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supplies, and personnel from one vessel to another
while ships are underway. The term replenishment at
sea, formerly used in this sense, applies to all methods
except those for fueling at sea.
Before the techniques of UNREP were developed,
a ship that ran low on fuel, supplies, or ammunition had
to return to port, or the fleet had to lie to while the ship
was partially replenished by small boats. If several or all
the ships were in need, the whole fleet had to return to
port. The disadvantages were obvious. The
effectiveness of a fleet was reduced by every ship that
had to leave, and a ship or small group of ships detached
from a fleet were in greater danger of being sunk or
captured. A fleet lying to in order to replenish was more
vulnerable to attack, and a fleet heading back to port left
the way open for an enemy fleet to accomplish its
mission. With underway replenishment, a whole fleet
can be resupplied, rearmed, and refueled in a matter of
hours while proceeding on its mission.
The first significant replenishment operation ever
performed at sea by the U.S. Navy was in 1899, when
the U.S. Navy collier Marcellus, a coal carrier, while
towing USS Massuchusetts, transferred coal to it. Since
that time, many methods have been tried and
abandoned. Those methods described in this section
have been adopted as the most feasible and are currently
used in the fleet.
The equipment and procedures used in
replenishment operations are only briefly described in
this section. They are discussed in more detail in
Boatswain's Mate, Volume 1, NAVEDTRA 10101; and
“Replenishment at Sea,” NWP 14 (series).
Two general methods of UNREP are used:
connected replenishment (CONREP) and vertical
replenishment (VERTREP). They may be used singly
or at the same time. In CONREP, two or more ships
steam side by side, and the hoses and lines used to
transfer the fuel, ammunition, supplies, and personnel
connect the ships. VERTREP is carried out by
helicopters. The ships may be in the proximity or miles
apart, depending on the tactical situation and the
amount of cargo to be transferred. CONREP concerns
two processes: refueling and resupply. In fueling at sea
(FAS), fuel is pumped from a delivering ship that may
be a replenishment oiler (AOR), oiler (AO), fast combat
support ship (AOE), or a large combat ship. Other
replenishment ships, such as the combat store ship
(AFS) and the ammunition ship (AE), can deliver lesser
amounts of fuel, since their primary purpose is to
deliver solid cargo (supplies and ammunition) by the
methods now referred to as replenishment at sea (RAS).
The most common refueling rigs are the span-wire
and the close-in rigs. Both rigs, and other variations,
will be discussed in more detail later in this chapter. The
span-wire rig has several variations: single hose, double
hose, and probe. The span wire may be either tensioned
or untensioned. Tensioning the span wire is
accomplished by a ram tensioner. A tensioned span wire
or highline, as it is called in RAS, is also used
when
the standard tensioned replenishment alongside method
(STREAM) of transfer is used. STREAM transfer
consists of an all-tensioned rig, highline, outhaul, and
inhaul. The method of fairleading the outhaul is a
traveling standard UNREP fixture (traveling SURF).
The SURF is used with two STREAM rigs, the regular
traveling SURF and the SURF traveling–actuated
remotely (STAR) rig. STREAM with tension highline
has an alternate method when the UNREP ship
experiences difficulties with the outhaul winch. This rig
is called a Burton outhaul and is sent to ships having
Burton whip capabilities.
Other common methods of RAS include manila
highline, Burton housefall, and modified housefall.
You must be familiar with the various equipments
and procedures used during replenishment. Making
rough sketches of the equipment and labeling the
various parts might help you to remember the various
rigs.
The illustrations in this section, and the procedures
described, are representative only. For example, many
items of rigging, such as guys and preventers, have been
omitted from illustrations for clarity. Consult NWP 14
and the Underway Replenishment Hardware and
Equipment Manual to determine the details of rigging
and the personnel and tools required for each rigging
situation. Ship's plans show rigging details, while the
ship SORM fixes responsibility for the various
functions to be performed.
The Underway Replenishment Hardware and
Equipment Manual provides a catalog of the equipment
used in the transfer of solid cargo and bulk fluids, and a
description of the methods used in UNREP. The manual
permits the user to identify the equipment and
establishes the intended use. It also makes reference to
additional detailed technical information related to the
configuration, operation, maintenance, safety features,
installation, and procurement of UNREP equipment.
Your worth as a Seaman will be judged largely on
how you conduct yourself during evolutions, such as
fueling at sea. Make sure that every piece of gear
required is at your station. Do not forget such things as
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