HMS Dittisham (M2621)

History
Name	HMS Dittisham
Namesake	Dittisham
Builder	Fairlie Yacht
Launched	October 1953
Completed	29 June 1954
Fate	Given to the Sea Cadets, 1983. Broken up 1997.
General characteristics
Class and type	Ham class minesweeper
Type	Minesweeper
Displacement	120 long tons (122 t) standard 164 long tons (167 t) full load
Length	100 ft (30 m) p/p 106 ft 6 in (32.46 m) o/a
Beam	21 ft 4 in (6.50 m)
Draught	5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Propulsion	2 shaft Paxman 12YHAXM diesels 1,100 bhp (820 kW)
Speed	14 knots (16 mph; 26 km/h)
Complement	2 officers, 13 ratings
Armament	1 × Bofors 40 mm gun or Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
Notes	Pennant number(s): M2621 / IMS23

HMS Dittisham was one of 93 ships of the Template:Sclass2- of inshore minesweepers. Their names were all chosen from villages ending in -ham. The minesweeper was named after Dittisham in Devon.

Dittisham was built by Fairlie in 1954. She was placed in reserve, but in 1968 became a training tender to RNTE Shotley, then transferred to HMS Raleigh at Torpoint in 1973. In March 1983, she was sold to the Kingston Sea Cadets and became TS Steadfast. In April 1997, she was towed to Pounds Shipyard at Portsmouth and broken up.

References

• Blackman, R.V.B. ed. Jane's Fighting Ships (1953)