HMS Penzance off Bahrain, 2021
History
United Kingdom
NamePenzance
BuilderVosper Thornycroft
Launched11 March 1997
Commissioned14 May 1998
HomeportHMNB Clyde
Identification
Motto
  • Diligenter Pensa
  • "Diligent thought"
Statusin active service
General characteristics
Class and typeSandown-class minehunter
Displacement600 t (590 long tons)[1]
Length52.5 m (172 ft 3 in)
Beam10.9 m (35 ft 9 in)
Draught2.3 m (7 ft 7 in)
PropulsionPaxman Valenta 6RP200E diesel engine 1,523 shp (1,136 kW), diesel-electric drive, Voith Schneider Propellers, Schottel bow thrusters
Speed13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph)
Complement34 (accommodation for up to 40)
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Radar Type 1007 I-band
  • Sonar Type 2093
Electronic warfare
& decoys
  • SeaFox mine disposal system
  • Diver-placed explosive charges
Armament
HMS Penzance near Kinlochbervie, 2009

HMS Penzance is a Sandown-class minehunter commissioned by the Royal Navy in 1998. She is named after the seaside town of Penzance in Cornwall, and is the fourth vessel to bear the name.

Construction and career

In 2000, Penzance was awarded the freedom of the town of Penzance.[3]

In 2020 Penzance deployed long-term to the Persian Gulf, operating as part of 9 Mine Countermeasures Squadron from HMS Jufair in Bahrain. In this role, crews for Penzance rotate every four months.[4]

In April 2021 Penzance was involved in a collision with HMS Chiddingfold in Mina Salman, Bahrain. Both vessels remained afloat and were able to berth safely.[5] Penzance returned to U.K. waters from the Persian Gulf in mid-2022.[6]

In November 2023, Penzance deployed with the mine countermeasures vessel HMS Cattistock and other Royal Navy warships to patrol northern European waters with vulnerable undersea critical infrastructure in order to assist in protecting such assets. It was reported that this deployment might be the minehunter's last since she was expected to decommission before 2025.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Sandown Class Mine Countermeasures Vessels - Specifications". GlobalSecurity.org. 11 July 2011. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
  2. ↑ "In focus: the Fleet Solid Support ship design". Navy Lookout. 28 February 2023. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  3. ↑ FOI response, released as part of a response from Penzance Town Council to a request made using WhatDoTheyKnow, accessed 13 April 2023.
  4. ↑ Cotterill, Tom (10 June 2020). "HMS Chiddingfold's 47-strong crew is heading to the Gulf from Portsmouth today". The News. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  5. ↑ "Gulf: £100,000 Of Damage After Navy Ships Collision". Forces Network. 7 April 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  6. ↑ @NavyLookout (21 August 2022). "@HMSPenzance arrives in #Gibraltar this afternoon as she makes her way home from the Gulf" (Tweet). Retrieved 24 August 2022 – via Twitter.
  7. ↑ "Analysis: Royal Navy deploys seven ships on underwater infrastructure patrols". navylookout.com. 3 December 2023. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
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