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FIGHTING SHIPS OF THE WORLD
UNITED KINGDOM
MINE WARFARE SHIPS
VENTURER trawlers-minesweepers (1972 - 1973 / 1978)


Photo



St. David 1978

Ships


Name No Yard No Builder Laid down Launched Comp Fate
St. David (ex-Suffolk Monarch) M07   Cubow, Woolwich     1972 // 1978 returned 1984
Venturer (ex-Suffolk Harvester) M08   Cubow, Woolwich     1973 // 1978 returned 1984


Technical data


Displacement standard, t

382brt

Displacement full, t 
Length, m36.8 wl
Breadth, m8.90
Draught, m3.90
No of shafts

2

Machinery

2 Mirrlees-Blackstone EWSL8M(A) diesels

Power, h. p.2000
Max speed, kts

11

Fuel, t

diesel oil 95

Endurance, nm(kts) 
Armament

mechanical minesweeping gear

Electronic equipmentnav. radar
Complement24


Graphics


<i>St. David </i>1978
St. David 1978


Project history

To combat the threat from deep-laid mines (mainly to submarines) the RN chartered two commercial stern trawlers in 1977 and four more in 1978, using them with their original crews, but with naval mine warfare specialists on board. These 'Highland Fling' exercises showed that sweep wires could be operated at far greater depths than had been thought, and so a new concept of Extra-Deep Armed Team Sweeping (EDATS) came into being. Special depth-keeping gear allows the sweep wire to follow the contour of the sea-bed, and the depth is believed to be well over 300m. Explosive cutters are attached at 90m intervals.

In 1978 two trawlers were chartered from Small & Co of Lowestoft for manning by RNR crews from the South Wales and Severn Divisions. They had been successful as sweepers but power-generating capacity fell far short of naval requirements.

Modernizations

None.

Naval service

No significant events.