BANGOR-Class
Minesweeper fitted with
Reciprocating propulsion
machinery ordered on 6th July
1939 from Blyth
Shipbuilders. Laid
down on 15th March 1940 this
minesweeper was launched on
31st October 1940 and after
delay
build was completed on 11th
September 1941. She was the
1st RN ship to carry this
name, which like others of the
Class built in UK was that of
a coastal town. She was
adopted by the civil community
of
Dover, Kent
after a successful WARSHIP
WEEK National Savings campaign
in March 1942.
B a t
t
l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC
1942 - ENGLISH
CHANNEL 1942 - NORTH SEA 1942
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge: On a Field
Blue, a Hart’s head caboosed
Argent. armed
Gold.
S u m m a r
y o
f W a r S e r
v i c e
(Note:
Further research is required
to improve this record.)
(for
more ship information,
go to
Naval History Homepage
and
type name in Site Search
1 9 4 1
September
Contractors
Trials
9th
Commissioned for service.
October
Worked-up for operational
service.
November Deployed
for minesweeping trial in
Forth area.
December Joined
9th Minesweeping
Flotilla for mine
sweeping and convoy escort
duties in
the
English Channel based at
Portsmouth, Poole and
Portland..
(Note:
Pending further investigation
it is assumed that the Battle
Honour
ATLANTIC
may
have been for mine clearance
under attacks during
this month)
1 9 4
2
Deployed in Home Waters
(Note:
The Flotilla comprised HM
Minesweepers BANGOR, BLACKPOOL
BRIDLINGTON,
BRIDPORT, RHYL joined during
the year by
SIDMOUTH
and TENBY.
In 1942 all of these ships
took part in Operation
JUBILEE, the attack on
Dieppe
in August.
However
although all were awarded the
Battle Honour DIEPPE, this was
not
awarded to PETERHEAD and it is
there presumed she was not
deployed
for
mine clearance ahead of the
assault force.
The
Flotilla also was deployed in
the North Sea in
October for the clearance of
British
mines from the East Coast
Barrier to enable safe passage
for destroyers
to
and from Harwich (Operation
QO).
The
award of the Battle Honour
NORTH SEA may be for this
operation.
1 9 4
3
January Nominated
for conversion for Air Sea
Rescue duties.
to South Coast
minesweeping and convoy
defence on continuation
April Left
Flotilla and taken hand for
conversion
May Under
conversion and minesweeping
gear removed together with
depth charge
to
August throwers.
August Deployed
for Air Sea Rescue duties
to
December (Note:
Port of deployment to be
investigated.
As
this service was provided by
the Royal Air Force and since
the ship was
designed
for use in deep waters, the
ship may have been deployed in
the
Atlantic
Ocean or Bay of Biscay during
the extensive anti-submarine
operations
in that area.)
1 9 4
4
January Air
Sea Rescue deployment in
continuation.
to
April
May
Nominated
for service as a Senior
Officer, Danlayer
and transferred to Force U of
Western Task
Force. Took part with
Flotilla in preparatory
exercises with 14th
Minesweeping
Flotilla.
(Note:
This Flotilla comprised HM
Fleet Minesweepers ROMNEY
(SO), POOLE,
RYE, WHITEHAVEN, all British-Built
BANGOR Class and KENORA,
GUYSBOROUGH
and VEGREVILLE with HM
Minesweeper GEORGIA
HM
Trawlers SIR GALAHAD and SIR
LANCELOT for use as Danlayers.
(Operation
NEPTUNE).
Nominated
for this duty during clearance
of Channel 2 to UTAH Beachhead
in
advance
of US Assault ships in Force
U.
(For details of naval
activities prior to and during
landings see OPERATION
NEPTUNE
by K Edwards and LANDINGS IN
NORMANDY, June 1944 (HMSO).
June Passage
with Flotilla and Danlayers.to
commence Danlay for Channel 2.
(Note:
Operation was delayed by 24
hours. See references.)
5th Deployed
for Dan lay in Channel 2.
6th After
undetected arrival off UTAH
beach with ships of Flotilla
commenced further
clearance
operations in area between
Channels 3 and 4.
7th Deployed
for minesweeping off assault
area.
8th During
minesweeping operations off
Brest ship was wrecked and
ship's company were
rescued
from sinking ship.
(Note:
The precise circumstances of
this loss are not recorded in
the references but
the
ship is recorded as being
wrecked and later salved. See
WARSHIPS OF
WORLD WAR
II by HT Lenton
and JJ College. It is
not recorded in many
other
standard references relating
to losses, possibly because
the
hulk
was salvaged. See Post War
Notes
P o s
t W a
r N o t e s
HMS
PETERHEAD was salvaged, presumably
after the end of war in
Europe. After survey she was declared a
Constructive Total Loss and
placed on the Disposal List.
Sold to BISCO in 1947 and
taken in tow to
Pembroke Dock for demolition
by G Hayes where the
ship arrived in May 1948. This
summary is
to be revised when more
information becomes available.
LOSS of HMS
PETERHEAD
thanks
to John Nicholson (25 Jul 2010)
John emailed
"Your record refers to the
"sinking" HMS PETERHEAD on the
8th June 1944. Speaking to
someone who served on her, he
told me she survived the war,
but was damaged at Cherbourg
and that this was mentioned in
in the book "They Led the Way"
by Jack Williams. He then goes
on to say she was sold to the
Netherlands Navy at the end of
the war, but ran aground and
was returned to the Royal Navy
for scrapping. There is also a
report by her Commander David
Croom-Johnson about her being
damaged at Cherbourg."
There a number
of other internet accounts
including "mined off
Normandy on 8 June 1944 and
declared a CTL" (Uboat.net)
and "mined off Utah
Beach on 8
June 1944 ... and declared a
total loss" (Wikipedia). Lt
Cdr Mason in his history of
HMS ROMNEY states "Carried
out minesweeping operation
off Brest with Flotilla on 8
June 1944". During this
operation HMS PETERHEAD, a
sister ship converted
for use as a Danlayer, was
lost after hitting a mine.)
From Don
Kindell (19 Dec 2010) - "In
FLEET SWEEPERS AT WAR by
Jack Williams - the 14th
Minesweeping Flotilla S.O.
(LCDR David Croome-Johnson,
RNVR) reported on the
activity of the danlayers in
Swept Channel Number 2
to Utah Beach on 8
June, but made no mention of
damage. Neither is there any
mention of damage in John de
S. Winser's D-DAY SHIPS. The
official history said she
was lost off Utah Beach on 6
June. In April 1946,
PETERHEAD was in Reserve:
Category C; not in Dutch
list for this issue.
Still in NAVY LIST July 1946
with Reserve Complement. In
short, no definitive
answers."
Update
(17 Mar 2013)
PETERHEAD
did survive the war. She was
with the 7th & 5th
Submarine Flotillas until
August 1945 when
she went in to the Reserve
Fleet. This is recorded at the
National Archives Ref. ADM 187
( Pink Sheets ), which show
the stations and movements of
allied and naval ships. Unfortunately
the records for 1946 to 1949
are missing so that is where
the trail ended !