 3559 LST 3560 LST 3561 LST 3562 LST 3563 LST 3564 LST 3565 LST 3566 LST 3567 LST 3568 LST 3569 LST 3570 LST 3571 LST 3572 LST 3573 LST 3574

Other operators

Royal Australian Navy	LST 3008 LST 3014 LST 3017 / Tarakan LST 3022 LST 3035 / Lae LST 3501 / Labuan

Hellenic Navy	Achelaos (ex-LST 3503) Alfios (ex-LST 3020) Aliakmon (ex-LST 3002) Axios (ex-LST 3007) Pinios (ex-LST 3506) Strymon (ex-LST 3502)

Indian Navy	Magar (ex-Avenger)

Royal Netherlands Navy	LST 3010

Royal Army Service Corps	Charles Macleod (ex-LST 3021) Evan Gibb (ex-LST 3037) Fredrick Glover (ex-LST 3001) Humphrey Gale (ex-LST 3509) Maxwell Brander (ex-LST 3024) Reginald Kerr (ex-LST 3009) Snowden Smith (ex-LST 3028)

Preceded by: LST (2) class
Followed by: None

List of amphibious warfare ships of the Royal Navy

Empire ships beginning with Empire G

Cargo ships	Empire Gable Empire Gabon Empire Gaffer Empire Gage Empire Gala Empire Galahad¹ Empire Galashiels Empire Galaxy Empire Galbraith Empire Gale Empire Galena Empire Gallant Empire Galleon Empire Gallery Empire Galliard Empire Gallic Empire Gallop Empire Galloper Empire Galveston Empire Galway Empire Gambia Empire Game Empire Gangway Empire Gantock Empire Gantry Empire Ganymede Empire Gareth Empire Garland Empire Garner Empire Garrison Empire Garry Empire Garston Empire Gat² Empire Gatehouse Empire Gatwick Empire Gavel Empire Gazelle² Empire Gemsbuck Empire General Empire Geraint Empire Ghyll³ Empire Gilbert Empire Gillian² Empire Glade Empire Gladstone Empire Glen Empire Glencoe Empire Glory Empire Goodwin Empire Governor Empire Gower³ Empire Grebe Empire Grenfell Empire Grey Empire Grove² Empire Fulmar Empire Guernsey² Empire Guillemot Empire Guinevere Empire Gull Empire Gulliver Empire Gunfleet Empire Gunner

Dredgers and Hopper ships	Empire Grassland

Landing ships	Empire Gaelic Empire Gannet Empire Gauntlet Empire Grebe Empire Guillemot Empire Gull

Ocean liners	Empire Grace⁴

Tankers	Empire Gain Empire Ganges Empire Garden Empire Garnet² Empire Gawain² Empire Garrick Empire Gem Empire Gold Empire Granite Empire Grenadier Empire Grosvenor² Empire Gulf Empire Gypsy²

Tugs	Empire George⁵ Empire Gnome⁵ Empire Goblin⁵ Empire Greta⁵ Empire Griffin

A B Ca–Cl Co–Cy D E F G H I–J K L M N O P R Sa–Sh Si–Sy Ta–Te Th–Ty U–Z

1 Refrigerated cargo ship 2 Coaster 3 Collier 4 Cargo liner 5 Coastal tug

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