H . M .S
. A C U T E ( J 1 0 6 )
“ALGERINE” Class Fleet
Minesweeper fitted with Turbine propulsion machinery ordered on 15th November
1940 from Harland and Wolff, Belfast. Laid down on 24th
July 1941 at the same time as sister ship ALBACORE this minesweeper was to have been named ALERT but this was
changed before launch on 14th April 1942. She was the third RN ship to carry this name, introduced in 1797
for Gunboat No 6 and last borne by a 12 gun Brig, built in 1804 and sold in 1864 after use as a Coastguard Vessel..
Her build was completed on 30th July 1942.and she was “adopted” by the civil community of Merton and Morden, Surrey after a successful
WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaignheld in March 1942.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
OSTEND 1798
NORTH SEA 1942
NORTH AFRICA 1942-43 SICILY
1943
SALERNO
1943 ATLANTIC 1943
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge : On a Field Blue,
A sword. point downwards, its scabbard
in Saltire proper, garnished Gold..
C
h r o n o l o g y o f W a r
S e r v i c e
1 9 4 2
July Contractors trials and
commissioned for service in 12th Minesweeping Flotilla.
30th Build completion and commenced
Acceptance Trials.
August On completion took passage to Tobermory
for work-up and preparation for
operational
minesweeping duties.
After Work-up took
passage to Port Edgar to carry out minesweeping training.
September Deployed for minesweeping training based
at Port Edgar
October Passage to Harwich to join HM
Minesweepers ALGERINE, ALARM and ALBACORE
in new Flotilla
(Note : HMS CADMUS also
joined during this period.
Nominated for
minesweeping duties in Mediterranean and support of planned allied landings
in North Africa
(Operation TORCH – See Naval Staff History and ENGAGE THE ENEMY
MORE CLOSELY by C
Barnett.)
22nd Joined military convoy KMS1 in Clyde
with HM Minesweepers ALARM, ALBACORE,
and CADMUS as part of
escort during passage to Gibraltar.
(Note : HMS
ALGERINE was delayed for repair after
sweep had fouled a propeller.)
November On arrival at Gibraltar with Flotilla and
prepared for service in TORCH.
HMS ALGERINE rejoined
Flotilla and HM Minesweeper HUSSAR and SPEEDWELL
detached from 5th
Minesweeping Flotilla also joined for this operation on arrival from UK.
5th Sailed from Gibraltar with ships of
Flotilla as part of escort for assault Convoy
KMF1 during passage to
Algiers.
8th
Carried out mines sweep with
Flotilla in advance of assault convoys to BAKER
Beach Head.
10th Deployed for anti-submarine patrol
and escort of follow-up and local convoys
13th Completed patrol and took passage to
Gibraltar.
December North African coast minesweeping,
patrol and convoy defence in continuation
(Note : Ships of the
Flotilla were under air and submarine attacks.)
1 9 4 3
January Convoy escort and patrol off North
African coast in continuation with Flotilla
Propeller damaged by
torpedo and ship returned to Gibraltar for repair.
(Note : Award of Battle
Honour ATLANTIC 1943 suggests hips may have been involved in
convoy
defence near Gibraltar. Further research is needed.)
February Under repair.
March Deployed with HM Minesweepers
CADMUS, HUSSAR and SPEEDWELL.
(Note : The only
minesweepers operational due to loss and damage since arrival
in the
Mediterranean.)
April North African coast deployment
in continuation.
HM Minesweepers
FANTOME, CIRCE and ESPIEGLE joined Flotilla .
(Note ; HMS FANTOME
replaced HMS ALGERINE as Leader)
May Flotilla nominated for joint
operations with 13th Minesweeping Flotilla for mine
clearance of passage
through Galita and Sicilian Channels.
(Operation ANTIDOTE).
5th Deployed at Bizerta for ANTIDOTE
with the two minesweeping Flotillas.
20th Took part in rescue operations
after HMS FANTOME sustained major damage when
mine exploded in sweep
gear. Remained with Flotilla when HMS CADMUS
detached to tow
stricken ship to Bone.
Replaced HMS FANTOME as
Leader)
June ANTIDOTE deployment with
Flotilla in continuation
7th Mine clearance completed with
destruction of 126 mines by the 12th Flotilla.
HM Minesweepers FLY and MUTINE Flotilla, the
former taking over duty as Leader.
Nominated for
minesweeping and escort duties during planned allied landings in Sicily
(Operation HUSKY)
July Detached with HM Minesweeper
ALBACORE and CIRCE for service with 14th Flotilla
during HUSKY.
For details of
Operation HUSKY See above references.)
10th Passage to eastern sector of Assault
area as part of escort for military convoy.
12th Carried out minesweeping prior to
landings and remained in area for anti-submarine patrol
and escort duties for
traffic between Malta, Bizerta and beachheads.
September Resumed Flotilla deployment for
minesweeping support of planned landings on Italian
mainland at Salerno
(Operation AVALANCHE – See above references).
8th Deployed with Flotilla to ensure
clearance of mines during passage to Salerno.
9th Under shore fire during minesweeping
off beachhead.
16th Released from AVALANCHE and deployed
in Bay of Naples for minesweeping with
Flotilla.
(Note : Flotilla dealt
with 135 mines in Salerno area.)
30th Nominated for transfer to Capri on
completion of service in Bay of Naples.
October
1st Deployed for support of operations
off west coast of Sicily including mine clearance of
positions to be used
by allied warships for bombardments prior to military advances.
(Note : Minesweeping
operations were frequently target of heavy fire from shore batteries
in the Gulf of Gaeta and
often restricted in their ability to rapidly change because of
sweeping
operation in progress.. Air attacks were also frequent.)
November West coast minesweeping duties and
support off west coast of Italy in continuation.
to December (Note : At the end of 1943 the Flotilla had
swept 770 mines since arrival at Gibraltar
in
December 1942.)
Nominated for minesweeping
in support of planned landings at Anzio (Operation SHINGLE).
Based at Naples to
prepare for SHINGLE.
1 9 4 4
January Passage to Anzio, 90 miles north of
Naples.
21st Deployed with Flotilla supplemented
by HM Minesweepers RINALDO and WATERWITCH
of 19th Minesweeping
Flotilla as well as HM Minesweepers BUDE and ROTHESAY of
13th Minesweeping
Flotilla to carry out mine sweep in front of assault convoys to Beachhead.
On release from
SHINGLE took passage to Naples.
February Took part with ships of Flotilla and
19th Flotilla in minesweeping to ensure clear channels
to for passage ships supporting
military operations, including clearance of areas selected for
March naval gunfire support
by cruisers.
April Carried out minesweeping operations
off Malta when not required for support of military
on Italian mainland,
11th Deployed with HM Minesweepers
ESPIEGLE, CIRCE and SPANKER of Flotilla for sweep
of known minefield SW
of Anzio during which five mines were cut.
18th Carried out mine clearance northwards
and into Tiber River and under fire from shore.
20th Deployed for clearance sweep in
western channel off Anzio and during night period for
anti-submarine
patrol.
23rd Assisted HMS CIRCE after of mine
caught in sweep exploded on board causing many
casualties. Took part
in towing operation to Naples with HMS ESPIEGLE of Flotilla.
(Note : The distance
was about 100 miles.)
May West coast of Italy
minesweeping in continuation with part of Flotilla
(Note : Some ships of
12th Flotilla were deployed off Malta for clearance of minefields.)
11th Deployed with HM Minesweepers FLY,
CADMUS, ALBACORE, ESPIEGLE of 12th Flotilla
and HM Minesweepers
ROSARIO and SPANKER of 19th Flotilla for night sweep off Gaeta
to ensure bombardment area
for naval gunfire support of offensive by allied troops on
Monte Casino.
(Note : Air attacks
were also a constant hazard.)
12th Carried out sweep close inshore
prior to bombardment by HM Cruiser DIDO, US Cruisers
BROOKLYN and
PHILADELPHIA during which the ships came under heavy fire from
shore batteries.
On completion of
bombardment requirements rejoined Flotilla in mine clearance of channel
from Naples to Anzio.
89 mines were cut.
June Carried out joint
minesweeping operations with ships of Flotilla, 13th Flotilla and 28th
Motor Launch
Flotilla .
4th Cleared entrance to port of
Civitavecchia with joint minesweeping force.
13th Deployed for clearance of mines in
anchorage area off Civitavecchia.
July Joint minesweeping operations in
continuation to ensure passage for ships supporting
military advance.
14th Took part in operation to clear a
channel to port of Leghorn with ships of Flotilla, 19th and
13th Minesweeping
Flotillas (Operation LOBSTER)
25th Port available for use by shipping.
(Note : 250 mines
were swept during clearance of channel between Anzio to Leghorn and
ships
engaged were subject to shore fire.)
August Deployed with Flotilla for
clearance of mines off west coast of Italy to ensure safe passage.
to September (Note : Aircraft minelaying was a common
feature during this period )
October Nominated for minesweeping service
with Flotilla, in support of allied military operations
in Greece (Operation
MANNA).
(Note : The Flotilla
had swept 1013 mines by this date, an achievement recognised by
the
Supreme Commander, Mediterranean in a congratulatory signal)
22nd Transferred to eastern Mediterranean
Passage to Greek waters
with HM Minesweepers ALBACORE, ESPIEGLE and MUTINE
(Note : 5th
Minesweeping Flotilla deployed for this work had recently suffered two losses)
November
1st Carried out minesweeping operation
to clear passage into Salonika from Skiathos
(Note : The four
ships of 12th Flotilla were joined by HM Minesweepers SKIPJACK
and
TRUELOVE of 5th Flotilla
December Aegean minesweeping in support of
Greece re-occupation in continuation.
Sustained slight
damage by mine which exploded on reaching surface after being cut.
(Note : During Aegean mine sweeping new type
of German mine (OBOE) was
dealt
with for the first time. These exploded after time delay from the
instant
of cutting and could caused damage to following minesweeper.
Nominated for special
operation to ensure safe passage through Dardanelles for
warships taking US
President and British Prime Minister to Yalta for meeting with
Russian leader, Joseph
Stalin,
Passage to Malta for
Xmas.
1 9 4 5
January Took passage from Malta with HMS
ESPIEGLE to relieve HMS FLY for completion
of mine clearance in Dardanelles
to ensure safe passage for warships taking the Prime
Minister and the US
President for a meeting at Yalta with the Soviet Leader.
During the subsequent
operations ran aground on Turkish coast but towed clear quickly
enough to avoid any
international complications.
(Note : During
Dardanelles operations 52 mines were swept .
On completion of
clearance in Dardanelles deployed off coast of Greece for further mine
clearance including
approach channels near Doro and Thermia.
February Took passage to Malta for R&R
after extensive operational duties.
Resumed Flotilla
duties.
March Deployed at Malta,
23rd Took passage from Malta with HM
Minesweepers ALBACORE, CADMUS, CIRCE.
MUTINE and ESPIEGLE
to resume minefield clearance operations based at Naples.
April Deployed with Flotilla for
clearance between Leghorn and Genoa.
May Deployed off Genoa.
9th Port Anchorage at Genoa cleared of
mines.
First major warship
to enter Genoa.
June Taken in hand for refit at
Taranto.
to
September
P o s t W a r
N o t e s
HMS ACUTE resumed duties in
the Mediterranean with the 12th Flotilla after the Taranto refit and was deployed for mine clearance
operations. After sustaining major damage by hitting a submerged wreck in
January 1946 she was taken in hand
for repair in Genoa. On completion she rejoined the Flotilla at Malta and
sailed with her sister ships to UK on 9th
May. On arrival at Portsmouth she remained in commission and took part in mine clearance operations in Home
waters. After taking part in operations off the Dutch coast during September and October she Paid-off and
reduced to Reserve status. Laid-up at Harwich for 10 years she recommissioned
in May 1956 for service with the Dartmouth Training Squadron attached to RNC
Dartmouth for training of cadets for the next five
years. Paid-off again in July she spent another three years in the Reserve
Fleet before being placed on the Disposal List. The ship was towed to Malta for
use as a torpedo target before being sold to an Italian shipbreaker on
20th November 1964. She arrived at the breaker’s yard in La Spezia later that
year
for demolition.
DRAFT