Ascot Class Minesweeper (1916)

Thirty-two Ascot class paddle minesweepers were ordered for the Royal Navy in 1915 through early 1917.

The last eight ordered, in January, 1917, were of a very slightly larger design.

Overview of 32 vessels
Citations for this data available on individual ship pages
Name	Builder	Laid Down	Launched	Completed	Fate
Ascot	Ailsa Shipbuilding Company		26 Jan, 1916		Torpedoed 10 Nov, 1918
Atherstone	Ailsa Shipbuilding Company		4 Apr, 1916		Sold 12 Aug, 1927
Chelmsford	Ailsa Shipbuilding Company		16 Jun, 1916		Sold 25 Nov, 1927
Chepstow	Ayrshire Shipbuilding Company		29 Feb, 1916		Sold 25 Nov, 1927
Croxton	Ayrshire Shipbuilding Company		7 Apr, 1916		Sold Mar, 1922
Doncaster	Ayrshire Shipbuilding Company		15 Jun, 1916		Sold Mar, 1922
Eglinton	Ayrshire Shipbuilding Company		9 Sep, 1916		Sold Jul, 1922
Epsom	George Brown & Company		4 May, 1916		Sold Mar, 1922
Eridge	Clyde Shipbuilding Company		23 Feb, 1916		Sold Mar, 1922
Gatwick	Dundee Shipbuilding Company		18 Apr, 1916		Sold Mar, 1922
Kempton	Ferguson Brothers		3 Jun, 1916		Mined 24 Jun, 1917
Lingfield	Fleming & Ferguson		29 Apr, 1916		Sold May, 1923
Ludlow	Goole Shipbuilding Company		1 May, 1916		Mined 29 Dec, 1916
Melton	William Hamilton & Company		16 Mar, 1916		Sold 25 Nov, 1927
Newbury	A. & J. Inglis		3 Jul, 1916		Sold Mar, 1922
Plumpton	Archibald McMillan & Son		20 Mar, 1916		Mined 19 Oct, 1918
Pontefract	Murdoch & Murray		2 May, 1916		Sold 6 Sep, 1922
Cheltenham	Ardrossan Dry Dock Company		12 Apr, 1916		Sold 7 Oct, 1927
Goodwood	Dundee Shipbuilding Company		15 Jun, 1916		Sold Jul, 1922
Haldon	Dunlop Bremner & Company		29 Mar, 1916		Sold 14 Dec, 1921
Hurst	Dunlop Bremner & Company		6 May, 1916		Sold Mar, 1922
Redcar	Ayrshire Shipbuilding Company		31 Jul, 1916		Mined 24 Jun, 1917
Sandown	Dunlop Bremner & Company		6 Jul, 1916		Sold Mar, 1922
Totnes	Archibald McMillan & Son		17 May, 1916		Sold Mar, 1922
Banbury	Ailsa Shipbuilding Company		19 Dec, 1917		Sold 14 Sep, 1923
Harpenden	Ailsa Shipbuilding Company		26 Feb, 1918		Broken up Apr, 1928
Hexham	Clyde Shipbuilding Company		15 Dec, 1917		Sold 14 Sep, 1923
Lanark	Fleming & Ferguson		18 Dec, 1917		Sold May, 1923
Lewes	Fleming & Ferguson		12 Mar, 1918		Sold Mar, 1922
Shincliffe	Dundee Shipbuilding Company		29 Jan, 1918		Sold Mar, 1922
Shirley	Dunlop Bremner & Company		28 Sep, 1917		Sold 8 Apr, 1919
Wetherby	Murdoch & Murray		2 Mar, 1918		Sold 10 Jun, 1924

Design & Construction

They were inspired by the hired paddle sweepers that had performed well early in the war to Ailsa Shipbuilding Company's successful design for Glen Usk.^[1]

Armament

two 6-pdr guns
two 2-pdr guns

Service

Pendant Numbers

When they served in the Auxiliary Patrol, all were given pendant numbers that were the Fishing pendant superior with their Admiralty number inferior. When they later joined the Mine Clearance Service, they used a T flag superior with either their Admiralty number inferior or they employed the pendant number specified.^[2]