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 & 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 Ham-class 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)