HMS Cromer (M103)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Cromer.

HMS Cromer is a former Sandown-class minehunter commissioned by the Royal Navy in 1992. She was named after the North Norfolk seaside town of the same name.^[1]

HMS Cromer, after decommissioning, at Britannia Royal Naval College
History
United Kingdom
Name	Cromer
Namesake	Cromer, Norfolk
Builder	Vosper Thornycroft
Launched	6 October 1990
Commissioned	7 April 1992
Decommissioned	2001
Renamed	Hindostan in 2001
Identification	Pennant number: M103
Status	Training ship
General characteristics
Class & type	Sandown-class minehunter
Displacement	484 tons full
Length	52.5 m (172 ft 3 in)
Beam	10.9 m (35 ft 9 in)
Draught	2.3 m (7 ft 7 in)
Propulsion	2 shafts Voith-Schneider propulsors diesel-electric drive Paxman Valenta diesels, 1,500 shp (1,100 kW)
Speed	13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) diesel 6.5 knots (12.0 km/h; 7.5 mph) electric
Complement	34 (7 officers, 27 ratings)
Sensors & processing systems	Type 1007 navigation radar Type 2093 variable-depth mine hunting sonar
Armament	1 × Oerlikon 30 mm KCB gun on DS-30B mount 2 × 7.62 mm L7 GPMG machine guns Wallop Defence Systems Barricade Mk. III countermeasure launchers Irvin Aerospace Replica decoy launchers
Notes	Mine counter measures equipment: 2 × ECA PAP 104 Mk.5 remotely controlled submarines (ROV) ECA mine disposal system Clearance divers

HMS Cromer visited Dundee on 6–9 November 1998 (for a Dundee navy day and Armistice Day commemorations) when she was accompanied by various warships from European countries including: Norwegian minelayer/command ship HNoMS Vidar, Norwegian minesweeper HNoMS Måløy, Dutch minehunter HNLMS Schiedam, Belgian minehunter Crocus, Type 23 frigate HMS Montrose and German minesweeper Völkingen.^[2]

She was decommissioned in 2001 before being refitted for use as a training ship at the Britannia Royal Naval College at Dartmouth. In keeping with tradition, for this role the ship has been renamed Hindostan.^[3] As she is not a commissioned ship she is not prefixed "HMS". In June 2023, she was towed to Portsmouth reportedly for temporary berthing while jetties at Britannia Royal Naval College were refurbished.^[4][5]