ALGERINE-Class
Minesweeper with Turbine machinery ordered on 30th April 1942 from Harland and
Wolff at Belfast. The ship was laid down on 20th August 1943 as Job Number 3333
(Yard No 1142) and launched on 20th April 1944 as the 12th RN ship to carry the
name. It had been used by a Discovery Vessel lost near the Azores in 1583
whilst returning from an expedition led by Sir Humphrey Gilbert to set up the
first English colony in North America at St John's Newfoundland. There were no
survivors including Sir Humphrey when the ship foundered in a storm. The name
was last used by a Coastguard Vessel sold in 1921. Build of this ship was
completed on 16th August 1944. She was not adopted by a UK civil community
following a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in 1941 - 2.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
LOUISBERG 1758 - QUEBEC
1758
H e r
a l d i c D a
t a
Badge: On a Field Blue
a Plate charged with a Squirrel sejant
holding a nut proper.
M o t t o
Assiduitate: ' By diligence '.
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
August Commissioned for service in 6th
Minesweeping Flotilla and Contractor's trials.
16th Build completion.
Passage to Tobermory for work-up on completion of acceptance trials.
September On completion of work-up at Tobermory took passage to join Flotilla.
Joined HM
Minesweepers LIGHTFOOT, MELITA, POSTILLION
and LARNE for minesweeping
operations off
Belgian coast.
Deployed as HQ
ship for BYMS type minesweepers carrying out
clearance of mines preventing use of
ports in Belgium
and Holland.
October Mine clearance duties in
continuation with BYMS
November Nominated for transfer to 7th Minesweeping
Flotilla for service in East Indies.
(Note: This
transfer was made to ensure ships of 7th Flotilla were all fitted with turbine
machinery
in order
to simplify maintenance requirements.)
Relieved in 6th
Flotilla by HM Minesweeper PELORUS.
December Under refit at Barry , Glamorgan at
commercial shipyard prior to foreign service.
1 9 4 5
January On completion rejoined Flotilla
for minesweeping operations in Channel area.
February Flotilla deployment in
continuation
(Note: Some ships in Flotilla were withdrawn
to take passage to Ceylon.)
March Deployed with HM
Minesweeper FANCY to tow Floating Dock during passage to India.
Sustained
serious weather damage in Bay of Biscay.
Returned to Plymouth after
Floating Dock was sunk in storm.
Repair
arranged in London at Canning Town commercial shipyard.
April Under repair.
May Sailed from London to
Falmouth.
9th At Falmouth.
13th Took passage from Falmouth to join
Flotilla in Ceylon.
June Passage in Mediterranean and
Red Sea.
July Arrived at Trincomalee
and joined Flotilla.
(Note: Other ships in Flotilla were refitted at Durban and Port
Elizabeth prior to minesweeping
operations
in support of the planned allied landings in Malaya
(Operation
LIVERY. For details see WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO) and THE FORGOTTEN
FLEET by J Winton.)
Deployed
with HM Minesweepers PLUCKY, PINCHER, VESTAL and
RIFLEMAN.
(Note: HM
Indian Minesweepers PUNJAB and DECCAN were also
deployed for use as
Dan
Layers during mine clearance operations off Phuket
Island, Burma.
19th Sailed from Trincomalee
with Flotilla as part of Force 63 for LIVERY.
(Note: Cover was provided by HM Battleship
NELSON, HM Cruiser SUSSEX, HM Escort
Aircraft
Carriers EMPRESS and AMEER screened by HM Destroyers
ROTHERHAM
RACEHORSE,
RAIDER and PALADIN.)
24th Commenced sweeping operations on
arrival off Phuket Island.
During fourth
lap of the operation ship was unable to turn into swept water when HM
Minesweeper
PLUCKY
detonated a mine in her sweep.
Ship then
struck another mine and sustained major damage to forward structure killing
seven of
ships company.
Took on heavy list due to
flooding after two and a half hours
. Abandoned and ships’company taken off.
Sunk by
gunfire of Force 63 ships.
(Casualty
List - note on casualties)
P o s
t W a r
N o t e s
This name
was carried forward after WW2 and used by ships of the Fishery Protection Squadron.
It was borne by the ship allocated
to the English Channel area and carried in turn by HM Motor Fishing Vessel 1151
in 1946, HM Motor Launch 1151 in 1956 and HM Inshore Minesweeper BURLEY in
1959. This identification ensured that the Fishery Protection Vessel in the
Channel retained the same identity to ensure no confusion by the fishing vessels
using this area. After 1968 this name was no
longer used by ships of the Squadron and has not since been used.
For more about Algerine-class Minesweepers, see
http://www.minesweepers.org.uk/index.htm