Does anyone know why there was a need, within the same period, for both the Ham and Ton class minesweepers to be constructed for the RN? The Ham class has been referred to as an inshore mineseeper, whilst the Ton class has been referred as a coastal minesweeper. Granted, the Ton had a larger displacement and was probably, despite being classed as a coastal minesweeper, better suited for ops in deeper waters than the Ham but couldn't a single class have been constructed to fulfil the minesweeping role, whether in coastal, inshore or deep waters?
Picked this up from another site from a former-Royal Malaysian Navy [RMN] Ham class XO, describing the use of the minesweeping gear. The RMN received 6 former RN Ham class and later 6 Ton class [which saw service in East Malaysia during the Confrontation] from the late 1950s to the mid-1960s.
First on the agenda was to Calibrate the ‘Otters’ and the ‘Kites’. These are equipments or ‘paravanes’ — to use the correct technical name — used during Mine Sweeping operations. They were rigged with slings and with Three (3) slings it became a ‘Kite’ and applying Four (4) slings made it an Otter. The Otter was for taking the ‘sweep’ wires out and kept at a certain depth, away from the Ship to either the Port or the Starboard quarter. The Kite was for keeping the inner section of the ‘sweep’ wire down to a certain depth. This calibrating exercise is pains taking and dangerous. We repeatedly went ahead and stopped because it’s adjustments were not correct and from the Bridge we could see the Otter or Kite ‘leaping’ out of the water. This is frightening !!!! The wires would be recovered, the Otter winched on board and the settings readjusted. After many trials, the X.O. is happy — these equipment are now calibrated. Now we can practice putting our ‘Wire Sweeps’ out. We would start with just one Sweep to either Port or to Starboard and when confident, both Sweeps to either side would be streamed. Then, another date would be marked for practicing streaming ‘the loop’. The team have to be completely clued up for all these Sweeps and each person must know his particular task. When streaming any of the Sweeps, there are many smaller events happening there all simultaneously and no one can dream or switch off. Your mate could be seriously injured. You would have ‘steel wire ropes’ in tension and have to be watchful all the time. Again, step by step we follow the Instructions from the Manual and when it is all streaming astern correctly, the Electrician makes sure that the Generator works correctly sending the right current and pulse through the thick cables. With success, the boys on the Sweep Deck all receive a ‘Bravo Zulu’ from the Bridge.
Picked this up from another site from a former-Royal Malaysian Navy [RMN] Ham class XO, describing the use of the minesweeping gear. The RMN received 6 former RN Ham class and later 6 Ton class [which saw service in East Malaysia during the Confrontation] from the late 1950s to the mid-1960s.
First on the agenda was to Calibrate the ‘Otters’ and the ‘Kites’. These are equipments or ‘paravanes’ — to use the correct technical name — used during Mine Sweeping operations. They were rigged with slings and with Three (3) slings it became a ‘Kite’ and applying Four (4) slings made it an Otter. The Otter was for taking the ‘sweep’ wires out and kept at a certain depth, away from the Ship to either the Port or the Starboard quarter. The Kite was for keeping the inner section of the ‘sweep’ wire down to a certain depth. This calibrating exercise is pains taking and dangerous. We repeatedly went ahead and stopped because it’s adjustments were not correct and from the Bridge we could see the Otter or Kite ‘leaping’ out of the water. This is frightening !!!! The wires would be recovered, the Otter winched on board and the settings readjusted. After many trials, the X.O. is happy — these equipment are now calibrated. Now we can practice putting our ‘Wire Sweeps’ out. We would start with just one Sweep to either Port or to Starboard and when confident, both Sweeps to either side would be streamed. Then, another date would be marked for practicing streaming ‘the loop’. The team have to be completely clued up for all these Sweeps and each person must know his particular task. When streaming any of the Sweeps, there are many smaller events happening there all simultaneously and no one can dream or switch off. Your mate could be seriously injured. You would have ‘steel wire ropes’ in tension and have to be watchful all the time. Again, step by step we follow the Instructions from the Manual and when it is all streaming astern correctly, the Electrician makes sure that the Generator works correctly sending the right current and pulse through the thick cables. With success, the boys on the Sweep Deck all receive a ‘Bravo Zulu’ from the Bridge.
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