HMS Grimsby (M108)
Encyclopedia
HMS Grimsby (M108) is a Sandown-class
Sandown class minehunter
The Sandown class is a class of minehunter originally built for the British Royal Navy). Sandown-class vessels also serve with the Royal Saudi Navy and the Estonian Navy...
minehunter
Minehunter
Minehunters are mine countermeasure vessels that actively detect and destroy individual naval mines. Minesweepers, on the other hand, clear mined areas as a whole, without prior detection of mines...
of the British Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, and the second ship to bear the name.
History
She was built by Vosper Thornycroft, in Woolston, HampshireHampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, 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
Voith-Schneider
The Voith Schneider propeller , also known as a cycloidal drive is a specialized marine propulsion system . It is highly maneuverable, being able to change the direction of its thrust almost instantaneously...
propulsors allowing rapid turning at slow speeds or whilst stationary. They are considered to be amongst the best active minehunters in the world.
On 24 January 2002, while her divers were searching for a 500lb bomb in Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
, she was approached by the Spanish patrol boat Conejera, which refused to leave when asked by the crew of , claiming they were in Spanish waters.
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
Lower Thames and Medway Passenger Boat Company
Lower Thames and Medway Passenger Boat Company is a river boat company which provides cruises on the River Thames in Gravesend and London, UK. Bateaux London cruises operate on the Thames under licence from London River Services, part of Transport for London....
in Gravesend
Gravesend, Kent
Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, on the south bank of the Thames, opposite Tilbury in Essex. It is the administrative town of the Borough of Gravesham and, because of its geographical position, has always had an important role to play in the history and communications of this part of...
, also damaging their Princess Pocahontas.
Capabilities
Grimsby is part of Mine Counter Measures Squadron 1 based at HMNB ClydeHMNB Clyde
Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy...
, Faslane, on the Gare Loch
Gare Loch
The Gare Loch or Gareloch is a sea loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland.-Geography:A sea loch aligned north-south, Gare Loch is 10 kilometres long with an average width of 1.5 kilometres. At its southern end it opens into the Firth of Clyde through the Rhu narrows...
. Armament is primarily for self defence against an Asymmetric warfare
Asymmetric warfare
Asymmetric warfare is war between belligerents whose relative military power differs significantly, or whose strategy or tactics differ significantly....
threat although a Point Defence capability exists. The fit of 2x Mk44 Minigun
Minigun
The Minigun is a 7.62 mm, multi-barrel heavy machine gun with a high rate of fire , employing Gatling-style rotating barrels with an external power source...
s has greatly improved the Ship's Force Protection ability.
Deployments
Overseas deployments are varied including regular participation in Exercise Cold ResponseCold Response
Cold Response is the name given to Norwegian exercises with invited Partnership for Peace countries held in northern Norway. The first one was the largest military exercise in Norway in 2006. Around 10,000 soldiers from 11 nations participated. It was a national Norwegian exercise with all NATO...
(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
Operation Telic order of battle
This is the Operation Telic order of battle, which lists the British forces that took part in Operation Telic, including*the 2003 Invasion of Iraq,*subsequent operations during the occupation and military government of the country, and...
Roulement
Roulement
Roulement is a term used by the British Army to signify major combat units that are deployed on short tours of duty, normally for 6-months duration....
in the Persian Gulf. In 2010 the ship was based in Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
.
Affiliations
She is affiliated to her home town of GrimsbyGrimsby
Grimsby is a seaport on the Humber Estuary in Lincolnshire, England. It has been the administrative centre of the unitary authority area of North East Lincolnshire since 1996...
, North East Lincolnshire
North East Lincolnshire
North East Lincolnshire is a unitary authority in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, bordering the unitary authority of North Lincolnshire and the administrative county of Lincolnshire...
and with local organisations such as Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
, and the Grimsby and Cleethorpes Sea Cadet Unit. 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.
See also
- List of mine countermeasure vessels of the Royal Navy
- List of active Royal Navy ships