HMS Altham

HMS Altham was one of 93 ships of the Ham class of inshore minesweepers.

History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Altham
Namesake	Altham, Lancashire
Builder	Camper and Nicholsons
Launched	2 December 1952
Completed	8 July 1953
Commissioned	13 July 1953
Fate	Transferred to Malaysia 1 April 1959.
Notes	Pennant number(s): M2602 / IMS02
Malaysia
Name	KD Sri Johor
Acquired	1 April 1959
Fate	Broken up 1967.[1]
General characteristics [2]
Class and type	Ham-class minesweeper
Displacement	120 long tons (122 t) standard 159 long tons (162 t) full load
Length	100 ft (30 m) p/p 106 ft 6 in (32.46 m) o/a
Beam	21 ft (6.4 m)
Draught	5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Propulsion	2 shaft Paxman diesels 1,100 bhp (820 kW)
Speed	14 knots (16 mph; 26 km/h)
Complement	14
Armament	1 × Oerlikon 20 mm cannon

Their names were all chosen from villages ending in -ham. The minesweeper was named after Altham in Lancashire.

Altham (pennant number M2602) was a member of the first series of Ham-class minesweepers, with composite wood and aluminium construction. It was built by Camper and Nicholsons of Gosport, completing on 8 July 1953.^[2][3]

The ship commissioned at Hythe, Hampshire on 13 July 1953, serving with the 232nd Mine Sweeper Squadron at Harwich in Essex from 1954 to 1956, going into reserve at Rosneath on the Gare Loch in northwest Scotland in 1957.^[4]

Altham was transferred to the Royal Malayan Navy on 1 April 1958, being renamed Sri Johor.^[5] Sri Johor had its minesweeping gear removed and replaced by two more 20 mm Oerlikon cannon and four 2-pounder saluting guns,^[6] although the minesweeping gear was later re-fitted.^[7] Sri Johor was broken up in 1967.

References

1. "Ham Class Minesweepers". www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk.
2. Gardiner and Chumbley, 1995, p. 541.
3. Worth 1986, p. 123.
4. Worth 1986, pp. 2, 125.
5. Worth 1986, p. 125.
6. Blackman 1960, p. 82.
7. Blackman 1962, p. 162.

• Blackman, Raymond V.B., ed. Jane's Fighting Ships 1952–1953. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1953.
• Blackman, Raymond V. B. (1960). Jane's Fighting Ships 1960–61. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co. Ltd.
• Blackman, Raymond V. B. (1962). Jane's Fighting Ships 1962–63. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co. Ltd.
• Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen (1995). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. Annapolis, Maryland, USA: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-132-7.
• Worth, Jack (1986). British Warships Since 1945: Part 4: Minesweepers. Liskeard, UK: Maritime Books. ISBN 0-907771-12-2.