HMNZS Hickleton (M1131)

HMNZS Hickleton (M1131) was a Ton-class minesweeper that operated in the Royal Navy and the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN). She was named after a small village near Doncaster.

History
United Kingdom
Name	Hickleton
Builder	John I Thornycroft, Southampton
Launched	26 January 1955
Identification	Pennant number: M1131
New Zealand
Name	Hickleton
Commissioned	10 April 1965
Decommissioned	December 1966
Identification	Pennant number: M1131
Argentina
Name	Neuquen
Acquired	1967
Decommissioned	1996
Identification	Pennant number: M1
General characteristics
Displacement	440 long tons (450 t)
Length	153 ft (46.6 m)
Beam	28.9 ft (8.8 m)
Draught	8.2 ft (2.5 m)
Propulsion	2 × Paxman Deltic 18A-7A diesel engines at 3,000 bhp (2,200 kW)
Speed	Cruise 13 knots (24 km/h) on one engine. Max 16 knots (30 km/h) on both
Range	2,500 nautical miles (4,600 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h)
Complement	32
Armament	1 x Bofors 40 mm gun 2 × 20 mm (2 × 1) – increased for NZ service

Built for the Royal Navy by John I Thornycroft of Southampton, the minesweeper was launched on 26 January 1955 and later commissioned as HMS Hickleton

She was commissioned into the RNZN in 1965 and decommissioned in 1966. After leaving New Zealand service, she was transferred to the Argentine Navy and renamed ARA Neuquen (M1).

Operational history

United Kingdom

New Zealand

Early in 1965, Indonesia was employing a policy of confrontation against Malaysia. New Zealand agreed to assist Malaysia by deploying two Royal Navy minesweepers then in reserve at Singapore. These were commissioned into the RNZN on 10 April 1965 and joined the Royal Navy's 11th Minesweeping squadron (also Ton class), taking part in anti-infiltration patrols in Malaysian waters.

In her first year Hickleton, together with her sister ship Santon, carried out 200 patrols, with 20 incidents involving intruding Indonesians, often taking as prisoners those aboard the intercepted craft. By the time the Indonesian confrontation policy ended in August 1966 Santon had steamed 62,000 miles (100,000 km). Following the withdrawal of Commonwealth ships from the anti-infiltration patrols, the RNZN crew took her back to England, where she paid off in reserve at Portsmouth.

Argentina

The ship was sold to Argentina in 1967 and renamed Neuquen (M1), raising the new ensign at Southampton on 13 September 1968. She reached Argentina in November and was formally commissioned on 23 December 1968. She was allocated to the mining and minesweeping division headquartered at the Puerto Belgrano Naval Base and was active until at least 1972.^[1]

She was decommissioned in 1996 and sold.^[2] Her bridge structure is preserved at the naval museum at Puerto Belgrano.^[1]

See also

• Minesweepers of the Royal New Zealand Navy