View source for HMS Cardinham (M2615)

{{short description|Minesweeper of the Royal Navy}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2015}}
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|Ship country=United Kingdom
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|naval}}
|Ship name= HMS ''Cardinham''
|Ship namesake=[[Cardinham]]
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|Ship builder= Herd & McKenzie
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|Ship launched= 24 June 1952
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|Ship completed= 17 July 1953
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|Ship fate= Sold for breaking, 1967
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{{Infobox ship characteristics
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|Ship class=[[Ham class minesweeper]]
|Ship type=[[Minesweeper (ship)|Minesweeper]]
|Ship displacement=*{{convert|120|LT|t|0}} standard
*{{convert|164|LT|t|0}} full load
|Ship length=*{{convert|100|ft|m|abbr=on}} [[Length between perpendiculars|p/p]]
*{{convert|106|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on}} [[length overall|o/a]]
|Ship beam= {{convert|21|ft|4|in|m|abbr=on}}
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|Ship draught= {{convert|5|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on}}
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|Ship propulsion=*2 shaft [[Paxman (engines)|Paxman]] 12YHAXM diesels
*{{convert|1,100|bhp|kW|abbr=on}}
|Ship speed= {{convert|14|kn|mph km/h|lk=in}}
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|Ship complement=2 officers, 13 ratings
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|Ship armament= 1 × [[Bofors 40 mm L/60 gun]] ''or'' [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon]]
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|Ship notes=[[Pennant number]](s): M2615 / IMS15
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'''HMS ''Cardinham''''' was one of 93 ships of the {{sclass2|Ham|minesweeper|0}} of inshore [[Minesweeper (ship)|minesweepers]]. Her name is commonly misspelled as Cardingham, but she was named after the village of Cardinham in Cornwall. Her cap tally and lifebelts displayed the name Cardinham.

Their names were all chosen from villages ending in ''-ham''. The minesweeper was named after [[Cardinham]].

== Career==
''Cardinham'' was one of the flotilla sent to Malta for the Suez campaign.    Crossing the English Channel took several attempts until the weather eased. An earlier crossing by small ships led to some having the front of their chartrooms stove in, flooding the forepart and unfortunate descents.

Malta was reached without incident.    However, when the Commodore chose ''Cardinham'' to evaluate the capability of streaming sweeps in moderately rough conditions, it was decided that the sweepers were too small actually to go to Suez, which was much regretted.   They were intended to clear the canal before heavy ships cleared the area.

Anticipation was aroused when boxes containing 'anti-tank weapons' arrived.   Investigation revealed them to be bren guns.

The cancellation was disappointing and the aggression build-up was relieved, somewhat unfortunately, when a visit was made to Messina.   Return was to Gareloch and paying-off.

''Cardinham'', and a sister ship ''Etchingham'', were in service with the [[Hong Kong Royal Naval Reserve]] in the 1960s, until the unit was disbanded on 31 March 1967. Reservists were trained in minesweeping techniques using both sweeps and the electromagnetic loop.

== References ==
{{reflist}}
* Blackman, R.V.B. ed. ''Jane's Fighting Ships'' (1953)

{{Ham class minesweeper}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cardinham}}
[[Category:Ham-class minesweepers]]
[[Category:Royal Navy ship names]]
[[Category:1952 ships]]


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