Later HUNT-Class coal burning minesweeper ordered
from Murdoch and Murray of Port Glasgow
in May 1917. The ship was laid down on 5th September 1917. Machinery was
supplied by Yarrow of Scotstoun. She was launched on
25th July 1918 as the 7th RN ship to carry this name introduced in 1731 for a
Sloop and last used by a Store Lighter in 1809. Her
build was completed on 30th October 1918. After WWI this ship was deployed for
mine clearance work but later was placed in Reserve at Alexandria. .Following a
successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign February 1942 this ship was
adopted by the civil community of Saltash,
Cornwall..
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
GOREE 1758* - DUNKIRK 1940 - NORMANDY 1944
(* = Only in Manning .)
H e
r a l d i c D
a t a
Badge: None is
recorded in the Official List
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 3 9
August Brought forward from Reserve
at Alexandria for service in Eastern Mediterranean as 3rd
Minesweeping
Flotilla with sister ships ROSS, PANGBOURNE, LYDD, ALBURY, FERMOY
and SUTTON
. (Note: Ships were to be deployed for
patrol for interception of ships carrying illegal immigrants to
Palestine.
September Requirement
cancelled and commissioned for minesweeping duties
to Deployed with Flotilla for
Contraband Control duties in eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea for
October
interception of mercantile traffic.
November Contraband
Control duties in continuation
Nominated for
return to UK for minesweeping duties.
(Note: Increase in minelaying with magnetic mines had mad
necessary an increase in the number
of ships with a minesweeping capability,
especially required off the East Coast of UK..
December Passage to UK
On arrival deployed
at Harwich for minesweeping off East Coast.
1 9 4 0
January
Deployed at Harwich to ensure convoy routes off East Coast were kept
clear of mines.
to
(Note: The ships
from Alexandria formed the 3rd and 4th Minesweeping
Flotillas.)
February
March
Deployed with 5th Minesweeping Flotilla based at Rosyth with HM
Minesweepers ALBURY,
LYDD, PANGBOURNE and ROSS for minesweeping on northern parts of East Coast convoy
routes
(Note: In addition also deployed to ensure a clear passage for RN minelayers during the lay of the
East
Coast Mine Barrier to provide protection of convoy route from enemy craft.).
April East Coast deployment in
continuation based at Granton, near Edinburgh
May
Transferred to 4th Minesweeping Flotilla at Harwich for special duty after German attacks on Low
countries.
24th Deployed with HM Destroyer VEGA,
HMS FITZROY, HM Corvettes MALLARD WIDGEON
and
SHELDRAKE to clear a passage for mercantiles
FLORENTINO and TRANSEAS from North
Goodwin area to Zeebrugge (Operation
EF).
(Note: This operation was to place blockships
across harbour entrance.)
25th After clearance operation completed
took passage to return to Harwich.
(Note: Blockships and escort came
under air attack and operation abandoned.)
28th Joined HM Minesweepers GOSSAMER,
LEDA, PANGBOURNE, ROSS, LYDD, KELLETT,
SUTTON, ALBURY, FITZROY, SELKIRK and HMS DUNDALK for passage to
assist
in the evacuation of allied troops from Dunkirk
(Operation DYNAMO).
29th Deployed off beaches to ferry troops
to ships unable to go into shallow water.
Under air
attacks and continued rescue operations.
31st Return passage to Dunkirk to resume evacuation
duties.
Pennant Number
for visual signalling purposes changed to J52.
June
1st Embarked 499 troops and took
passage to Margate.
Returned to
beaches and embarked 359 troop
2nd On arrival
at Margate released from DYNAMO resumed minesweeping duties at Harwich.
Deployed with HM
Minesweepers KELLETT, ROSS, LYDD and PANGBOURNE as 5th
Minesweeping Flotilla at Harwich for east coast minesweeping.
July Flotilla deployment in
continuation.
to (Note: Extensive anti-invasion measures were
introduced during this period including patrols off
August East Coast
ports to intercept invasion craft.)
September
Despatched with HM Fleet
Minesweeper LEDA to assist in recovery of HM Destroyer EXPRESS
that had been seriously damaged after detonating a mine
whilst engaged in minelaying (Operation
CBX5) off the Dutch coast
and was disabled.
2nd Assisted in operation to tow HMS
EXPRESS to safety and returned to Harwich on release.
For details
see Naval Staff History (Mining).
October Transferred with Flotilla
to Granton to resume minesweeping of northern section
of east coat
convoy routes.
November
Granton deployment with Flotilla in
continuation.
December Transferred to Londonderry with HMS
KELLETT and HMS ROSS for minesweeping duties in
NW Approaches.
1 9 4 1
January On completion of task
returned to Granton and resumed East Coast duties.
February
East coast minesweeping in continuation. and deployed for convoy escort as
required,
to
March
April Transferred to 4th Minesweeping
Flotilla when 5th Flotilla disbanded.
(Note: The 4th Flotilla was thus the only one of this Class deployed in Home
waters.)
May Transferred with
Flotilla to Aberdeen and continued duties off Scottish coast.
to Under air
attacks.
November Flotilla nominated for
clearance of British mines in Northern Barrage between Faroes and Iceland.
(Note: This
was to create a Gap for passage of allied ships.) Deployed in
NW Approaches.
December Deployed for Atlantic
minesweeping.
Under air
attacks during passages to and from operational area
1 9 4 2
January On completion of
clearance in Atlantic resumed duties in southern North Sea.
Took
passage from Aberdeen to Yarmouth
February East coast deployment in continuation
to Nominated for
transfer to Plymouth Command.
June
July Deployed in SW
Approaches for minesweeping
to (Note: In
addition to clearance of mines from coastal convoy routes operations to provide
December safe passage to
allied warships carrying out interception of enemy coastal shipping
were also carried out.).
1 9 4 3
January Channel
deployment in continuation.
to
May
June Transferred with
Flotilla to Milford Haven for clearance of existing minefield off Irish coast..
to (Note: This
proved a long task due to adverse weather conditions in the area which
restricted
December sweeping.
Carried out final check of area prior to new minelay by HM Cruiser
ADVENTURE.
1 9
4 4
January SW Approaches minesweeping
duties with Flotilla based at Milford Haven in continuation.
to
February
March Transferred to
Portsmouth Command and took passage to Portsmouth.
Deployed
with Flotilla for minesweeping operations prior to allied landings in Normandy
(Operation
NEPTUNE)
(Note: Other ships in Flotilla were ALBURY, ELGIN, KELLETT,
LYDD, PANGBOURNE,
ROSS, SUTTON and SELKIRK.)
April Deployed with
Flotilla for mine clearance in area to be used by cross-channel invasion
convoys
Detached to take part in preparatory exercises with Assault Forces.
(Note:
These included minesweeping during darkness.)
May Mine clearance
in Channel and exercises deployment in continuation.
Detached
from Exercise FABIUS to recover bodies of personnel drowned after sinking of US
Landing Ships during Exercise TIGER in Lyme Bay.
(See LANDINGS IN NORMANDY (HMSO).)
On
release resumed minesweeping duties in English Channel
(Note: Flotilla allocated for mine sweep in Channel 4 ahead
of ships of Assault Force O to
beach head.
June Deployed for
support of Operation NEPTUNE.
5th Carried out sweep in Channel 4
ahead of invasion craft.
6th Completed sweep of Channel 4
without any incident.
Commenced sweep of area between Channels 4 and 5 to create new
Channel 34.
(Note: Canadian 31st Minesweeping
Flotilla, Danlayers and Motor Launches were also
deployed.
For details see above reference.)
7th Returned to Portsmouth with Flotilla when
Channel 34 work completed
8th Deployed for minesweeping away
from beach heads, nearer UK coast.
(Note: Ships of this Class were not suitable for patrol
deployment off the beach head.)
28th After
completion of NEPTUNE support Flotilla and resumed minesweeping in SW
Approaches with Flotilla.
July Deployed in
Lands End area after report of mine explosion by convoy escort.
(Note: U-Boats concentrating attacks in coastal areas
frequently laid mines.
See HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair.)
August Transferred with
Flotilla to Swansea for minesweeping operations in Bristol Channel and St
Georges Channel.
(Note: Atlantic traffic was still being routed through Irish
Sea as mercantiles using English
were
still vulnerable to air attacks.)
September SW Approaches
deployment based at Swansea in continuation with HMS ROSS,
to . HMS SUTTON and HMS
PANGBOURNE.
December Nominated for
withdrawal from operational use with ships of 3rd Minesweeping Flotilla.
1 9 4 5
January Passage to
Falmouth to Pay-off.
to Paid-off, de-stored and reduced to Reserve status.
February
March Laid-up at
Falmouth
to
August
F i n a l P h a s e
HMS
SALTASH remained in Reserve at Falmouth until 1947 when she was placed on the
Disposal List. The ship was sold to Dohmen and Habets of Ghent in July 1947 and
towed to Belgium for Demolition.