HMS Walney (M104)

HMS Walney (M104) was a Sandown-class minehunter of the British Royal Navy. She was the fourth of the Sandown-class minehunters, and the second ship to carry the name, which comes from the island off Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria on the north-west coast of England.

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Walney.

HMS Walney docked at Liverpool in May 2006
History
United Kingdom
Name: HMS Walney
Builder: Vosper Thornycroft
Launched: 25 November 1991
Commissioned: 19 February 1993
Decommissioned: 15 October 2010
Homeport: HMNB Clyde
Identification:
Status: Awaiting disposal
General characteristics
Class and type: Sandown-class minehunter
Displacement: 600 tonnes
Length: 52.5 m (172.2 ft)
Beam: 10.9 m (35.8 ft)
Draught: 2.3 m (7.5 ft)
Propulsion:
Speed:
  • 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) diesel
  • 6.5 knots (12.0 km/h; 7.5 mph) electric
Complement: 34 (7 officers, 27 ratings)
Sensors and
processing systems:
  • Type 1007 navigation radar
  • Type 2093 variable-depth mine hunting sonar
Armament:
  • 1 × Oerlikon 30 mm KCB gun on DS-30B mount
  • 2 × 7.62 mm L7 GPMG machine guns
  • Wallop Defence Systems Barricade Mk. III countermeasure launchers
  • Irvin Aerospace Replica Decoy launchers
Notes:
  • Mine Counter-Measures Equipment:
  • SeaFox mine disposal system
  • Clearance divers

Construction and design

HMS Walney was one of four Sandown-class minehunters ordered from Vosper Thornycroft on 27 July 1987.[1] She was laid down at Vosper Thoneycroft's Woolston, Southampton shipyard in May 1990, launched on 25 November 1991 and commissioned on 20 February 1993.[1][2]

Operational history

On 15 May 2006, HMS Walney and HMS Atherstone discovered a 1,000 lb (450 kg) World War II bomb whilst conducting a survey of the River Mersey.[3]

It was announced on 16 December 2009 that Walney would be decommissioned sometime in 2010.[4] She was decommissioned in a ceremony on 15 October 2010 at her homeport, HMNB Clyde. Walney called in at her affiliated town of Barrow-in-Furness on her way to her final port of call, Portsmouth Naval Base where she remains laid up in 3 Basin. In 2014 the ship was listed for sale via the Disposal Services Authority.[5][6]

Affiliates

References
  1. Baker 1998, p. 947.
  2. Saunders 2002, p. 780.
  3. Billinge, David (May 2006). "1000 lb WWII Bomb Discovered During Operation Roco". Irish Sea Shipping. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
  4. "MoD names ships cut from Navy". Defence Management. 26 October 2010. Archived from the original on 9 July 2011. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
  5. Ministry of Defence (13 November 2014). "Sale of the former HMS Walney fibre glass vessel". Gov.uk. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  6. "Base Says Farewell To Mine Hunter". Royal Navy. 26 October 2010. Retrieved 27 October 2010.

Bibliography
  • Baker, A. D. (1998). The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World 1998–1999. Annapolis, Maryland, USA: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-111-4.
  • Saunders, Stephen (2002). Jane's Fighting Ships 2002–2003. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Information Group. ISBN 0-7106-24328.
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