HMS ''Chiddingfold'' is a of Britain's

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

. She was launched in October 1983 by her sponsor, Lady Anne Kennon, and formally entered the service of the Royal Navy in October 1984. ''Chiddingfold'' is a minehunter, and her purpose is to find and destroy mines, not only in a time of war but also in peacetime. There are about a quarter of a million mines still active from the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

alone and they pose a major threat to both military and civilian ships. ''Chiddingfold'' is able to enter some types of minefields without magnetic mines detonating because she is made of

glass-reinforced plastic Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass ( Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass c ...

, and all fixtures within the ship are made of non-ferrous metals, keeping the ship's magnetic signature to the bare minimum.

Operational history

In January 2012, ''Chiddingfold'' began a year-long mid-life upgrade project, including the replacement of her engines, gearboxes, propellers and an upgraded thruster system; she was the first vessel of her class to undergo the refurbishment. In June 2014, ''Chiddingfold'' sailed in company with for a three-year deployment in the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...

. She returned to the UK in 2017 after being relieved by

sister A sister is a woman or a girl who shares parents or a parent with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to ref ...

. The long-term deployment to the Persian Gulf was renewed again in mid-2020 when ''Chiddingfold'' returned to the region, again in company with ''Penzance'', to operate as part of 9 Mine Countermeasures Squadron from in

Bahrain Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...

. In this role, crews for ''Chiddingfold'' rotate every four months. On 19 January 2024, the ship was involved in an incident in

where it collided with . It had previously been involved in a similar collision with HMS ''Penzance'' in 2021, also off the coast of Bahrain. HMS ''Chiddingfold'' was reported back in service in May 2024. In early 2025, the ship was returned to the U.K. on a heavy-lift vessel. She required docking and recertification given that her last refit was completed in February 2019.

Affiliations

''Chiddingfold'' has a connection with the village of

Chiddingfold Chiddingfold is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Weald in the Waverley, Surrey, Waverley district of Surrey, England. It lies on the A283 road between Milford, Surrey, Milford and Petworth. The parish includes the h ...

, and every year they have a stall at the Chiddingfold fete. HMS ''Chiddingfold'' is also affiliated with the Worshipful Company of Pattenmakers, one of the City of London's

Livery Companies A livery company is a type of guild or professional association that originated in medieval times in London, England. Livery companies comprise London's ancient and modern trade associations and guilds, almost all of which are Style (form of a ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Chiddingfold (M37) 1983 ships Hunt-class mine countermeasures vessels