HMS Grimsby (M108)

	HMS Grimsby, 2011
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Grimsby
Operator	Royal Navy
Builder	Vosper Thornycroft
Launched	10 August 1998
Commissioned	25 September 1999
Refit	Rosyth Royal Dockyard 2007
Identification	IMO number: 4906771; MMSI number: 234597000; Callsign: GCUK; Pennant number: M108;
Status	in active service
General characteristics
Class and type	Sandown-class minehunter
Displacement	600 t (590 long tons; 660 short tons)
Length	52.5 m (172 ft 3 in)
Beam	10.9 m (35 ft 9 in)
Draught	2.3 m (7 ft 7 in)
Propulsion	Paxman Valenta 6RP200E diesels 1523 shp, diesel-electric drive, Voith Schneider Propellers, Schottel bow thrusters
Speed	13 kn (24 km/h; 15 mph)
Complement	34 (accommodation for up to 40)
Sensors and ; processing systems	Radar Type 1007 I-Band; Sonar Type 2093;
Electronic warfare ; & decoys	SeaFox mine disposal system; Diver-placed explosive charges;
Armament	1 × 30mm DS30M Mk2 gun; 2 × Miniguns; 3 × General purpose machine guns;

HMS Grimsby is a Sandown-class minehunter of the British Royal Navy, and the second ship to bear the name.^[2]

History[]

Sailing in September 2009 with RFA Lyme Bay and USS Bataan

Off Eilan Donan Castle 2004

She was built by Vosper Thornycroft, in Woolston, Hampshire, and commissioned in 1999. The class was originally named as the Single Role Minehunter and was planned to complement the capabilities of the preceding Hunt class and to be cheaper to build. Sandown-class MCMVs are highly manoeuvrable vessels due to being fitted with Voith-Schneider propulsors allowing rapid turning at slow speeds or whilst stationary.

On 24 January 2002, while her divers were searching for a 500 lb bomb in Gibraltar, she was approached by the Spanish patrol boat , which refused to leave when asked by the crew of HMS Ranger, claiming they were in Spanish waters.^[3]

At 2am on 29 September 2004 the 480-ton craft lost power and drifted into the Duchess M ferry (Gravesend to Tilbury), owned by the Lower Thames and Medway Passenger Boat Company in Gravesend, also damaging their Princess Pocahontas.^[4]

In 2012 she entered a 6-month Support Period (Docking) in Rosyth which will include replacing the entire fire detection system, upgrade communications systems and habitability improvements.^[5]

Capabilities[]

Grimsby is part of Mine Counter Measures Squadron 1^[6] based at HMNB Clyde, Faslane, on the Gare Loch. Armament is primarily for self-defence against an Asymmetric warfare threat although a Point Defence capability exists. The fit of two Mk44 Miniguns has greatly improved the ship's force protection ability.

Deployments[]

Berthed in Weymouth in June 2008

Overseas deployments are varied including regular participation in Exercise Cold Response (Norway) and as part of Standing NATO Force Mediterranean (Standing NATO Maritime Group 2). More recently the focus has been in support of OP TELIC Roulement in the Persian Gulf. In 2010 the ship was based in Bahrain.

Affiliations[]

She is affiliated to her home town of Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire and with local organisations such as Grimsby Town F.C., and the Grimsby and Cleethorpes Sea Cadet Unit.^[7] Other affiliations include the Grimsby Royal British Legion, Grimsby Royal Naval Association and Old Cleethorpes Royal Naval Association.

The ship's Lady Sponsor is Lady Blackham.

References[]

^ "Sandown Class Mine Countermeasures Vessels - Specifications". GlobalSecurity.org. 11 July 2011. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
^ "HMS Grimsby". Royal Navy. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
^ Tweedie, Neil (25 January 2002). "Navy in Gibraltar gunboat stand-off". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
^ "Ferry damaged by Royal Navy ship". BBC News. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
^ "Grimsby is early test for new ways of work" (PDF). DESider. Ministry of Defence. September 2012. p. 11. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 September 2012.
^ "First Mine Countermeasures Squadron (MCM 1)". Royal Navy. 2009. Archived from the original on 6 August 2011. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
^ "Grimsby & Cleethorpes". Sea Cadets. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 17 March 2019.

External links[]

"HMS Grimsby". Royal Navy.

News items

"Royal Navy drops anchor for race". BBC News. 22 July 2005.

[1] "Sandown Class Mine Countermeasures Vessels - Specifications". GlobalSecurity.org. 11 July 2011. Retrieved 8 June 2014.

[2] "HMS Grimsby". Royal Navy. Retrieved 12 November 2011.

[3] Tweedie, Neil (25 January 2002). "Navy in Gibraltar gunboat stand-off". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 17 March 2019.

[4] "Ferry damaged by Royal Navy ship". BBC News. Retrieved 12 November 2011.

[Desider201209-5] "Grimsby is early test for new ways of work" (PDF). DESider. Ministry of Defence. September 2012. p. 11. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 September 2012.

[6] "First Mine Countermeasures Squadron (MCM 1)". Royal Navy. 2009. Archived from the original on 6 August 2011. Retrieved 17 March 2019.

[7] "Grimsby & Cleethorpes". Sea Cadets. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 17 March 2019.

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v t Sandown-class minehunters
Royal Navy	Bangor Blyth Bridport Cromer Grimsby Inverness Pembroke Penzance Ramsey Sandown Shoreham Walney
Estonian Navy	Admiral Cowan Sakala Ugandi
Royal Saudi Navy	Al Jawf Al Kharj Shaqra
List of mine countermeasure vessels of the Royal Navy