HMS Belton

HMS Belton was a Ton-class minesweeper of the Royal Navy, launched on 3 October 1955 at Doigs Shipyard, Grimsby.

Belton in 1959
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Belton
Builder	Doigs Shipyard, Grimsby
Launched	3 October 1955
Identification	Pennant number: M1199
Fate	Scrapped
General characteristics
Class & type	Ton-class minesweeper
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

Belton joined the Fishery Protection Squadron in 1958,^[1] and remained part of the Squadron in 1962.^[2] Belton ran aground in Loch Maddy, North Uist in the Outer Hebrides on 23 October 1971.^[3] She was eventually refloated and taken to Greenock in Scotland but was found to be beyond economical repair. Although she never put to sea under her own power again, it was not until 25 November 1974 that she was sold for disposal.^[1]