HMS Shoulton Mine Warfare ship

1954 HMS SHOULTON. One of a class of 118 minesweepers constructed for the Royal Navy between 1952 and 1959, the design of which was exported to France and the Netherlands.

THE TON CLASS

In 1950, Admiralty Intelligence learned that the Soviet Union had developed a magnetic mine which could defeat degaussing. This made the existing steel-hulled Algerine-class minesweepers obsolete and useless, and a crash programme to replace them was initiated. The new ships would have wood planking over aluminium frames with non-magnetic fittings, and the first group of 15 was ordered in September 1950. These were delivered in 1952 and 1953. HMS Shoulton (M 1182) was ordered on 17 June 1952, to be built by Montrose. She was launched on 10 September 1954. She was decommissioned and broken up in 1981. A sistership, HMS Bronington, is preserved as a museum ship.

EQUIPMENT AND SYSTEMS

The early ships were fitted with twin v-12 Mirrlees engines, but from M 1130 onwards, innovative Napier Deltic powerplants were fitted. In 1965-66 Shoulton was the trial ship for an auxiliary propulsion system using water jets to reduce noise, and was equipped with the Sperry Towed Acoustic Generator. They carried only navigation radar (first Type 978, later Type 1006) and Type 193 sonar sets were fitted to those ships equipped as mine- hunters, which also had a larger crew, including divers. They were lightly armed with a single 40mm Bofors on the forecastle and twin 20mm Oerlikons on the superstructure abaft the funnel; both were later removed from many ships.

TECHNICAL DATA

Type: Coastal minesweeper/minehunter
Machinery: 2-shaft Deltic diesel engines delivering 3000bhp
Dimensions (overall): Length, 46.3m (152ft); beam, 8.8m (28.75ft)
Displacement: 360t standard; 425t deep load
Draught: 2.5 (8.25ft)
Complement: 29 (38 as minehunter)
Speed: 15 knots (28km/h)