HAM CLASS MINESWEEPER

Ham-class minesweeper	The White Ensign of the Royal Navy.
General characteristics
Displacement:	120 tons standard / 164 tons full
Length o/a :	106 feet 6 in (32.5 m) except third sub-group, 107 feet 6 in (32.8 m)
Length p/p :	100 feet (30.5 m)
Beam:	★ ''26- group''; 21 ft 4 in (6.5 m) ★ ''27- group''; 22 ft (6.7 m)
Draught:	★ ''26- group''; 5 ft 6 in (1.7 m) ★ ''27- group''; 5 ft 9 in (1.8 m)
Propulsion:	2 shaft Paxman 12YHAXM diesels, 1,100 bhp
Speed:	14 kts
Range:	15 tons diesel fuel, ?
Complement:	2 officers, 13 ratings
Armament:	1 x 40 mm Bofors / 20 mm Oerlikon gun

The 'Ham class' was a class of inshore minesweepers (IMS), known as the Type 1, of the British Royal Navy. The class was designed to operate in the shallow water of rivers and estuaries. It took its name from the fact that all the ship names were British place names ending in -"ham". The parent firm who were responsible for supervising construction was Samuel White of Cowes, Isle of White.
The class consisted of 93 ships, launched between 1954 and 1959. HMS ''Inglesham'' (M2601) was the first. They were built in three slightly different sub-groups, the first sub-group being distinguished by pennant numbers beginning with 26- and the second and third sub-groups being distinguished by pennant numbers beginning with 27-. The 26- group were of composite construction (wood and non-ferrous metals and the 27- group were all-wooden, of which the third sub-group differed by having a prominent rubbing strake around the hull and slightly enlarged dimensions.
The vessels displaced 164 tons fully laden and were armed with one 40 mm Bofors or 20 mm Oerlikon gun. They were 32.5 metres long overall by 6.4 metres beam. The construction was of wood to minimise magnetic signature. The crew complement was 15, rising to 22 in wartime.
The engines of this class were Paxman diesels, some of which were built under licence by Ruston and Hornsby of Lincoln. Each vessel had: two 12YHAXM (intercooled) for main propulsion, rated 550 bhp at 1,000 rpm, plus one 12YHAZ for pulse generation. Maximum speed was 14 knots dropping to 9 knots when mine sweeping.
The class shared the same basic hull as their minehunting counterpart the Ley-class and the ''Echo''-class inshore survey craft.

Contents

Ships

References

Ships

★ ''Abbotsham'' (IMS87)

★ ''Alkham'' (IMS02)

★ ''Arlingham'' (IMS03)

★ HMS Asheldham (IMS04)

★ HMS Bassingham (IMS05)

★ HMS Bedham (IMS06)

★ HMS Birdham (IMS85)

★ HMS Bisham (IMS07)

★ HMS Blunham (IMS08)

★ HMS Bodenham (IMS09)

★ HMS Boreham (IMS10)

★ HMS Bottisham (IMS11)

★ HMS Brantingham (IMS12)

★ HMS Brigham (IMS13)

★ HMS Bucklesham (IMS14)

★ HMS Cardingham (IMS15)

★ HMS Chelsham (IMS16)

★ HMS Chillingham (IMS17)

★ HMS Cobham (IMS18)

★ HMS Cranham (IMS19)

★ HMS Damerham (IMS31)

★ HMS Darsham (IMS21)

★ HMS Davenham (IMS22)

★ HMS Dittisham (IMS23)

★ HMS Downham (IMS24)

★ HMS Edlingham (IMS25)

★ HMS Elsenham (IMS26)

★ HMS Etchingham (IMS27)

★ HMS Everingham (IMS28)

★ HMS Felmersham (IMS29)

★ HMS Flintham (IMS30)

★ HMS Fordham (IMS54)

★ HMS Frettenham (IMS20)

★ HMS Fritham (IMS32)

★ HMS Georgeham (IMS88)

★ HMS Glentham (IMS33)

★ HMS Greetham (IMS34)

★ HMS Halsham (IMS35)

★ HMS Harpham (IMS36)

★ HMS Haversham (IMS37)

★ HMS Hildersham (IMS42)

★ HMS Hovingham (IMS39)

★ HMS Inglesham (IMS01)

★ HMS Isham (IMS40)

★ HMS Kingham (IMS41)

★ HMS Lasham (IMS38)

★ HMS Ledsham (IMS43)

★ HMS Littleham (IMS44)

★ HMS Ludham (IMS45)

★ HMS Malham (IMS89)

★ HMS Mersham (IMS46)

★ HMS Mickleham (IMS47)

★ HMS Mileham (IMS48)

★ HMS Neasham (IMS49)

★ HMS Nettleham (IMS50)

★ HMS Ockham (IMS51)

★ HMS Odiham (IMS83)

★ HMS Ottringham (IMS52)

★ HMS Pagham (IMS53)

★ HMS Petersham (IMS55)

★ HMS Pineham (IMS56)

★ HMS Polsham (IMS92)

★ HMS Popham (IMS82)

★ HMS Portisham (IMS81)

★ HMS Powderham (IMS57) (later HMS ''Waterwitch'')

★ HMS Pulham (IMS58)

★ HMS Puttenham (IMS84)

★ HMS Rackham (IMS59)

★ HMS Rampisham (IMS86)

★ HMS Reedham (IMS60)

★ HMS Rendlesham (IMS61)

★ HMS Riplingham (IMS62)

★ HMS Sandringham (M2791) (IMS91)

★ HMS Saxlingham (IMS64)

★ HMS Shipham (IMS63)

★ HMS Shrivenham (IMS65)

★ HMS Sidlesham (IMS66)

★ HMS Sparham (IMS68)

★ HMS Stedham (IMS67)

★ HMS Sulham (IMS69)

★ HMS Thakeham (IMS70)

★ HMS Thatcham (IMS90)

★ HMS Thornham

★ HMS Tibenham (IMS71)

★ HMS Tongham (IMS72)

★ HMS Tresham (IMS73)

★ HMS Warmingham (IMS74)

★ HMS Wexham (IMS75)

★ HMS Whippingham (IMS76)

★ HMS Wintringham (IMS77)

★ HMS Woldingham (IMS78)

★ HMS Wrentham (IMS79)

★ HMS Yaxham (IMS80) (later HMS Woodlark)

References

★ ''Warships of the Royal Navy'', Captain John. E. Moore RN, Jane's Publishing, 1979