HMS Abdiel, Hunt-class mine countermeasures vessels, coastal minehunters, and older minesweepers illustrate the breadth of the 1981 mine-warfare force. Abdiel was officially a support and exercise minelayer, but a ship able to lay exercise mines could perform the real task if required. The newer Hunt class was gradually replacing a varied collection of older minehunters and minesweepers. Several older ships were assigned to the Royal Naval Reserve, where they gave local divisions practical sea experience and a unit around which personnel could organize. These ships supported a specialist wartime capability and the peacetime health of the reserve system.
Chapter · 14:44-16:52
Mine warfare ships as Royal Naval Reserve anchors
A tour of minelayers, minehunters, and minesweepers shows how small ships also supplied sea time and institutional focus for reserve divisions.