BANGOR-Class with Turbine Machinery ordered from Ailsa at Troon on 27th July
1939. The ship was laid down on 27th November 1939 and was launched on 19th
August 1940 as the 4th RN ship to carry this name, introduced in 1696 for a 5th
Rate and last used for a similar category in 1745. Build was completed on 20th
October 1941 and the ship was adopted by the civil community of Rye, East Sussex
after a successful National
Savings campaign in March 1942
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC 1942
-
MALTA
CONVOYS 1942 -
SICILY 1943 -
NORMANDY 1944
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field per pale red and blue, a demi-lion passant,
Gold langued and
armed Blue conjoined to the hulk of
a
ship, White.
D
e t a i l s o f W a r S e r v i c e
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1
9 4 1
October
Contractors Trials
Commissioned for service in 14th Minesweeping
Flotilla
Passage to Tobermory for work-up
November
Worked-up at Tobermory
December
Joined Flotilla in Rosyth Command.
(Note: Other ships in Flotilla were
HM Minesweepers CROMER, BEAUMARIS, CROMARTY,
FRASERBURGH,
POOLE, ROMNEY and TENBY, all sister ships. )
1 9 4 2
January
Deployed with Flotilla in Western Approaches for mine clearance.
(Note: British
minelaying operations were being carried out on Northern Barrage
and
minesweeping operations were required to provide
gaps in some areas
February Atlantic duties in continuation. Nominated for service
with Flotilla in Mediterranean.
March
Under refit prior to foreign service.
(Note: Did not take passage with Flotilla which
was later diverted for service
with the
Eastern Fleet)
April Completed refit and prepared for foreign Service.
May
8th Took passage to Gibraltar with Sister ship, HMS
HYTHE.
On arrival delayed at Gibraltar and later
nominated for service at Malta with HM Minesweepers
HEBE, HYTHE and SPEEDY as 17th Minesweeping
Flotilla.
Deployed at Gibraltar pending arrival of Malta
relief convoy.
June
12th Joined escort for Malta convoy (Operation HARPOON).
(For details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY
by Corelli Barnett and BATTLE
FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D McIntyre and MALTA
CONVOYS by R Woodman
14th Under heavy and sustained air attacks.
15th Under attack by Italian surface ships and sustained
air attacks.
Shot down one attacking aircraft. Rescued
survivors from ss CHANT which had been
damaged and was disabled.
16th On arrival off Malta deployed to sweep entry route
of convoy into Grand Harbour.
(Note: This was not executed and resulted in
sinking and damage to warships and also
to one of the two surviving mercantiles (ss
ORARI). The Polish destroyer
ORP KUJAWIAK (Ex HMS OAKLEY) was sunk. HM
Destroyers BADSWORTH
and HMS MATCHLESS of the escort were badly
damaged and had to remain in
17th Deployed with Flotilla to begin mine clearance
operations in approaches to Grand Harbour
assisted by Motor Launches of 3rd Motor Launch
Flotilla.
July Malta mine clearance operations in continuation
with Flotilla.
(Note: During this period enemy minelaying of
moored and ground minks by air and by submarine
were unremitting. 214 Moored and 58 Ground Mines
were swept).
August Malta minesweeping duties in continuation.
(Note: 27 Moored mines were cut between 1st and
8th August)
13th Deployed with Flotilla to ensure approach channel
into Grand Harbour was
clear to allow safe entry
of Malta relief convoy (Operation PEDESTAL)
Joined escort for three of the surviving ships
of this convoy.
Detached to assist HM Destroyer
PENN which had been disabled by air attacks
On arrival off the island assisted in towing
operation and under sustained air attacks.
14th Towing operation in continuation with HM Destroyers
LEDBURY, and PENN
Under attack by dive bombers.
The other three ships of 17th Flotilla provided
an anti-submarine screen.
During the subsequent tow of
OHIO by tug ,assisted and HM Destroyers BRAMHAM and
PENN
carried out minesweep ahead of rescue group
15th Resumed Malta mine clearances duties after arrival
of OHIO in Grand Harbour.
September Malta minesweeping in continuation with Flotilla.
to (Note: Total number of mines swept by Flotilla
since June was 300)
December Mine clearance operations extended and included Fifla area
after an enemy minelay by
E-Boats
Flotilla ships were withdrawn individually for
maintenance and refit.
1 9 4 3
January Deployed with Flotilla for mine clearance in Malta
area.
to (Note: Flotilla total of mines swept was 419 by
end April.).
April
May Malta mine clearance in continuation with HMS HYTHE.
(Note: HMS SPEEDY was badly damaged by a mine on 15th and under repair for some
weeks
HMS HEBE was also damaged by an air attack whilst in harbour.)
June Malta deployment in continuation.
20th Escorted HM Cruiser AURORA into Malta with HMS
HYTHE.
(Note: HMS AURORA had HM King George VI embarked
for Royal visit to the Island..
July Nominated for service with 14th Minesweeping
Flotilla for support of planned allied landings in
Sicily (Operation HUSKY - See Naval Staff
History).
Transferred with HMS HYTHE and joined HM Minesweepers CROMARTY, BOSTON,
SEAHAM and POOLE.
8th Sailed from Malta with Flotilla as escort for
Landing Craft convoy.
9th Deployed with Flotilla for mine clearance in
approaches to ACID Sector beaches.
to Continued support of landings and military advance
in Sicily.
18th Carried out anti-submarine patrols, mine clearance
and escort duties
August Resumed duty with 17th Flotilla and deployed for convoy
defence.
8th Sailed from Alexandria with HMS HYTHE as escort for
Convoy MKS21 during passage to Gibraltar.
(Operation COCKATOO)
Other ships in escort included HM Sloop
SHOREHAM, HM Minesweepers WHITEHAVEN,
ROMNEY and four RAN corvettes).
13th Under air attacks by 36 He111 torpedo bombers near
Alboran.
Destroyed one aircraft during defence of convoy.
Took mercantile disabled during air attacks in tow until transferred later to
HMS HYTHE.
Carried out anti-submarine attacks after wake of
torpedo from submarine was reported.
15th Arrived at Gibraltar and took passage to Malta with
HMS HYTHE.
(Note: HM Minesweeper SPEEDY was in this convoy
and then took passage to UK for repair.
September Deployed at
Malta.
October
Malta deployment for convoy defence in continuation.
9th Took passage from Malta with HMS HYTHE.
Joined US Destroyer USS BRISTOL as escort for
Convoy GU18 to Gibraltar.
11th Under attack by U371 off Algerian coast.
Carried out anti-submarine operation after
sinking of HMS HYTHE by GNAT Torpedo.
Rescued 12 survivors from HMS HYTHE which sank
in a few minutes off Bougie in
position 37.04N
05.00E. Two survivors died on board later
16th Return passage to Malta.
November Deployed at
Malta for mine
clearance and convoy defence.
to Nominated for refit in
UK.
December (Note: This ship was the sole surviving operational ship
of the Flotilla which had made a
vital contribution to the defence of Malta and
will always be associated with the
HARPOON and PEDESTAL convoy operations).
1 9 4 4
January Passage to
UK.
On arrival taken in hand for refit in Build Yard
at Troon.
February Under refit and repair.
to Nominated for service with 14th Minesweeping
Flotilla on completion.
March
April Post refit trials and shakedown for operational
service.
Joined HM Minesweepers ROMNEY, SEAHAM,
POOLE, WHITEHAVEN,
GUYSBOROUGH (RCN), KENORA (RCN) and VEGREVILLE
(RCN)
in Flotilla
May Deployed in Channel for minesweeping prior to allied
landings in Normandy.
(Operation NEPTUNE - See OPERATION NEPTUNE by K
Edwards and Naval Staff
History (HMSO)).
Flotilla allocated for clearance of Channel 2
for assault on UTAH Beachhead).
Took part in preparatory amphibious exercises in
Channel (Exercise FABIUS Series).
June Preparatory minesweeping in continuation.
5th Carried out Channel 2 sweep in front of first
assault convoy.
6th Arrived of French coast earlier than planned.
Carried out clearance sweep of Bombardment Area.
Deployed for widening of Channels 3 and 4 in
joint operation with the 4th and 14th
Minesweeping Flotillas.
7th Deployed off Beach Head for minesweeping operations
in Eastern Task Force area with
to Flotilla and assisted by smaller minesweeping
vessels (BYMS, YMS and ML's).
30th Carried out patrol to intercept attacks by E-Boats
and submersibles off beachhead.
July On release from Neptune deployed for minesweeping
and convoy defence in Channel.
to
December
1 9 4 5
January
Deployed for Patrol, convoy defence and mine clearance
deployment in Channel and
to Nore Command area in
continuation.
April (Note: During this period enemy submarine and E-Boat
minelaying continued with
particular increase in
Thames estuary and off
Dutch coast..)
See HOLD THE
NARROW SEA by
P Smith.
May Transferred to 9th Minesweeping Flotilla after VE
Day.
Deployed in Norwegian waters for mine clearance
with HM Minesweepers SIDMOUTH,
TENBY, BLACKPOOL, BANGOR and ROMNEY.
Based at Stavanger during sweeping operations
which frequently lasted several days of.
continuous sweeping.
June Norwegian coast operations in continuation
to. On completion returned to Rosyth.
September
P o s t W a r N o t e s
HMS RYE continued minesweeping duties after VJ Day and in January
1946 was deployed in the Bristol Channel and off coast of South Wales for
clearance of minefields. On completion the ship was Paid-off and had been placed
in Reserve by the end of the year. She was put on the Disposal List in 1947 and
sold to BISCO for demolition by Chicks at Purfleet where she arrived in tow on
24th August 1948.