ALGERINE-Class Fleet Minesweeper fitted with Turbine
propulsion machinery ordered on 15th November 1940 from Harland and Wolff, Belfast. Laid down on 24th
November 1941 at the same time as sister ship MUTINE. The ship was launched on 27th October 1942 as the seventh
RN ship to carry this name, introduced in 1808 for a ten gun Brig Sloop sold in 1819 and last borne by a Torpedo
Gunboat built in 1892 and renamed VULCAN II during June 1919. Her build was completed on 26th March 1943.and
she had been adopted by the civil community of Okehampton, Devon 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
MANLY 1809* - NORTH SEA 1943 - ARCTIC 1944 - NORMANDY 1944
- FALKLANDS 1982+
(Note: * = Single Ship action; + = Awarded Post WW2. See Post War Notes.)
H e r a l d i c
D a t a
Badge: On a field Red, upon a lozenge White, a
lozenge engrained Red,
charged with a like lozenge
White.
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 3
March Contractors trials and
commissioned for service in 18th Minesweeping Flotilla.
(Note: This was the second
Minesweeping Flotilla comprised of ALGERINE
Class
ships to be formed.)
26th Build completion and commenced
Acceptance Trials.
On completion took
passage to Tobermory for work-up and preparation for
operational
minesweeping duties.
April After Work-up took passage to
Port Edgar to carry out minesweeping training.
Commenced minesweeping
training in Forth area.
May Deployed with HM Minesweepers
COCKATRICE and ORESTES based at Londonderry
to
July for minesweeping in NW
Approaches to ensure clear passage for coastal convoys.
(Note: These two
minesweepers had also recently completed minesweeping training
and were
part of 18th Minesweeping Flotilla the remainder of which were
deployed
in the English Channel).
August Deployed with HM Minesweepers READY, HOUND,
HYDRA, LOYALTY,
COCKATRICE and newly
joined HMS RATTLESNAKE for special
minesweeping
operation in English Channel (Operation STARKEY)
(Note: This operation also included 9th
Minesweeping Flotilla and was intended to
draw
attention of enemy aircraft which would then be vulnerable to attacks
by RAF
aircraft who were providing air cover.)
September On release from STARKEY which proved
unsuccessful returned to Harwich to resume
mine clearance in
North Sea with Flotilla to ensure clear passage for East Coast convoys.
(Note: During Channel deployment
the Flotilla came under shore fire from coastal
batteries at Cape Gris Nez which damaged HMS HYDRA causing casualties
and
damage
necessitating dockyard repair.)
October North Sea deployment with
Flotilla in continuation.
Nominated for
duty in Home Fleet with Flotilla.
November Passage from Harwich to Scapa
Flow.
15th Carried out anti-submarine
patrol in northern waters for interception of U-Boats
on passage to and
from attacks on Atlantic shipping. Although submarine contacts
were investigated
these proved unsuccessful.
Allocated for
duty in Iceland attached to Orkney and Shetland Sub-Command.
(Note: Did not
join HM Minesweepers
December Deployed for patrol and as Local
Escort for convoys in NW Approaches.
1 9 4 4
January NW Approaches deployment in
continuation.
20th Deployed for Local Escort of Russian
Convoy JW56B during initial stage of passage
from Loch Ewe
with HM Destroyer WRESTLER, HM Corvette HONEYSUCKLE and
HMS HYDRA of
Flotilla.
(Note: HM
Destroyers WHITEHALL, WESTCOTT, HM Sloop
CYGNET, HM
Corvette OXLIP and HM Minesweeper SEAGULL were also part of Local
Escort in NW Approaches.)
26th Detached from JW56B after
arrival of destroyers of Home Fleet
which were to escort
JW56B during
remained of passage to North Russia,
For details of
all Russian Convoy operations with names of merchant ships and
escorts, see
CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by RA Ruegg, THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by
B Schoefield,
ARCTIC CONVOYS by R Woodman, CONVOY ! by P Kemp
and the Naval
Staff History.)
February NW Approaches deployment in
continuation.
8th Joined incoming Convoy RA57
from Kola Inlet as Local Escort with HM
Minesweepers
HYDRA, LOYALTY, ORESTES and READY for
final stage of
passage to Loch
Ewe. See above references for details.
10th Detached from RA57 on arrival
at Loch Ewe with Local Escort.
March NW Approaches deployment in
continuation.
27th Joined Russian Convoy JW58 with
HM Minesweepers RATTLESNAKE,
ORESTES, HM
Corvettes RHODODENDRON and STARWORT as Local Escort
during initial
stage of passage from Loch Ewe to Kola Inlet.
29th Detached from JW58 when ships
of Home Fleet joined for escort during ocean
passage. See
above references for details.
30th Released from duties in NW
Approaches and took passage to resume minesweeping
duties based at
Portsmouth.
April Nominated for minesweeping
support of planned allied landings in Normandy
(Operation
NEPTUNE)
On return to UK ships of Flotilla
were taken in hand for repair and maintenance
and to give shore
leave to personnel after recent deployments.
May On resuming
Flotilla duties joined Force G of Eastern Task Force and took part in
preparatory exercises with Flotilla and ships of Force G prior to
Operation/
(Note: These
included Exercise FABIUS II and a Defence exercise including all
Forces C, G and J which were to be deployed in the British Assault on
Normandy beaches.
Carried
out minesweep off Newhaven with ships of Flotilla and HM Minesweeper
STORMCLOUD
detonated an acoustic mine and sustained major damage.
Returned
to Solent to prepare for assault phase minesweeping operations.
Allocated
for clearance of Channel No 6 with HM Minesweepers READY (SO),
COCKATRICE, HOUND, HYDRA, LOYALTY, RATTLESNAKE and
ORESTES of
Flotilla,
June Deployed in
Solent.
4th Operation delayed by 24
hours.
5th Took passage for
clearance of Channel 6.
(Note:
Four Danlayers and two Motor Launches were also attached to the Flotilla
to assist in marking of the swept Channel.
6th On completion of the
sweep of Channel 6 deployed off beachhead for
minesweeping to ensure safety of anchorage for unloading.
7th Remained in Assault area for
minesweeping.
(For
details of naval activities before and during Operation NEPTUNE see
OPERATION
NEPTUNE by K Edwards and LANDINGS IN NORMANDY June
1944
(HMSO).
In
addition the Flotilla was deployed to provide a protective ring around the
assault
area which
included night patrols to intercept enemy interference.
30th On completion of
NEPTUNE deployed for Channel minesweeping in Normandy
area.
Extensive minelaying was being carried out by midget submarine as well by
other
surface ships and aircraft. Mines laid included magnetic and acoustic types.
July Flotilla Channel
minesweeping and interception patrol duties in continuation.
(Note: During this period HM
Minesweeper PYLADES on loan to Flotilla was
sunk by torpedo from a midget submarine.)
August Channel deployment in
continuation.
to September Carried out minesweeping
operations of Le Havre.
(Note:
Ship may have been on detached service)
October On release from Channel
duties took passage to Harwich
Rejoined 18th Flotilla
and prepared for minesweeping support of planned
attack at
Walcheren. Holland (Operation CINDERELLA)
(Note: HM
Minesweeper TANGANYIKA had joined Flotilla after completion
of minesweeping trials.)
November
1st Deployed with Flotilla
to provide clear area required for bombarding ships to
naval gunfire support during
landings at Walcheren for CINDERELLA.
(Note:
Bombarding ships were HM Battleship WARSPITE, HM Monitors
EREBUS and ROBERTS.
10th Deployed off Ostend
with HM Minesweepers READY, ORESTES, HYDRA,
TANGANYIKA, HYDRA and COCKATRICE of Flotilla.
(Note:
HMS HYDRA detonated a mine during this operation and sustained
major damage. Although towed back to Sheerness the ship was
declared
a Total Constructive Loss and never repaired.)
December Deployed with Flotilla
for minesweeping of coast of Belgium and Holland.
(Note: Military
convoys and other shipping were carrying out support of
the allied forces in Europe, using ports which were available..
Extensive minelaying was being carried out by submarines and surface
craft to
interfere with this traffic. See Naval Staff History and
HOLD THE
NARROW SEA by P Smith.)
1 9 4 5
January Minesweeping duties
with Flotilla to ensure clear passage for convoys to
to April. European ports in
continuation. During this period operations were frequently
affected
by adverse weather including fog.
May Deployed with
HM Minesweepers RATTLESNAKE, COCKATRICE,
TANGANYIKA and ships of 10th Minesweeping Flotilla as escort for first
convoy
to enter Rotterdam.
June Remained in
Channel and southern North Sea for mine clearance.
to August
P o s t W a r
N o t e s
After VJ Day the ship
remained with the Flotilla and after mine clearance off the East Coast of UK
refitted at Devonport in September
1945. On completion she was deployed in Plymouth Command for similar duties in SW Approaches and
the Bristol Channel. In March 1947 she was transferred to the 3rd Flotilla based at Port Edgar on the
Forth until August that year when she
Paid-off and was reduced to Reserve status. Initially laid-up at
Portsmouth the ship was moved to the Reserve Fleet Plymouth where she remained until placed on the Disposal List in
1966. Sold to BISCO for breaking-up by TW Ward this minesweeper arrived in tow at
Inverkeithing, near Rosyth on 5th April 1967.
For more about Algerine-class Minesweepers, see
http://www.minesweepers.org.uk/index.htm