HMAS Snipe

HMAS Snipe (M1102) (formerly HMS Alcaston) was a Ton class minesweeper which served in the Royal Navy (RN) and Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

Construction
The ship was constructed by John I. Thornycroft and Company at Southampton and launched on 4 September 1952.

United Kingdom
The ship was completed on 16 December 1952, and commissioned in the Royal Navy as HMS Alcaston, being allocated the pennant number M.1102. Alcaston served with the 104th Mine Sweeping Squadron, and in November 1956 took part in Operation Musketeer, the Anglo-French attack on the Suez Canal. In 1961 she was sold to Australia along with five other Ton-class minesweepers.

Australia
Following her sale, the ship was refitted with her engines replaced by Napier Deltic diesel engines, stabilisers being fitted and air conditioning added to better suit the ship for Australian service. The ship recommissioned as HMAS Snipe on 11 September 1962.

During the mid-1960s, Snipe was one of several ships operating in support of the Malaysian government during the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation. This service was later recognised with the battle honour "Malaysia 1964-66".

Snipe remained in RAN service until her decommissioning on 3 June 1983.