List of minesweepers of the Royal Navy
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Ship classes
Naval mine clearance was originally done by whatever type of vessel could easily be adapted to the task. In both World Wars trawlers were employed (in World War II this task was given to smaller trawlers of around 300 tons, larger ones being used for anti-submarine work).
The Royal Navy have had specialist mine countermeasure vessels since 1916, belonging to these classes:
- Hunt class (20 ships, launched 1916-1917)
- Pangbourne class (87 ships, launched 1917) (also known as Aberdare class)
- Dance class (14 ships, launched 1917-1919)
- Halcyon class (21 ships, launched 1933-1939)
- Bangor class (14 ships, launched 1940-1942)
- Algerine class (98 ships, launched 1941-1945)
- Catherine class (22 ships, transferred from the US Navy in 1941 under the Lend-Lease program)
- Blyth class (19 ships, launched 1940-1943, variant of the Bangor class)
- Ardrossan class (26 ships, launched 1940-1942, variant of the Bangor class)
- Bathhurst class (47 ships, launched 1940-1943, only served with the Royal Australian Navy)
- Ton class (116 ships, launched 1952-1959)
- Ham class (93 ships, launched 1954-1959)
- Ley class (10 ships, launched 1952-1955)
- Hunt class (13 ships, launched 1978-1988)
- River class (12 ships, launched 1982-1985)
- Sandown class (12 ships, launched 1990-2001)
Aircraft may also be used for this purpose, and other countries have done so extensively. The only known use of aircraft by the United Kingdom were the modified Wellington bombers used in 1940/41. Their use revealed the limitations of the technique in that it only works effectively in very shallow water.
It was not popular with ships as such an aircraft flying over a convoy could cause mines to detonate despite all of the ships having effective degaussing.
Active Ships
- Hunt-class minesweepers
- * HMS Brecon (M29)
- * HMS Ledbury (M30)
- * HMS Cattistock (M31)
- * HMS Cottesmore (M32)
- * HMS Brocklesby (M33)
- * HMS Middleton (M34)
- * HMS Dulverton (M35)
- * HMS Chiddingfold (M37)
- * HMS Atherstone (M38)
- * HMS Hurworth (M39)
- * HMS Quorn (M41)
- Sandown-class minesweepers
- * HMS Sandown (M101)
- * HMS Inverness (M102)
- * HMS Walney (M104)
- * HMS Bridport (M105)
- * HMS Penzance (M106)
- * HMS Pembroke (M107)
- * HMS Grimsby (M108)
- * HMS Bangor (M109)
- * HMS Ramsey (M110)
- * HMS Blyth (M111)
- * HMS Shoreham (M112)
Decommissioned
Coastal Sweepers
- HMS Venturer - Severn Division
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