Ham-class minesweeper

{{short description|1954 class of minesweeper of the Royal Navy}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{more footnotes needed|date=February 2013}}

{{Infobox ship begin|sclass=2}}

{{Infobox ship image

|Ship image=HMS Portisham (26782178757).jpg

|Ship caption=HMS Portisham

}}

{{Infobox ship class overview

|Name=

|Builders=

|Operators=*{{navy|United Kingdom}}

  • {{navy|Australia}}
  • {{navy|France}}
  • {{navy|Ghana}}
  • {{navy|Libya}}
  • {{navy|India}}
  • {{navy|Malaysia}}
  • {{navy|Saudi Arabia}}
  • {{navy|Yugoslavia}}

|Class before=

|Class after=

|Subclasses=

|Cost=

|Built range=1954–1959

|In service range=

|In commission range=

|Total ships building=

|Total ships planned=

|Total ships completed=93

|Total ships cancelled=

|Total ships active=

|Total ships laid up=

|Total ships lost=

|Total ships retired=

|Total ships preserved=

}}

{{Infobox ship characteristics

|Hide header=

|Header caption=

|Ship type=Minesweeper

|Ship displacement=*{{convert|120|LT|t|0}} standard

  • {{convert|164|LT|t|0}} full load

|Ship length=*{{convert|100|ft|m|abbr=on}} p/p

  • {{convert|106|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on}} o/a, except third sub-group {{convert|107|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on}}

|Ship beam=*26-group: {{convert|21|ft|4|in|m|abbr=on}}

  • 27-group: {{convert|22|ft|m|abbr=on}}

|Ship height=

|Ship draught=*26-group: {{convert|5|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on}}

  • 27-group: {{convert|5|ft|9|in|m|abbr=on}}

|Ship depth=

|Ship propulsion=*2 shaft Paxman 12YHAXM diesels

  • {{convert|1100|bhp|abbr=on}}

|Ship speed= {{convert|14|kn}}

|Ship range= 15 tons diesel fuel, ?

|Ship endurance=

|Ship complement=2 officers, 13 ratings

|Ship sensors=

|Ship EW=

|Ship armament= 1 × Bofors 40 mm L/60 gun or Oerlikon 20 mm cannon

|Ship armour=

|Ship notes=

}}

The Ham class was a class of inshore minesweepers (IMS), known as the Type 1, of the British Royal Navy. The class was designed to operate in the shallow water of rivers and estuaries. All of the ships in the class are named for British place names that end with -"ham". The parent firm that was responsible for supervising construction was Samuel White of Cowes, Isle of Wight.

Description

The class consisted of 93 ships, launched between 1954 and 1959. {{HMS|Inglesham|M2601|6}} was the first. They were built in three slightly different sub-groups, the first sub-group, the 26-group, is distinguished by pennant numbers 26xx, and the second and third sub-groups, the 27-group, are distinguished by pennant numbers 27xx. The 26-group was of wood and non-ferrous metal composite construction and the 27-group was of all-wood construction. The third sub-group is distinguished by a prominent rubbing strake around the hull and slightly larger dimensions.

Unlike traditional minesweepers, they were not equipped for sweeping moored or magnetic mines. Their work was to locate individual mines and neutralise them. This was a then-new role, and the class was configured for working in the shallow water of rivers, estuaries and shipping channels.

The vessels displaced {{convert|164|LT}} fully laden and were armed with one 40 mm Bofors or 20 mm Oerlikon gun. They were {{convert|32.5|m}} long overall with a {{convert|6.4|m|adj=on}} beam. The construction was of wood to minimise the magnetic signature. The crew complement was 15, rising to 22 in wartime.

The engines of this class were Paxman diesels, some of which were built under licence by Ruston and Hornsby of Lincoln. Each vessel had: two 12YHAXM (intercooled) for main propulsion, rated at {{convert|550|bhp|abbr=on|lk=in}} at 1,000 rpm, plus one 12YHAZ for pulse generation. Maximum speed was {{convert|14|kn}} dropping to {{convert|9|kn}} when mine hunting.

The class shared the same basic hull as the {{sclass2|Ley|minehunter}} and the {{sclass|Echo|survey ship (1957)|0}} inshore survey craft.

{{Clear}}

Ships

{{div col|colwidth=30em}}

  • {{HMS|Abbotsham}} (IMS87)
  • {{HMS|Altham}} (IMS02)
  • {{HMS|Arlingham}} (IMS03)
  • {{HMS|Asheldham}} (IMS04)
  • {{HMS|Bassingham}} (IMS05)
  • {{HMS|Bedham}} (IMS06)
  • {{HMS|Birdham}} (IMS85)
  • {{HMS|Bisham}} (IMS07)
  • {{HMS|Blunham}} (IMS08)
  • {{HMS|Bodenham}} (IMS09)
  • {{HMS|Boreham}} (IMS10)
  • {{HMS|Bottisham}} (IMS11)
  • {{HMS|Brantingham}} (IMS12) (later HMMS Temasek){{cite book|title=Malaysia|author1=British Association of Malaysia|author2=British Association of Malaysia and Singapore|year=1958|page=51|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WHkZAAAAMAAJ&q=%22hms+brantingham%22|access-date=9 January 2018}}
  • {{HMS|Brigham}} (IMS13)
  • {{HMS|Bucklesham}} (IMS14)
  • {{HMS|Cardinham}} (IMS15)
  • {{HMS|Chelsham}} (IMS16)
  • {{HMS|Chillingham}} (IMS17)
  • {{HMS|Cobham}} (IMS18)
  • {{HMS|Cranham}} (IMS19)
  • {{HMS|Damerham}} (IMS31)
  • {{HMS|Darsham}} (IMS21)
  • {{HMS|Davenham}} (IMS22)
  • {{HMS|Dittisham}} (IMS23)
  • {{HMS|Downham}} (IMS24)
  • {{HMS|Edlingham}} (IMS25)
  • {{HMS|Elsenham}} (IMS26)
  • {{HMS|Etchingham}} (IMS27)
  • {{HMS|Everingham}} (IMS28)
  • {{HMS|Felmersham}} (IMS29)
  • {{HMS|Flintham}} (IMS30)
  • {{HMS|Fordham}} (IMS54)
  • {{HMS|Frettenham}} (IMS20)
  • {{HMS|Fritham}} (IMS32)
  • {{HMS|Georgeham}} (IMS88)
  • {{HMS|Glentham}} (IMS33)
  • {{HMS|Greetham}} (IMS34)
  • {{HMS|Halsham}} (IMS35)
  • {{HMS|Harpham}} (IMS36)
  • {{HMS|Haversham}} (IMS37)
  • {{HMS|Hildersham}} (IMS42)
  • {{HMS|Hovingham}} (IMS39)
  • {{HMS|Inglesham}} (IMS01)
  • {{HMS|Isham}} (IMS40)
  • {{HMS|Kingham}} (IMS41)
  • {{HMS|Lasham}} (IMS38)
  • {{HMS|Ledsham}} (IMS43) (burnt to hull, London 2017)
  • {{HMS|Littleham}} (IMS44)
  • {{HMS|Ludham}} (IMS45)
  • {{HMS|Malham}} (IMS89)
  • {{HMS|Mersham}} (IMS46)
  • {{HMS|Mickleham}} (IMS47)
  • {{HMS|Mileham}} (IMS48)
  • {{HMS|Neasham}} (IMS49)
  • {{HMS|Nettleham}} (IMS50)
  • {{HMS|Ockham}} (IMS51)
  • {{HMS|Odiham}} (IMS83)
  • {{HMS|Ottringham}} (IMS52)
  • {{HMS|Pagham}} (IMS53)
  • {{HMS|Petersham}} (IMS55)
  • {{HMS|Pineham}} (IMS56)
  • {{HMS|Polsham}} (IMS92)
  • {{HMS|Popham}} (IMS82)
  • {{HMS|Portisham}} (IMS81)
  • {{HMS|Powderham}} (IMS57) (later HMS Waterwitch)
  • {{HMS|Pulham}} (IMS58)
  • {{HMS|Puttenham}} (IMS84)
  • {{HMS|Rackham}} (IMS59)
  • {{HMS|Rampisham}} (IMS86)
  • {{HMS|Reedham}} (IMS60)
  • {{HMS|Rendlesham}} (IMS61)
  • {{HMS|Riplingham}} (IMS62)
  • {{HMS|Sandringham|M2791|6}} (IMS91)
  • {{HMS|Saxlingham}} (IMS64)
  • {{HMS|Shipham}} (IMS63)
  • {{HMS|Shrivenham}} (IMS65)
  • {{HMS|Sidlesham}} (IMS66) (beached and abandoned, Battersea London 2017)
  • {{HMS|Sparham}} (IMS68)
  • {{HMS|Stedham}} (IMS67)
  • {{HMS|Sulham}} (IMS69)
  • {{HMS|Thakeham}} (IMS70)
  • {{HMS|Thatcham}} (IMS90)
  • {{HMS|Thornham}}
  • {{HMS|Tibenham}} (IMS71)
  • {{HMS|Tongham}} (IMS72)
  • {{HMS|Tresham}} (IMS73)
  • {{HMS|Warmingham}} (IMS74)
  • {{HMS|Wexham}} (IMS75)
  • {{HMS|Whippingham}} (IMS76)
  • {{HMS|Wintringham}} (IMS77)
  • {{HMS|Woldingham}} (IMS78)
  • {{HMS|Wrentham}} (IMS79)
  • {{HMS|Yaxham}} (IMS80) (later HMS Woodlark)

{{div col end}}

In 1964 Ten of the vessels were allocated to the Royal Naval Auxiliary Service

class="wikitable"

|Name

|Call sign

|Pennant No

|Completed

|Builders

|Joined RNXS

|Disposal

Birdham

|

|M.2785

|5-Mar-57

|J.Taylor

|1964

|May 1980 - Arrived Great Wakering, Essex for Breaking

Odiham

|

|M.2783

|27-Jul-56

|Vospers

|1964

|1978 - on disposal list., May 1980 sold to Sutton & Smith, Great Wakering, Essex

Pagham

|

|M.2716

|22-Mar-56

|Jones, Buckie

|1964

|to 1974.1982, RNR Tender

Portisham

|GTDG

|M.2781

|26-Mar-56

|Dorset Yacht

|1964

|to 1983 at HMS Vernon, Portsmouth

Puttenham

|

|M.2784

|9-May-58

|Thorneycroft

|1964

|to 1978 at Plymouth

Saxlingham

|

|M.2727

|29-Jan-57

|Berthon Boat

|1964

|to 1965. Approved to scrap 1966. 2 May 1968 sold to Ross & Cromarty CC for Lewis Sea School

Shipham

|MTMW

|M.2726

|3-Feb-56

|Brooke Marine

|1964

|to 1983 at Gillingham

Shrivenham

|

|M.2728

|11-Aug-56

|Bolson

|1964

|to 1965. For disposal in 1966. Sold to PLA, 21 Feb 1969. Approved to scrap 1966. 2 May 1968 sold to Ross & Cromarty CC for Lewis Sea School

.

|Thakeham

|GTJC

|M.2733

|15-Nov-57

|Fairlee Yacht

|1964

|to 1978. 1979 for disposal

Tongham

|

|M.2735

|18-Jun-57

|J.Miller

|1964

|to 1978, also PAS. 1979 for disposal

References

{{reflist}}

  • Warships of the Royal Navy, Captain John. E. Moore RN, Jane's Publishing, 1979

{{Ham class minesweeper|others}}

{{Yugoslav Ships |state=collapsed}}

{{Ship classes of the Indian Navy}}

Category:Mine warfare vessel classes

Category:Ship classes of the Royal Navy

Category:Mine warfare vessels of the Yugoslav Navy