RFA Sir Galahad (1966)
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\n| Career |
|---|
\n| Ordered: | |
\n| Laid down: | |
\n| Launched: | 1966 |
\n| Commissioned: | |
\n| Fate: | sunk during Falklands War |
\n| Struck: | |
\n| General Characteristics |
|---|
\n| Displacement: | 5675 tonnes full, 3270 tonnes standard |
\n| Length: | 125.1 metres |
\n| Beam: | 19.6 metres |
\n| Draught: | 4.3 metres |
\n| Speed: | 17 knots |
\n| Complement: | 68 |
\n| Propulsion: | Two Mirrless Blackstone diesels powering two shafts |
\n| Range: | 9,200 miles at 15 knots |
\n| Armament: | two 40mm Bofors AA in two single mountings |
\n| Aviation: | helicopters on aft platform, no hangar |
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Sir Galahad (L3005) was the name of a LSL (landing ship logistical) belonging to the
Royal Fleet Auxiliary, part of the
British fleet. She was a 3,270
ton LSL built by Stephens and launched in
1966.\nShe could carry 340 troops comfortably or 534 in austere conditions. Beaching cargo capacity was 340 tons, and could include 16 tanks, 34 mixed vehicles, 120 tons of petroleum produce and 30 tons of ammunition. Landing craft could be carried in place of lifeboats, but unloading was mainly handled by three cranes.
Galahad was active during the
Falklands War. On
May 24,
1982 in San Carlos Water she was attacked by A-4Bs of the
Argentine airforce (
FAA) and was hit by one 1000-pound bomb which did not detonate and strafed in a following wave of attack aircraft. On
June 8 in Bluff Cove together with
Sir Tristam she was hit again by two or three bombs and was very badly damaged, she was involved in unloading soldiers from the 1st Welsh Guards and 48 of them were killed in the explosions and subsequent fire. Later the hulk was towed out to sea and sunk by
HMS Onyx (S21); it is now an official War Grave.
Simon Weston, a survivor of the
Sir Galahad who suffered 46% burns, had his story widely reported including a number of
BBC documentaries.
