The Ley class was a class of inshore minehunter built for the Royal Navy in the mid-1950s. They had pennant numbers in the series M2001. Eleven ships were built in the early 1950s, most of which were subsequently disarmed and used as training vessels, RNXS tenders, URNU vessels etc.
 Bofors gun on HMS Isis (1978)
| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Ley class |
| Operators |  Royal Navy |
| Built | 1952–1955 |
| Completed | 11 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Minehunter |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 100 ft (30 m) p/p |
| Beam | 21 ft 4 in (6.50 m) |
| Draught | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) |
| Propulsion | 2 shaft Paxman diesels, 700 bhp (522 kW) |
| Speed | 13 knots (15 mph; 24 km/h) |
| Complement | 2 officers, 13 ratings |
| Armament | 1 × Bofors 40 mm gun or Oerlikon 20 mm cannon |
Description
editThey were of composite construction, that is, wood and non-ferrous metals, to give a low magnetic signature, important in a vessel that may be dealing with magnetically detonated mines. They displaced 164 tons fully laden, were armed with a Bofors 40 mm gun or an Oerlikon 20 mm gun and were powered by a pair of Paxman diesel engines.[1]
The class shared the same basic hull as their inshore minesweeper counterpart the Ham class and the Echo-class inshore survey craft.
Role
editUnlike traditional minesweepers, they were not equipped for sweeping moored or magnetic mines. Their work was to locate individual mines and neutralise them. This was a new role at that point, and the class was configured for working in the shallow water of rivers, estuaries and shipping channels.[1]
Ships
edit| Name | Hull No. | Completed | Out of service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HMS Aveley | M2002 | 3 February 1954 | 1982 | To Woolworth Sea Cadet Corps |
| HMS Brearley | M2003 | 15 April 1954 | 1969 | Scrapped |
| HMS Brenchley | M2004 | 22 September 1954 | 1966 | Sold |
| HMS Brinkley | M2005 | 3 November 1954 | 1965 | Sold |
| HMS Broadley | M2006 | 12 September 1954 | 1959 | Scrapped |
| HMS Broomley | M2007 | 5 August 1954 | 1966 | Scrapped |
| HMS Burley | M2008 | 29 June 1954 | 1966 | Scrapped |
| HMS Chailey | M2009 | 7 January 1955 | 1969 | Sold for scrap |
| HMS Cradley | M2010 | 5 May 1955 | 1982 | Sold |
| HMS Dingley | M2001 | 22 August 1955 | 1967 | Sold for scrap |
References
edit- ^ a b Worth, Jack (1992). British warships since 1945. Maritime. p. 141. ISBN 9780907771128.
- Jane's Fighting Ships 1953–54, R. V. B. Blackman (ed), Jane's Publishing, 1953
- Warships of the Royal Navy, Captain John. E. Moore RN, Jane's Publishing, 1979
- Bassingham web site Archived 8 May 2005 at the Wayback Machine