HMS Bronington (M1115) facts for kids
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HMS Bronington was a special kind of ship called a minesweeper. It was built for the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1953, this ship was made mostly of mahogany wood. This made it one of the last "wooden walls" – a nickname for old wooden warships.
Contents
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom |
|
| Name | HMS Bronington |
| Namesake | Bronington, Wales |
| Builder | Cook, Welton & Gemmell, Beverley |
| Laid down | 30 May 1951 |
| Launched | 19 March 1953 |
| Commissioned | 4 June 1954 |
| Decommissioned | 30 June 1988 |
| Identification | Pennant number: M1115 |
| Fate | Sunk at her moorings in March 2016. Later raised and scrapped. |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Ton-class minesweeper |
| Displacement | 440 long tons (450 t) |
| Length | 153 ft (46.6 m) |
| Beam | 28.9 ft (8.8 m) |
| Draught | 8.2 ft (2.5 m) |
| Propulsion | 2 × Paxman Deltic 18A-7A diesel engines at 3,000 bhp (2,200 kW) |
| Speed | Cruise 13 knots (24 km/h) on one engine. Max 16 knots (30 km/h) on both |
| Range | 2,500 nautical miles (4,600 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h) |
| Complement | 32 |
| Armament | 1 x Bofors 40 mm gun |
What Was HMS Bronington?
HMS Bronington was a Ton-class minesweeper. These ships were designed to find and clear naval mines from the sea. Mines are explosive devices placed in water to damage or sink ships. Minesweepers help keep shipping lanes safe.
Early Life of the Ship
The ship was first named HMS Humber. It officially joined the Royal Navy on June 4, 1954. A few years later, in 1959, its name was changed to Bronington.
Between 1963 and 1965, the ship was updated at Rosyth Dockyard. It was changed from a minesweeper into a minehunter. Minehunters use special equipment to find mines and then destroy them safely. After this, it served in different naval groups, including the 1st Mine Countermeasures Squadron.
A Royal Connection
After its time in the navy, HMS Bronington was bought in January 1989. It was purchased by a group called the Bronington Trust. This trust is a charity.
The most famous person linked to the ship was Charles, Prince of Wales. He later became King Charles III. He was the patron of the Bronington Trust. Prince Charles actually commanded this ship himself for a period in 1976.
Later Years and Fate
For some time, the ship was docked in the Manchester Ship Canal in Trafford Park, England. On July 11, 2002, it became part of the Warship Preservation Trust. This trust worked to save old warships. The Bronington was then moved to Birkenhead, Merseyside.
After the Warship Preservation Trust closed down, the ship remained stored in Birkenhead Docks. Sadly, on March 17, 2016, HMS Bronington sank while it was docked. It was later pulled out of the water and taken apart for scrap.
