ALGERINE-Class Fleet Minesweeper fitted with
Reciprocating propulsion machinery ordered for the Royal Canadian Navy on 25th July 1942 from Redfern at Toronto. The ship was to
be named HMCS BOWMANVILLE but was
transferred to the Royal Navy before completion of build. Laid down on 9th August 1943 this minesweeper was launched as HMS COQUETTE on 24th November
1943. She was the seventh RN ship to carry this name,
introduced in 1783 for a captured French 6th Rate and last borne by a destroyer built in 1897
and lost in the North Sea on 7th March 1916 after being mined.. Build was completed on 13th July
1944. This warship was not adopted by a UK civil community after a WARSHIP WEEK National
Savings campaign.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
SATSUMA 1863 - KAGASHIMA
1864 - SIMONOSEKI 1864 - ASHANTEE
1873-4 - SUEZ CANAL 1882 - SUAKIN
1884-5
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Blue
a Fan Gold with white ribs.
D e t a i l s o f W a r S e r v i c e
(for more ship information,
go
to
Naval History Homepage
and type name in Site Search
1 9 4 4
July Contractors trials and
commissioned for service in 8th Minesweeping Flotilla.
13th
Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.
August On completion of trials and storing
took passage to UK to work-up for
operational service.
September Commenced minesweeping work-up in Forth area
based at Port Edgar.
(Note: 8th Minesweeping Flotilla was
to comprise HM Minesweepers
REGULUS (SO), COQUETTE,
THISBE, MARY ROSE, MOON,
PROVIDENCE, SEABEAR and
ROWENA. These were all sister
ships of this
Class and were built in Canadian shipyards, except
HMS ROWENA
which was built on the Clyde at Renfrew.
By this period several
ships had not completed work-up.
October On completion took passage to Gibraltar
with HMS ROWENA for duty
with HMS REGULUS and HMS
PROVIDENCE which were deployed
in western Mediterranean
for minesweeping
November Took passage to Malta with ships of
Flotilla deployed at Gibraltar and
commenced local duties
pending arrival of ships from UK.
(Note: HMS MARY ROSE, HMS
THISBE and HMS MOON joined
and enabled
ships of the Flotilla to be deployed as a complete
Flotilla,
although HMS SEABEAR had been delayed by repair
in UK)
December Nominated for minesweeping duties with
Flotilla at Taranto.
Passage from Malta with ships
of Flotilla.
Commenced sweeping
operations and had significant successes.
(Note: This area had been
heavily mined to protect Italian naval base and
clearance was essential for access
of allied mercantiles and warships.
1 9 4 5
January On release from duty at Taranto took
passage to Malta for maintenance and
repair with HMS MOON, HMS
PROVIDENCE and HMS SEABEAR.
12th
Assumed duty as Senior Officer’s ship for Flotilla after the sinking of
HMS
REGULUS during minesweeping
operations off Corfu and took passage from
Malta to join ships of
Flotilla
16th
Deployed at Corfu with Flotilla to continue mine clearance allowing
entry to
port.
February
2nd
On completion of operations off Corfu transferred for temporary duty
with
12th Minesweeping Flotilla
at Bari.
Passage to Bari with HMS
ROWENA.
March Deployed at Bari for minesweeping
operations in Adriatic.
12th
Rejoined 8th Flotilla at Taranto for Flotilla minesweeping operations
based
at Taranto
On completion took passage
to Malta with Flotilla.
April Deployed with Flotilla based at
Malta for local minesweeping operations.
Nominated for minesweeping
off west Coast of Italy with 8th Flotilla.
20th
Took passage with Flotilla from Malta.
22nd
Arrived at Leghorn after call at Naples.
(Note: 8th Flotilla were
relieving 12th Flotilla to continue mine clearance of
entry to Port
of Genoa.
May Leghorn based operations in
continuation.
12th
Took passage from Leghorn to Malta on relief by 12th Minesweeping
Flotilla,
Maintenance
and Leave period in Malta.
Returned to Leghorn with
Flotilla.
June Deployed at Leghorn for
continuance of minesweeping operations
26th Took passage to Malta on completion of
operations.
July Deployed with Flotilla based in
Malta for local mine clearance.
August Nominated for service in Far East
with Flotilla for mine clearance based at
Hong Kong
25th Took passage to Hong Kong with Flotilla.
P o s t W a
r N o t e s
HMS COQUETTE served with the
8th Flotilla in the Far East as part of the Pacific Fleet from October 1945 and
took part in minesweeping in Hong Kong and Singapore areas until early in 1946.
She was transferred to the Mediterranean with the Flotilla and from March
onwards carried out clearance operations off North Africa at Bizerta and near
Malta until return to UK in August when the Flotilla disbanded. She was paid
off and reduced to Reserve. Laid –up at Harwich this ship was brought forward
in April 1951 for service in the Fishery Protection Squadron. In November 1956
when relieved by HM Frigate PALLISER she was Paid-off and placed in Reserve until 1958
when put on the Disposal List. Sold to Metal Industries that year the ship
arrived at the Breaker’s Yard at Rosyth in tow on 26th May 1958 for demolition.
For more about Algerine-class Minesweepers, see
http://www.minesweepers.org.uk/index.htm