HMS Aspirant (W 134) was a Favourite-class tugboat of the Royal Navy during World War II.

History
United Kingdom
BuilderLevingston Shipbuilding Company, Orange, Texas
Launched10 October 1942
Commissioned3 May 1943
Stricken1 May 1946
FateReturned to US Navy, transferred to Belgian Congo Otraco, deleted 1999
General characteristics
Displacement852 tons light
Length165 ft 5 in (50.42 m)
Beam33 ft 4 in (10.16 m) (extreme)
Draught15 ft 10 in (4.83 m) (limiting)
Propulsiontriple-expansion reciprocating steam engines, single screw, 1,600 hp
Speed12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement52
Armament

Service history

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Aspirant was laid down in late 1942 at the Levingston Shipbuilding Company in Orange, Texas as BATR-42, launched 10 October 1942[1] and commissioned into the Royal Navy under Lend-Lease on 3 May 1943. She served through the war with the Royal Navy in the Mediterranean Sea. Aspirant was returned to the US Navy on 20 March 1946, struck 1 May 1946 and transferred to the Maritime Commission on 18 November 1946 for disposal. She was sold in 1947 to the Moran Towing and Transportation Company and resold in 1948 to the Office d’Exploitation des Transports Coloniaux in Belgian Congo, where she was renamed Vivi. Her final disposition is unknown.

References

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  This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

  1. ^ "HMS Aspirant (W 134)". uboat.net. Retrieved 1 April 2015.