ALGERINE-Class
Fleet Minesweeper fitted with Turbine
propulsion machinery ordered on 15th
November 1940 from Harland and Wolff,
Belfast. Laid down on 24th November
1941 the ship was launched on 10th
October 1942 as tenth RN ship
to carry this name, introduced for the
captured
French 14 gun Cutter MUTIN in 1779,
later renamed PIGMY and
wrecked
in Jersey during 1805. It was last
borne by a Sloop built in
1900 and sold after use as an RNVR
Drill Ship in 1932. Her build was
completed
on 26th
February 1943. This warship
adopted by the civil community of
Mitcham, Surrey
following a
successful WARSHIP WEEK National
Savings campaign held in
February 1942.
B
a t t l e H o n o u r s
NILE
1798 - ALGIERS 1816 -
SICILY
1943 - SALERNO 1943
H
e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge:
On
a Field White, a dragon’s head erased
proper
M
a n n i n g P o r t
Chatham
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 3
February
Contractors trials and commissioned
for service in 12th Minesweeping
Flotilla.
26th
Build completion and commenced
Acceptance Trials.
March
On completion took passage to
Tobermory for work-up and preparation
for
operational minesweeping duties.
After Work-up took passage to Port
Edgar to carry out minesweeping
training.
Commenced minesweeping training in
Forth area.
April
Deployed in Home waters.
May
Prepared for service in Mediterranean
and took passage to join the Flotilla
at Bizerta.
June
Joined Flotilla with HM Minesweeper
FLY which became Leader in place of HM
Minesweeper FANTOME.
Took part with ships of Flotilla in
clearance of passage through Galita
and Sicilian
channels to allow passage of convoys
to and from the eastern Mediterranean.
(Operation ANTIDOTE)
Nominated for minesweeping and escort
duties during planned allied landings
in Sicily
(Operation HUSKY)
July
Detached with HM Minesweeper FLY, ESPIEGLE and CADMUS for minesweeping
support
during HUSKY. For details of Operation
HUSKY See above references.)
10th
Passage to western sector of Assault
area as part of escort for military
convoy.
12th
Carried out minesweeping prior to
landings and remained in area for
anti-submarine patrol
and escort duties for traffic between
Malta, Bizerta and beachheads.
August
Central Mediterranean minesweeping and
escort duty with Flotilla in
continuation.
September
Resumed Flotilla deployment for
minesweeping support of planned
landings on Italian
mainland at Salerno (Operation
AVALANCHE – See above references).
8th
Deployed with Flotilla to ensure
clearance of mines during passage to
Salerno.
Sustained slight damage from near miss
by shore fire during minesweeping off
beachhead.
16th
Released from AVALANCHE and deployed
in Bay of
Naples for
minesweeping with
Flotilla.
(Note: Flotilla dealt with 135 mines
in Salerno area.)
30th
Nominated for transfer to Capri on
completion of service in Bay of
Naples.
October
1st
Deployed for support of operations off
west coast of Sicily including mine
clearance of
positions to be used by allied
warships for bombardments prior to
military advances.
(Note: Minesweeping operations were
frequently target of heavy fire from
shore batteries
in the Gulf of
Gaeta and
often restricted in their ability to
rapidly change because of
sweeping operation in progress. Air
attacks were also frequent.)
November
West coast minesweeping duties and
support off west coast of Italy in
continuation.
December
Nominated with Flotilla for
minesweeping in support of planned
landings at Anzio.
(Operation SHINGLE).
Prepared for SHINGLE, based at Naples.
1
9 4 4
January
Passage to Anzio, 90 miles north of
Naples.
21st
Flotilla deployment with HM
Minesweepers RINALDO and WATERWITCH of
19th Flotilla
and HM Minesweepers BUDE and ROTHESAY
of 13th Flotilla. to provide a swept
channel
off Anzio for ships of the assault
force.
On release from SHINGLE took passage
to Naples.
February
Took part with ships of Flotilla and
19th Flotilla in minesweeping to
ensure clear channels
to
March
for passage ships supporting military
operations, including clearance of
areas selected for
naval gunfire support by cruisers.
April
Carried out minesweeping operations
off Malta when not required for
support of military
on Italian mainland.
May
West coast of Italy minesweeping in
continuation with part of Flotilla
(Note: Some ships of 12th Flotilla
were deployed off Malta for clearance
of minefields.)
June
Carried out joint minesweeping
operations with ships of Flotilla,
13th Flotilla and 28th
Motor Launch Flotilla .
4th
Cleared entrance to port of Civitavecchia
with joint minesweeping force.
13th
Deployed for clearance of mines in
anchorage area off Civitavecchia.
July
Joint minesweeping operations in
continuation to ensure passage for
ships supporting
military advance .
14th
Took part in operation to clear a
channel to port of
Leghorn
with ships of Flotilla, 19th and
13th Minesweeping Flotillas (Operation
LOBSTER)
25th
Port available for use by shipping.
(Note: 250 mines were swept during
clearance of channel between Anzio to
Leghorn and
ships engaged were subject to shore
fire.)
August
Deployed with Flotilla for clearance
of mines off west coast of Italy to
ensure safe passage.
to
September
(Note: Aircraft minelaying was a
common feature during this period )
October
Nominated for minesweeping service
with Flotilla, in support of allied
military operations
in Greece (Operation MANNA).
(Note: The Flotilla had swept 1013
mines by this date, an achievement
recognised by
the Supreme Commander, Mediterranean
in a congratulatory signal)
22nd
Transferred to eastern Mediterranean
Passage to Greek waters with HM
Minesweepers ALBACORE, ACUTE and
ESPIEGLE of
Flotilla supplemented by HM
Minesweepers SKIPJACK and TRUELOVE of
5th Flotilla.
(Note: 5th Minesweeping Flotilla
deployed for this work had recently
suffered two losses)
November
1st
Carried out minesweeping operation to
ensure clear passages for ships
deployed in Aegean for
support of re-occupation of Greek
mainland and Aegean islands.
Sustained slight damage during sweep
from an OBOE Mine.
(Note: During these operations German
OBOE mines designed to explode on the
surface after
being cut were swept for the first
time and caused some damage to the
following ship.)
December
Aegean minesweeping in support of
Greece re-occupation in continuation.
17th
Detached with HM Minesweepers FLY and
ALBACORE to carry out clearance sweep
in Dardanelles to ensure safe passage for warships taking the Prime Minister and the
US
President for meeting at Yalta with
the Soviet Leader.
Passage to Mudros for Xmas.
1
9 4 5
January
Passage to Malta with HMS FLY after relief in
Dardanelles
sweep operation by HMS
ESPIEGLE.
(Note: HMS FLY was relieved by HMS ACUTE at the same
time.)
On completion resumed mine clearance
off Greek mainland with the Flotilla.
February
Greek mainland mine clearance
deployment with Flotilla in
continuation.
March
Deployed at Malta,
(Note: Other ships of Flotilla, HM
Minesweepers ALBACORE, ACUTE, CIRCE,
MUTINE and CADMUS sailed from Malta on
23rd to resume minefield
clearance operations based at Naples.
As this ship is not included it must
be assumed she sailed later to rejoin
the Flotilla.)
April
Deployed with Flotilla for clearance
between Leghorn and Genoa.
May
Deployed off Genoa.
9th
Port Anchorage at Genoa cleared of
mines.
First major warship to enter Genoa.
June
Gulf of Genoa area mine clearance in
continuation.
to August
P
o s t W a r
N o t e s
(revised partly from the addendum)
HMS
MUTINE remained in the Mediterranean
with the 12th Flotilla and continued
deployment for mine clearance
operations off Genoa and based at
Naples until 1946 when she returned to
Malta to prepare for return to UK with
the rest of the Flotilla. The Flotilla
was then deployed was nominated for
mine clearance operations off the
French, Belgian and Dutch coasts based
at Harwich with HM Minesweepers FLY (SO). CADMUS, ACUTE, CIRCE and ALBACORE. After repair at
Portsmouth
in August 1946 she resumed Flotilla
duties until November when Paid-off
and reduced to Reserve status at
Sheerness before being laid-up at
Harwich. In April 1956 the ship
recommissioned to replace HM
Minesweeper LYSANDER for minesweeping
training based at Portsmouth. When
this requirement ceased the ship was
used as a ship target for aircraft
training and placed back in Reserve at
Chatham. Although refitted for use as
an anti-submarine escort in 1958-9
whilst in Reserve, she never
recommissioned and in 1966 was put on
the Disposal List. Sold to BISCO in
March 1967 the ship was towed to
Barrow where it arrived in tow for
demolition by TW Ward at Dalmuir on
7th April that year.
For more about Algerine-class
Minesweepers, see
http://www.minesweepers.org.uk/index.htm
Addendum
PAYING
OFF of
HMS
MUTINE
from
J P Knell, Shipwright 4,
C/MX691400.
Referring
to the post war service record of
HMS MUTINE in which you state she was
decommissioned on her return to the UK
from Malta, being paid-off at Sheerness.
When I joined her in June 1946 at
Harwich following my return from serving
in the Far East, she was then part of
the 12th Flotilla comprising HMS FLY
J306 [Flotilla Leader], HMS CADMUS J230
[˝ Leader], HMS ACUTE J106,
HMS CIRCE J214, HMS ALBACORE J101
and HMS MUTINE J227. The flotilla was
employed locating and sweeping often
poorly charted mine fields off the
French, Dutch coast and islands. HMS
MUTINE underwent minor repairs at
Portsmouth Dockyard for a week if I
recall correctly in late August 1946.
She was finally paid-off in November
1946 at Sheerness. I should just like to
recognise the contribution these ships
and crews continued to make after the
end of war. In a way they are perhaps
representative of the post-war navy in
general, often undertaking hazardous
operations for a country thankfully at
peace.