HMS Atherstone (M38) explained

HMS Atherstone was a of the Royal Navy, the third ship to bear the name. Built by Vosper Thornycroft shipbuilders at Woolston, Southampton, it was launched on 1 March 1986 by Amy Jarvis, the wife of Pat Jarvis, CB, the Deputy Controller of the Navy at the Ministry of Defence, and commissioned on 17 January 1987.[1] It was the tenth ship of its class.

Operational history

HMS Atherstone was accepted into service on 28 November 1986 and commissioned at HMNB Portsmouth on 17 January 1987. The ship had a close association with the town of Atherstone, and was latterly part of the 2nd Mine Countermeasure (MCM) Squadron based at Portsmouth.

In December 2015, Atherstone returned from the Persian Gulf after a two-year deployment as part of Operation Telic in the Middle East,[2] in support of coalition operations to promote and maintain peace in the Persian Gulf. It helped to provide assurance to merchant shipping, by conducting mine-countermeasure surveys in the main shipping routes throughout the region. It participated in 2014 IMCMEX.[3]

After spending a period alongside in extended readiness, Atherstone was lifted out of the water into the "Minor War Vessels Centre of Specialisation"; the former shipbuilding hall at HMNB Portsmouth in December 2016 in readiness to enter refit[4] However, in October 2017 it was revealed that the planned refit would not take place and Atherstone would be decommissioned on 14 December 2017.[5] On 3 June 2020, the stripped down Atherstone was advertised for sale.[6] It was sold in June 2022 to Harland & Wolff with the intention of utilising parts in the refurbishment of HMS Quorn for the Lithuanian Navy, and then rebuilding it for non-military use.[7] [8]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: HMS Atherstone . Royal Navy. 13 March 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081025031855/http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/server/show/nav.1971 . 25 October 2008.
  2. Web site: HMS Atherstone returns home after more than three years in the Gulf . 23 December 2015 . Royal Navy . 13 March 2019.
  3. Web site: Core of Royal Navy's Middle East presence joins massive international minehunting exercise . 6 November 2014 . Royal Navy . 13 March 2019.
  4. Web site: Minehunters go undercover as Quorn and Atherstone begin revamp . 13 December 2016 . Royal Navy . 13 March 2019.
  5. News: Royal Navy ship that carries town's name to be scrapped . Nick. Reid . 27 October 2017 . . 13 March 2019.
  6. Web site: Notice of the potential sale of the Former HMS Atherstone. Defence Equipment Sales Authority. 3 June 2020. 5 June 2020.
  7. Web site: Harland & Wolff acquires former HMS Atherstone . Harland & Wolff . 27 February 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230604070213/https://www.harland-wolff.com/news/harland-wolff-acquires-former-hms-atherstone/ . 4 June 2023 . Belfast . 1 June 2022 . live.
  8. News in Brief Ships Monthly August 2022 page 14

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