Later HUNT-Class coal burning minesweeper ordered
from Murdoch and Murray in 1916 and laid down on 5th March 1918. Machinery was supplied by Rowan at Glasgow. The ship was launched on 2nd December 1918
as the first RN ship to carry this name. Her build was
completed on 17th March 1919.and then deployed for mine
clearance work. Unlike her sister ships, on release from this
work she was laid-up in UK when placed in Reserve. Following a successful
WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign March 1942 this ship was adopted by
the civil community of Thorne, near Doncaster in the West Riding of Yorkshire.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
NORTH SEA 1939-45 - ATLANTIC 1939-45
- NORMANDY 1944
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
On a field per fess black and white a Buckle, Silver
piercing a scallop shell Gold.
M o t t o
Hold fast
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
September Brought forward from Reserve at Chatham and commissioned for service in
to October 4th Minesweeping Flotilla.
Carried out minesweeping trials and shakedown for operational use.
Passage
to Yarmouth to join Flotilla.
November Deployed with Flotilla for
minesweeping off East Coast.
(Note: Flotilla also included HM Minesweepers KELLETT,
FITZROY,
DUNDALK*, ELGIN*, DUNOON* and SUTTON*.
Ships marked * had been held in Reserve in Malta and Alexandria and
were to take passage to UK for service in North Sea. due to increase
in minelaying with magnetic mines which had had made
necessary
their redeployment in this vulnerable area.)
December East Coast deployment to ensure clear
passage of shipping in continuation.
1 9 4 0
January
Transferred to Harwich in continuation of requirement.
to (Note: Sister HUNT Class
from Alexandria arrived in UK to complete the
February
formation of
4th Minesweeping Flotillas.)
March East
Coast deployment in continuation including special clearance of passages
for use by RN minelayers during the lay of the East Coast
Mine Barrier for the
protection of convoy routes against attacks by enemy craft.)
See THE BATTLE OF THE EAST COAST by JP Foynes and Naval Staff
History
(Mining).
April East Coast deployment in
continuation based at Harwich.
(Note: Sister ship HMS DUNOON was sunk after detonating a
mine off Great
Yarmouth on 30th and was replaced by HMS SALTASH of
this Class.)
May
East coast duties in continuation with Flotilla.
28th Joined HM Minesweepers GOSSAMER,
LEDA, PANGBOURNE, ROSS, LYDD,
KELLETT and ALBURY of 5th
Minesweeping Flotilla with HMS FITZROY, HMS
SUTTON and HMS DUNDALK of 4th Flotilla and took 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.
Ships boats used to carry troops from beaches to HM Cruiser CALCUTTA.
Under air attacks and continued
rescue operations.
(Note: Unlike the other ships of the Flotilla, this ship
was not awarded the Battle
Honour DUNKIRK that suggests she may have been withdrawn from
DYNAMO due to damage. To be further investigated.)
June Pennant Number for visual signalling purposes changed to J18.
Resumed deployment at Harwich with HM Minesweepers ALBURY, FITZROY,
ELGIN, SUTTON and DUNDALK as 4th Minesweeping Flotilla for
minesweeping.
July Flotilla deployment in
continuation.
to (Note: Extensive
anti-invasion measures were introduced during this period including
August
patrols off East Coast ports to intercept invasion craft.)
September Detached
for special duty.
Took
passage to Sheerness with HMS SUTTON to join HM Minesweeper
SALAMANDER for Escort of RFA WAR NIZAM during passage to Calais.
(Operation LUCID – Later LUCIFER. The RFA was to be used as
Fireship and
placed inside the harbour. RFA WAR NABOB was similarly
deployed and escorted
to Boulogne by HMS ELGIN.)
25th Passage to Calais with additional escort of Light Coastal Forces craft.
26th Operation cancelled due to
adverse weather conditions and returned to Sheerness.
October
4th Took passage to Calais with RFA WAR NIZAM and additional mercantile
MYTILUS
also to be used as a Fireship. (Operation
LUCIFER)
5th Operation again cancelled due to
weather and returned to Sheerness.
(Note: Plan to repeat this operation during November was
never implemented.)
10th Resumed Flotilla duties at
Harwich.
16th During Flotilla operation off
Bawdsey, HMS DUNDALK was damaged by a mine off
and taken in tow by HMS SUTTON but sank later on passage.
November East coast
minesweeping duties based at Harwich with Flotilla in continuation..
to HMS PANGBOURNE and HMS LYDD
transferred from 5th Flotilla to 4th Flotilla.
December (Note: These ships replaced HMS DUNDALK and HMS ELGIN which
was
seriously damaged on 8th November and withdrawn
for repair.)
1 9 4 1
January East
coast minesweeping with Flotilla based at Harwich in continuation.
to March
April
Transferred to Granton, near Edinburgh for minesweeping off Scottish East Coast.
to (Note: 5th Flotilla which
had been deployed for this duty had been disbanded.
June The 4th
Flotilla was the only one of this Class deployed in Home waters.)
July Transferred with Flotilla to Aberdeen and continued duties off Scottish coast.
to
October 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.. See above
reference.)
November Deployed
in NW Approaches.
to Under air attacks during
passages to and from operational area.
December
1 9 4 2
January On
completion of clearance in Atlantic resumed duties in southern North Sea.
Took passage to Yarmouth.
Deployed with HM Coastal Minelayer PLOVER off the Dutch coast as escort
during minelay (Operation HS – See Naval Staff
History (Mining).)
February East coast deployment with
Flotilla at Yarmouth in continuation.
to
April
May
27th During minesweeping operation
by Flotilla off coast of Norfolk,
ENE of Great
Yarmouth, sister ship HMS FITZROY was sunk after detonating a
mine.
(Note: Flotilla was using experimental
explosive cutters.)
June
Transferred with Flotilla to Dartmouth for minesweeping in SW Approaches to
to
August ensure clear
passage for coastal convoys and to provide gaps in existing minefields
to allow transit of allied warships during interception on
enemy traffic off French coast.
September
18th Sustained serious damage during
air raid at Dartmouth when a collier ss
FARNWOOD was hit by a bomb
October On
completion of repair resumed minesweeping duties in SW Approaches with
to
December Flotilla,.
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
to
December coast. This proved a long task due to weather
conditions in the area which restricted
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
to
February continuation
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: Ships transferred in Flotilla were
ALBURY, ELGIN, KELLETT, LYDD,
PANGBOURNE, ROSS, SALTASH and SUTTON.)
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.
4th HMS ELGIN seriously damaged by
acoustic mine off Portland and later declared
beyond economic repair after survey at Chatham.
8th 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: Allocated for mine sweep in Channel 4 ahead of ships of Assault
Force O to
beachhead.
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
beachhead.
(Note: Ships of this Class were not suitable for patrol deployment off
the beachhead.)
30th After completion of NEPTUNE
support Flotilla and resumed minesweeping in SW
Approaches with Flotilla.
July
5th 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 Channel were still vulnerable to air attacks.)
HMS LYDD
and HMS ALBURY were under repair at Devonport.)
September SW
Approaches deployment based at Swansea in continuation.
to December
Nominated for withdrawal from operational use with other ships of 4th
Minesweeping
Flotilla.
1 9 4 5
January
Passage to Milford Haven to Pay-off.
to Reduced to Reserve status at
Milford Haven. Paid-off and destored.
February
Laid-up at Milford Haven.
F i n a l P h a s e
HMS SELKIRK remained in Reserve until 1946 when she was placed on the
Disposal List. The ship was sold to DOHMEN and HABETS of Ghent on 17th May 1947
and towed to Belgium for Demolition.