TON Class Association. Coastal Minesweeper Terrier of the Seas.

TON Class Association

Coastal Minesweeper Terrier of the Seas

CMS Facts and Figures

152 ft Long, 28 ft Beam, Draught 8 ft

Displacement 425 tons

Two engines

15 Knots

Range 2300 miles at 13 knots

4-5 Officers, 3 Senior Rates, 20+ Ratings

Mine Sweeper & Mine Hunter versions

Double-diagonal mahogany hulls, on aluminium frame

Teak/Oroko decks

Aluminium upperworks

Twin screws, twin rudders

Mirrlees 2500 hp or Deltic 3000 hp engines

1 x 40mm Bofors cannon

1 x twin 20 mm Oerlikon cannon *

Wire, Magnetic & Acoustic sweeps

• Design conceived in 1949 to counter improved enemy magnetic and acoustic mines

• Originally to be called after Insects, then re-named after English villages ending in “…ton”

•117 ships built for Royal Navy – largest class

• Used by six other navies

• Design principles carried forward to current MCMVs

• Designed for coastal waters but served in every ocean except Arctic and Antarctic

– Canada & Argentina came close

•Saw action at Suez (twice), Cyprus, Borneo, Persian Gulf, Northern Ireland

•Used for Mine Sweeping, Mine Hunting,

Fishery Protection, Gun Boats, Piracy Patrols,

Counter-terrorist gun-running, Training, RNR

German Minelayer

with buoyant mines1938

Royal Navy laying

buoyant mines 1940’s

German Magnetic Mine 1940

BANG !

Oropesa Sweep

Sweepdeck – Tin Gear

Launch Otter

Oropesa Starboard

Acoustic Sweeping

LL Magnetic Sweep

Otter

Float electrodes

4 inch Buoyant Cable 3000 amps

Magnetic Sweeping

Influence SweepingAcoustic

Magnetic

HMS Fenton - M1135

Built by Camper & Nicholson - 5th of 8 vessels

Launched 10 March 1955

Commissioned for 108 MSS August 1955

10 x Cyprus anti-terrorist & gun running patrols

January 1956 – October 1958

Operation Musketeer Suez Canal November 1956

October 1958 – Running Reserve – Malta

October 1959 Towed to Aden – Strategic Reserve

(not arked until November 1961)

December 1964 Returned to UK under own power

May 1965 Refit suspended

July 1968 Sold for breakup

FENTON as Half Leader 108 MSS

CMS s arked in Reserve Fleet

Fishery Protection

CUXTON & Polish Factory Ship on limit of Territorial Waters

MFVs under arrest

Gemini Salvage

Refuelling at Sea

Pirate Hunting

Training – ship handling

WOODBRIDGE HAVEN & Inshore Flotilla

104 [Blackfoot] Squadron

Deltic Engine

Hearts & Minds Patrols

Mine Warfare in Iraq 2004