Built as a mine-sweeper under yard No 4241 by Vosper Thornycroft at Woolston for the Royal Navy.
31 March 1977 ordered.
05 October 1977 keel laid down.
05 December 1979 launched as HMS LEDBURY (M30), christened by Lady Elizabeth Berthan.
Displacement 615 ton standard, 725 ton full load. Dim. 60 x 9.85 x 2.2m. (draught)
Powered by two Ruston-Paxman 9-59k Deltic diesel engines, 1,900 bhp, twin screws, speed 15 knots.
Range by a speed of 12 knots, 1,500 mile.
Armament 1 – 30mm/75Oerlikon, 2 – 20mm, 2 – 7.62mm MG.
Crew 45.
11 June 1981 commissioned. Building cost £65 million.
She is the second of the Hunt class mine-sweepers, and built of glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) hull.
After commissioned joined the First Mine Countermeasures Squadron based at Portsmouth.
Shortly after becoming fully operational she was deployed on the South Atlantic in company with her sister ship the HMS BRECON.
In the South Atlantic she was supported by RMS ST HELENA for mine clearance and bomb disposal operations around the Falkland Islands after the ceasefire.
She suffered considerable engine room damage in a fire which lasted from 16 – 18 September 1983 while she was in the North Sea. Towed to Zeebrugge by two Belgian naval tugs, arrived Zeebrugge 16 September 1983.
Was later repaired by Vosper Thornycroft, and returned to service on 02 July 1984.
Between 1988 and 1989 refitted.
12 October 2005 she carried out the last minesweeping exercise by the Royal Navy off the Island of Wight.
From June 2009 during a dry-docking and maintenance period the new Seafox Mine disposal equipment was installed.
2010 In service still based at Portsmouth.
St Helena 1992 13p sg612, scott575 and 13p +3p MSsg616, scott579a. 2012 £1 sg?, scott?
Source: Marine News. Jane’s. Wikipedia.