MSI Ham Type Herstal-class inshore minesweeper, BNC M475 Tongeren - 'Nil Ultra'

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The M475 Tongeren (MSI-class inshore minesweeper) was part of Belgium’s Cold War coastal defense fleet. Built at the Mercantile Marine Yard in Kruibeke and commissioned in December 1958, she was one of sixteen Belgian-built MSI-type minesweepers designed to clear magnetic, acoustic, and contact mines in rivers, estuaries, and shallow coastal waters. With her light armament of either a twin 12.7 mm Browning or a twin 20 mm Oerlikon, Tongeren was not a frontline combat vessel but played a vital role in keeping shipping lanes safe during NATO mine warfare exercises.

She served actively until the early 1990s, regularly participating in training cruises in the North Sea, English Channel, and even extended deployments to ports across Europe, including Ramsgate, Cherbourg, Hamburg, and Newcastle. Tongeren exemplifies the international cooperation and mine-countermeasure focus of Belgium’s navy during the Cold War.

TL;DR: M475 Tongeren was a Belgian-built Cold War minehunter, lightly armed with either twin 12.7 mm or 20 mm mounts, used extensively in NATO training cruises.

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M475 Tongeren during service, Belgian Navy archives.

History

History

The Belgian Force Navale recognized in the mid-1950s that its fleet of ex-Allied WWII minesweepers was reaching obsolescence. In response, the MSI Herstal-class was developed domestically and built between 1957–1959 at Kruibeke.

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M475 Tongeren was laid down on 16 November 1957 and commissioned on 9 December 1958. Sponsored by the city of Tongeren, she carried the callsign ORHL.

Throughout her career, Tongeren regularly took part in international exercises and goodwill cruises:

  • 1965: Visit to Brussels (10–14 September).
  • 1969: Training cruises to the English Channel (Fécamps & Brest) and North Sea (Newcastle, Esbjerg, Hamburg).

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  • 1971: Training operations at Ramsgate (22–26 February) and participation in Norminex NATO exercises with visits to Cherbourg and Le Havre.

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Tongeren’s career reflects the MSI class’s role as NATO mine warfare workhorses: clearing lanes, practicing joint operations, and representing Belgium abroad. She remained in service until the early 1990s and was later sold at Ostend.

Commanders included:

  • Georges M.L. Bocher
  • Amédée-François Claus
  • Filip N.P. Focroul
  • Camillus Jacobs
  • Frederic Van Den Haute (1965)
  • Charles B. Vreeken

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Specifications

Displacement: 173 t (freshwater), 177 t (saltwater)
Length/Beam/Draught: 34.4 m / 6.65 m / 2.1 m
Propulsion: 2 × Nuove Reggiane diesels, 2 shafts, 1260 hp
Speed: 15 knots
Range: 2,300 nm @ 10 knots
Crew: 18 (2 officers, 7 petty officers, 9 sailors)

Armament Variants:

Version Weapons
Early 1 × twin 12.7 mm Browning HMG
Alternate 1 × twin 20 mm Oerlikon AA gun

Mine Warfare Gear: Acoustic, magnetic, and mechanical sweeps
Electronics: Decca 707 radar (1958–70), Decca 1216 (1970–92)
Construction: Wooden hull, non-magnetic fittings

Place in War Thunder

Regarding nations

BeNeLux Naval Tech Tree

Tongeren and her MSI sisters would fill the early Cold War ranks of a possible BeNeLux tree, providing unique light mine warfare ships with modest firepower but rich historical background.

As with other Belgian assets, they could alternatively appear as French subtree vessels, or as special premiums/events to broaden Cold War naval diversity.

Pictures

Pictures

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Sources

Sources

Belgian Navy Forum. (n.d.). MSI mine sweeper inshore.
Masset, F., & Grimbergs, E. (2015). MSI M477 Oudenaarde. Ruimschoots, 15(3).
Anrys, H., De Decker de Brandeken, J.-M., & Eygenraam, P. (1992). De zeemacht. Tielt.
Hofkens, L. (2021). Eigendomsoverdracht M477 Oudenaarde. Ruimschoots.
Inventaris Onroerend Erfgoed 2025: M477 Oudenaarde.
NavSource Naval History. (2023). Mine Warfare Vessel Archive.
Belgian MSC/MSI Archive. (n.d.). Archived at: https://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbelgian-msc-msi.doomby.com