HMS Powderham was one of 93 ships of the Ham class of inshore minesweepers named after villages ending in -ham, in this case Powderham in Devon. She was launched on 27 November 1958 by J. Samuel White & Company Ltd, Cowes and commissioned in 1959.[1] She was allocated pennant number M 2720.[2][3]
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name |
|
| Namesake | Powderham |
| Builder | J. Samuel White, Cowes |
| Launched | 27 November 1958 |
| Completed | 22 May 1960 |
| Decommissioned | March 1995 |
| Reclassified | survey vessel, 1964 |
| Fate | Sold 1986 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Ham-class minesweeper |
| Notes | Pennant number: M2720 |
Commissioned as a minesweeper in 1959, she was allocated to the Special Trials Unit, Portsmouth Dockyard and the Forth Division Royal Naval Reserve, based at Rosyth.[2][3] In 1964 she was converted at Chatham Dockyard to an inshore survey vessel and renamed HMS Waterwitch.[2] Operating in the South Coast Survey Unit with civilian Port Auxiliary Service crew until 1974, she then had a refit before participation in the 1977 Silver Jubilee Fleet Review at Spithead.[2] Thereafter, Waterwitch was attached to the Liverpool University Royal Navy Unit until she was paid off at Portsmouth in March 1995.[2]
Post-naval service
editAfter decommissioning in 1995, Waterwitch was sold to Pounds Shipowners & Shipbreakers Ltd, Portchester and laid up in Portsmouth Harbour.[2] In 1997 she was acquired by "Project M2720", a voluntary non-profit-making group of ex-Royal Navy and Merchant Navy personnel and berthed in North Shields with a view to offering a shipboard training facility for disadvantaged young people.[4]
References
edit- ^ Colledge, J J. Ships of the Royal Navy: An historical index, Vol 1. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. p. 433.
- ^ a b c d e f "Waterwitch". Greenwich: National Historic Ships UK. Archived from the original on 2 January 2020. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
- ^ a b Moore, John, ed. (1980). Jane's Fighting Ships 1980-81. London: Jane's Publishing Co. p. 575. ISBN 0-7106-0703-2.
- ^ "Survey craft given a new direction". Navy News. Ministry of Defence. 1 November 1997. p. 3.
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