Ford-class seaward defence boat

Ford class
	Droxford at Carrick Castle, Loch Goil 1975
Class overview
Name	Ford class
Builders	Various
Operators	Royal Navy; South African Navy; Kenya Navy; Royal Ceylon Navy; Nigerian Navy; Biafran Navy;
Built	1950s
In service	1952-1967
Completed	23
Preserved	HMS Gifford
General characteristics
Type	Large patrol craft
Displacement	120 long tons (122 t) standard; 140 long tons (142 t) full load;
Length	117 ft 2 in (35.71 m) o/a; 110 ft (34 m) p/p;
Beam	20 ft (6.1 m)
Draught	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Propulsion	1 × Foden diesel (centre shaft); 2 × Davey Paxman 12YHAX 550 hp (410 kW) diesels (outer shafts); 23 tons oil fuel;
Speed	18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Complement	19
Armament	Depth charge rails with both large and small charges

The Ford-class seaward defence boats were built for the Royal Navy (with three built for the South African Navy) in the 1950s.

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They were designed to detect and attack hostile submarines, including midget submarines in inshore waters such as the approaches to large ports.^[2]^[3] They were powered by diesel engines and were planned to be armed with a single barreled Squid anti-submarine mortar. This special version of the Squid was a failure however, with the first Ford-class boat, HMS Shalford being fitted with a normal three-barreled Squid and the remaining vessels with a more conventional anti-submarine armament of depth-charge throwers. A single Bofors 40 mm gun completed the armament.^[2]

HMS Droxford served for a time as the tender for Glasgow and Strathclyde Universities Royal Naval Unit, and was administered by RNR Clyde.^[1] The vessel was used to train Midshipmen who were students of the universities and participated in fishery protection duties along the west coast of Scotland.^{[citation needed]} HMS Beckford (P3104) was renamed HMS Dee and served as the tender to Liverpool University Royal Naval Unit.^[3]

HMS Shalford (P3101)
HMS Aberford (P3102) - Transferred to Kenyan Navy as KNS Nyati
HMS Axford (P3103) - Transferred to Nigerian Navy as NNS Kaduna
HMS Beckford (P3104)
HMS Brayford (P3105) - Transferred to South African Navy, initially as HMSAS Gelderland - Renamed to SAS Gelderland
HMS Bryansford (P3106) - Transferred to Nigerian Navy as NNS Ibadan II.^[4]
HMS Camberford (P3107)
HMS Desford (P3108) - Transferred to Royal Ceylon Navy as HMCyS Kotiya^[5]
HMS Greatford (P3109)
HMS Gifford (P3111) - Transferred to Nigerian Navy as NNS Bonny
HMS Droxford (P3113)
HMS Mayford (P3114)
HMS Hinksford (P3115) - Transferred to Nigerian Navy as NNS Benin
HMS Ickford (P3116)
HMS Dubford (P3119) - Transferred to Nigerian Navy as NNS Sapele
HMS Glassford (P3120) - Transferred to South African Navy, initially as HMSAS Nautilus - Renamed to SAS Nautilus
HMS Kingsford (P3121)
HMS Marlingford (P3122)
HMS Tilford (P3123) Sold in Singapore 1967.^[6]
HMS Montford (P3124) - Transferred to Nigerian Navy as NNS Ibadan. Captured by Biafran forces during the Nigerian Civil War and put into Biafran navy as BNS Vigilance. Sunk by Nigerian Navy on 9 October 1967 at Port Harcourt.
HMSAS Rijger (P3125) - Renamed SAS Rijger
HMSAS Haerlem (P3126) - Renamed SAS Haerlem
HMSAS Oosterland (P3127) - Renamed SAS Oosterland

[1]
Jane's Fighting Ships 1983-84. p. 603. ISBN 0-7106-0774-1.
[2]
Gardiner and Chumbley 1995, p. 536.
[3]
Blackman 1971, p. 369.
[4]
Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. p. 57. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
[5]
Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. p. 108. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
[6]
"HMS Tilford P3123, Builders - Vosper". TON Class Association. Retrieved 20 June 2022.

Blackman, Raymond V. B. Jane's Fighting Ships 1971–72. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company, 1971. ISBN 0-354-00096-9.
Gardiner, Robert and Stephen Chumbley. Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. Annapolis, Maryland USA: Naval Institute Press, 1995. ISBN 1-55750-132-7.

[Janes83-1] [1]
Jane's Fighting Ships 1983-84. p. 603. ISBN 0-7106-0774-1.

[conway47_p536-2] [2]
Gardiner and Chumbley 1995, p. 536.

[jfs71_p369-3] [3]
Blackman 1971, p. 369.

[4] [4]
Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. p. 57. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.

[5] [5]
Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. p. 108. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.

[6] [6]
"HMS Tilford P3123, Builders - Vosper". TON Class Association. Retrieved 20 June 2022.

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Ford-class seaward defence boat

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Development

Ships

References

Class overview
Droxford at Carrick Castle, Loch Goil 1975
Name	Ford class
Builders	Various
Operators	Royal Navy South African Navy Kenya Navy Royal Ceylon Navy Nigerian Navy Biafran Navy
Built	1950s
In service	1952-1967
Completed	23
Preserved	HMS Gifford
General characteristics
Type	Large patrol craft
Displacement	120 long tons (122 t) standard 140 long tons (142 t) full load^[1]
Length	117 ft 2 in (35.71 m) o/a^[1] 110 ft (34 m) p/p
Beam	20 ft (6.1 m) ^[1]
Draught	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) ^[1]
Propulsion	1 × Foden diesel (centre shaft)^[1] 2 × Davey Paxman 12YHAX 550 hp (410 kW) diesels (outer shafts)^[1] 23 tons oil fuel^[1]
Speed	18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)^[1]
Complement	19^[1]
Armament	Depth charge rails with both large and small charges^[1]