HMS Cromer (M103)

HMS Cromer, after decommissioning, at Britannia Royal Naval College
History
United Kingdom
NameCromer
NamesakeCromer, Norfolk
BuilderVosper Thornycroft
Launched6 October 1990
Commissioned7 April 1992
Decommissioned2001
RenamedHindostan in 2001
IdentificationPennant number: M103
StatusTraining ship
General characteristics
Class and typeSandown-class minehunter
Displacement484 tons full
Length52.5 m (172 ft 3 in)
Beam10.9 m (35 ft 9 in)
Draught2.3 m (7 ft 7 in)
Propulsion
  • 2 shafts Voith-Schneider propulsors
  • diesel-electric drive
  • Paxman Valenta diesels, 1,500 shp (1,100 kW)
Speed
  • 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) diesel
  • 6.5 knots (12.0 km/h; 7.5 mph) electric
Complement34 (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:
  • 2 × ECA PAP 104 Mk.5 remotely controlled submarines (ROV)
  • ECA mine disposal system
  • Clearance divers

HMS Cromer is a former Sandown-class minehunter commissioned by the Royal Navy in 1992. She was named after the North Norfolk seaside town of the same name.[1]

HMS Cromer visited Dundee on 6–9 November 1998 (for a Dundee navy day and Armistice Day commemorations) when she was accompanied by various warships from European countries including: Norwegian minelayer/command ship HNoMS Vidar, Norwegian minesweeper HNoMS Måløy, Dutch minehunter HNLMS Schiedam, Belgian minehunter Crocus, Type 23 frigate HMS Montrose and German minesweeper Völkingen.[2]

She was decommissioned in 2001 before being refitted for use as a training ship at the Britannia Royal Naval College at Dartmouth. In keeping with tradition, for this role the ship has been renamed Hindostan.[3] As she is not a commissioned ship she is not prefixed "HMS". In June 2023, she was towed to Portsmouth reportedly for temporary berthing while jetties at Britannia Royal Naval College were refurbished.[4][5]

  1. ^ "Navy News". June 1992 – via Issuu.
  2. ^ Vessels visiting the Port of Dundee
  3. ^ "Future of minehunting sails into Dartmouth". Royal Navy. 1 May 2019. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  4. ^ @NavyLookout (26 June 2023). "@NavyLookout ex-HMS Cromer arrived in Portsmouth last week - used as Static Training Vessel Hindostan at @DartmouthBRNC" (Tweet). Retrieved 26 June 2023 – via Twitter.
  5. ^ @NavyLookout (23 June 2023). "Apache departs from @HMSQNLZ yesterday as ex-HMS Cromer towed into the basin - presumably to await disposal" (Tweet). Retrieved 23 June 2023 – via Twitter.