H. M. S. A L B A C O R E ( J 1 0 1 )
“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 with sister ship HMS ACUTE, she was launched on 2nd April 1942 and eighth RN ship to carry this name,
introduced in 1781 for the captured US Privateer ROYAL LOUIS And last borne by a Destroyer built in 1906 and sold
in 1919. Her build was completed on 16th June 1942. This warship was “adopted” by the civil community of Ashford, Kent
after a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign held in February
1942.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
NORTH
AFRICA 1942-43 SICILY 1943
SALERNO
1943 ANZIO
1944
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge : On a Field Blue,
two albacore in Saltire White.
(Note : Albacore – a large fish of the Mackerel family)
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
June Contractors trials and
commissioned for service in 12th Minesweeping Flotilla.
16th Build completion and commenced
Acceptance Trials.
On completion took
passage to Tobermory for work-up and preparation for
operational minesweeping
duties.
July After Work-up took passage to
Port Edgar to carry out minesweeping training.
Commenced minesweeping
training in Forth area.
30th First ship of the Class to raise a
mine during training in Firth of Forth
August Passage to Harwich to join HM
Minesweeper ALGERINE and ACUTE serving with
9th Minesweeping
Flotilla, pending formation of new Flotilla.
Deployed with 9th Flotilla
for minesweeping off the East coast to ensure
safe passage of convoys
to and from Thames estuary. Carried out escort duty
and patrol as required.
September North Sea deployment with Flotilla in
continuation.
Nominated for foreign
service on formation of 12th Flotilla.
October Joined 12th Minesweeping Flotilla on
formation with HM Minesweepers
ACUTE, ALGERINE,
ALBACORE and CADMUS.
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 as part of escort during passage to
Gibraltar.
(Note : Departure from
UK of HMS ALGERINE which was leader of Flotilla was
delayed.
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 KMS1A
during passage to
Algiers.
8th Carried out minesweep with Flotilla
and HM Minesweepers HUSSAR and in advance of
landings on BAKER Beach
at Algiers.
10th Deployed for anti-submarine patrol.
On release from patrol
took passage to Bougie to carry out minesweeping prior
to ,landings at Bougie
(Operation PERPETUAL)
11th Deployed for minesweeping
13th Sustained damage in air attack of
Bougie.
15th During deployment off Bougie with HMS
ALGERINE, under attack by the Italian
submarine ASCIANGHI.
After sinking of HMS ALGERINE took part in rescue of survivors.
(Note : All officers from ALGERINE
and 80 of the ship’s company lost
their
lives.)
December North African coast minesweeping, patrol
and convoy defence in continuation
Sustained slight damage
during air attacks whilst escorting convoy off North
1 9 4 3
January Convoy escort and patrol off North
African coast in continuation with HM Minesweeper
to March CADMUS, HUSSAR and SPEEDWELL.
(Note : Theses were the
only ships of the Flotilla which were 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.
(Note :HMS ACUTE took
over duty 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
ACUTE and CIRCE for service with 14th Flotilla during
HUSKY.
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 beacheads.
September Nominated with Flotilla for minesweeping
support of planned landings on Italian
mainland at Salerno
(Operation AVALANCHE).
8th Deployed with Flotilla to ensure
clearance of mines during passage to Salerno.
9th Under shore fire during minesweeping
off beachead.
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.)
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 HM Minesweepers
RINALDO and WATERWITCH of 19th Flotilla to
provide swept channel
off Anzio for ships of the assault force.
On release from
SHINGLE took passage to Naples.
February Took part with ships of Flotilla and
19th Flotilla in minesweeping to ensure that
to
April clear channels for
passage ships supporting military operations, including
clearance of areas
selected for naval gunfire support by cruisers.
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, ACUTE, 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.
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 ACUTE, 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.
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,
(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.
17th Commenced mine sweeping of
Dardanelles with HM Minesweepers FLY and MUTINE
. of Flotilla which were
being deployed with ships of 5th Flotilla for this operation.
25th Spent Xmas at Mudros.
1 9 4 5
January Resumed Dardanelles operations
with HM Minesweepers ACUTE, ESPIEGLE and ships
of 5th Flotilla.
(Note HMS FLY was
later relieved by HMS ACUTE and HMS ESPIEGLE by HMS
MUTINE.)
On completion
resumed Flotilla duties off Greek coast including clearance of approach
channels near Doro
and Thermia.
(Note : During
Dardanelles operations 52 mines were swept an d HMS ACUTE went
aground on Turkish coast but was towed clear .)
On completion took
passage to Malta and taken in hand for refit by HM Dockyard.
February Under refit
Resumed Flotilla
duties.
March Deployed at Malta,
23rd Took passage from Malta with HM
Minesweepers ACUTE, CADMUS, CIRCE, MUTINE
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.
(Note : HMS ACUTE
of this Flotilla was first major warship to enter Genoa.)
June West coast minefield
clearance in continuation
to August
P o s t W a r
N o t e s
HMS ALBACORE remained in the
Mediterranean with the 12th Flotilla after VJ Day and was refitted in Malta during December 1945. On
completion in February she resumed mine clearance based at Genoa. She sailed
from Malta with the rest of the
Flotilla on 12th April that year and had a further refit at Chatham in May. In
June the ship carried out mine
clearance in Home waters off the east coast, in the Channel and off the coast
of Holland. The Flotilla was then
withdrawn from service, but this minesweeper was retained for further
deployment after a refit at Portsmouth. Her final duties were to take part in
the destruction of German fortifications at Heligoland, Operation BIG BANG with other
RN ships in April 1947 and later to carry out further mine clearance based at Cuxhaven. She Paid-off in
October 1947 and was reduced to Reserve status at Chatham, Placed on the
Disposal List in 1962 she was sold to
BISCO for breaking-up by Messrs Cordron and arrved for demolition at Port Glasgow in tow on 9th
September 1963.
DRAFT