HMS Ford was a Hunt-class minesweeper of the Aberdare sub-class, built for the Royal Navy during World War I. The Aberdare subclass represented an enlarged and more heavily armed version of the original Hunt-class ships. HMS Ford displaced approximately 800 long tons (810 tonnes) at normal load and measured 231 feet (70.4 meters) in overall length, with a beam of 26 feet 6 inches (8.1 meters) and a draught of 7 feet 6 inches (2.3 meters). The vessel's crew complement consisted of 74 officers and ratings. Powered by two vertical triple-expansion steam engines, each driving a single shaft and supplied steam from two Yarrow boilers, HMS Ford's engines produced a total of 2,200 indicated horsepower (1,600 kW). This propulsion enabled a maximum speed of 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph). The ship carried a maximum of 185 long tons (188 tonnes) of coal, granting it a range of 1,500 nautical miles (2,800 km; 1,700 miles) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). Armament on the Aberdare sub-class included a quick-firing 4-inch (102 mm) gun positioned forward of the bridge and a QF twelve-pounder (76.2 mm) anti-aircraft gun aft. Some ships in the class were fitted with different configurations of smaller guns, such as six- or three-pounders. Constructed by Dunlop Bremmer at their shipyard in Port Glasgow, HMS Ford was launched in 1918 after being renamed from HMS Fleetwood prior to her launch. In 1928, she was sold to Townsend Bros and converted into a car ferry operating between Dover and Calais. The conversion included a stern door that folded onto the quay, though it proved unusable, requiring cars to be craned on board. The ferry could carry 165 passengers and 26 cars, featuring two general saloons, a ladies’ saloon, and three private staterooms. During World War II, HMS Ford served as a salvage vessel under the Admiralty. After the war, she was refitted in Southampton and resumed service as a car ferry between Dover and Calais in 1947. She was withdrawn from service in October 1949, sold to Bland Line, renamed "Gibel Tarik," and operated as a car ferry between Gibraltar and Tangier, Morocco. Her maritime career concluded in 1954, marking her as a versatile vessel with service spanning military and civilian roles, including wartime salvage operations and cross-channel passenger and vehicle transport.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.