HMS Sandown (M101)

HMS "Sandown" (M101) was a "Sandown"-class minehunter of the British Royal Navy. She was decommissioned in 2005.

Career

HMS "Sandown" was built by Vosper Thornycroft and launched on 16 April 1988 by the Duchess of Gloucester, as the lead ship of the 12 ship class of "Sandown" class minehunters. She participated in a number of operations in support of the British fleet, including operating as part of a NATO-led operation between 12 June - 26 August 1999, along with the Hunt class Mine countermeasure vessel HMS "Atherstone" and the survey ship HMS "Bulldog". The operation was intended to clear the Adriatic of bombs jettisoned during the Kosovo campaign. Together "Sandown" and "Atherstone" accounted for about 20% of the 93 bombs and missiles that were located and destroyed. [ [http://www.kosovo.mod.uk/lessons/annexb.htm Kosovo Operations] ]

On 16 January 2000 "Sandown" located the wreck of the sunken scallop dredger, the "Solway Harvester". [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/604455.stm BBC.co.uk] ] "Sandown" spent July 2002 on a Joint Maritime Course, after which she deployed to the Mediterranean to take part in the Argonaut 02 exercises, which lasted until Christmas. "Sandown" was also deployed as part of Operation Telic, to clear mines in the Persian Gulf, and sweep passages into Iraqi ports.

In July 2004, the UK Ministry of Defence announced that as part of the restructuring of the Navy, the three oldest "Sandown" class minehunters would be retired by April 2005. HMS "Sandown" was decommissioned in January 2005 and was then laid up awaiting a buyer or disposal. In September 2006, Estonia signed a contract to acquire the three vessels.

After refitting in Rosyth "Sandown" was formally handed over to the Estonian Navy in April 2007, and renamed EML "Admiral Cowan" in recognition of the British Admiral Walter Cowan's support during the 1918 Estonian War of Independence.

References

*Colledge

External links

* [http://www.navynews.co.uk/ships/Sandown.asp Navy News]
* [http://www.shippingtimes.co.uk/item510_SANDOWN.htm Shipping News]
* [http://www.operations.mod.uk/telic/photo_gallery_ops_sea.htm Photographs of Sandown in Operation Telic]