ALGERINE-Class Fleet Minesweeper fitted with Turbine propulsion machinery ordered on 15th November 1940 from Harland and Wolff, Belfast. Laid down on 22nd September 1942 at the same time as sister ship ROSARIO, the ship was launched on 20th March 1943 as the fifth RN ship to carry this name, introduced in 1808 for a ten gun Brig Sloop built at Deptford and sold in 1819. It was last borne by a Trawler purchased in 1814 for use as a minesweeper which was sold in 1921. The build of this minesweeper was completed on 18th June 1943.and she had been adopted by the civil community of Rotherham Rural District in Yorkshire after a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign held in March 1942.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

BELGIAN COAST 1914 - NORTH SEA 1943 - ANZIO 1944 - SOUTH FRANCE 1944 - AEGEAN 1944

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a field Blue, two swords in saltire White, pommels and

hilts enfiled by a spur, Gold.

 

 

D e t a i l s   o f   W a r   S e r v i c e

 

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June                   Contractors trials and commissioned for service in 19th Minesweeping Flotilla

        18th            Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials

                           On completion took passage to Tobermory to work-up for operational service.

 

July                    Deployed in Firth of Forth based at Port Edgar for minesweeping training on completion

                           of work-up.

 

August               Minesweeping training in continuation.

 

September          Passage to Kyle of Lochalsh to join ships of Flotilla.

 

October              Carried out training for minesweeping and Flotilla operations with HM Minesweepers

                           ROSARIO, BRAVE, WATERWITCH and SPANKER which then formed the 19th

                           Flotilla.

 

November          Nominated for foreign service with ships of Flotilla and took passage from Clyde to

                           Milford Haven.

                           Part of escort with ships of Flotilla, for Convoy KX12 during passage from Milford Haven

                           to Gibraltar

                           (Note: Convoy comprised two mercantiles and eight smaller minesweepers and a coal

                                        burning trawler which limited speed of convoy to 6 knots and produced sufficient

                                        smoke to be a constant source of danger !)

 

December           Took passage from Gibraltar with HMS BRAVE and HMS WATERWITCH for Malta.

           .               (Note: HMS SPANKER was detached for service as a convoy escort at Algiers and

                                        HMS ROSARIO remained at Gibraltar for similar duties.)

                           Deployed for local minesweeping and escort duties in Malta on arrival.

 

1 9 4 4

 

January                Malta deployment in continuation.

        14th             Took passage from Malta with HMS BRAVE and HMS WATERWITCH for Naples.

                            On arrival prepared for minesweeping in support of allied landings at Anzio as part of

                            2nd Minesweeping Group.

        21st              Sailed from Naples with HMS WATERWITCH for clearance of mines in advance of

                             assault ships.

        22nd             Deployed to clear passage for landing craft.

        23rd              Deployed with same ships and HMS BRAVE which had been detained at Naples by

                             defect.

        26th              Released from SHINGLE and took passage to return to Malta.

 

February               Deployed at Malta with ships of Flotilla including HMS SPANKER which had rejoined

                             from Algiers. Carried out local minesweeping and escort duties

 

 March                  Malta and period detachment for minesweeping off west coast of Italy with 12th Flotilla

                             in support of military operations by ensuring clear passage for allied warships and

                             shipping.).

                             (Note: HM Minesweepers ARIES, ANTARES and ARCTURUS, of this Class, built in

                                          Canada joined Flotilla in Malta during this period.)

 

April                    Deployed for minesweeping off Malta

 

May                     Malta deployment  in continuation.

                            Took passage to Maddalena, Northern Sardinia with Flotilla units deployed in Malta

                             On arrival commenced minesweeping with Flotilla in Straits of Bonifacio.

 

June                      Straits of Bonifacio sweeping in continuation

        16th              Deployed with Flotilla to carry out minesweep in advance of ships on passage to carry

                             out landings on island of Elba (Operation BRASSARD). 40 mines were swept.

                             (Note: This clearance enabled bombardment of shore positions to be carried out by

                                          HM River Gunboats APHIS, COCKCHAFER and SCARAB.)

                             On release from BRASSARD took passage with Flotilla to resume minesweeping

                             Operations off west coast of Italy.

 

July                      Deployed with Flotilla in joint minesweeping operations off Civitavecchia to clear a

                             channel north of Cape Corso (Operation LOBSTER)

                             (Note: Ships of 12th and 13th Minesweeping Flotilla also took part.)

         18th             On completion of LOBSTER continued west coast deployment for clearance of

                             passage towards Leghorn.

 

August                 Returned to Naples with ships of Flotilla to prepare for planned allied landings in

                             South France as Senior Officer of Flotilla (Operation DRAGOON formerly ANVIL)

                             (Note: Royal Navy ships were under overall command of Vice Admiral HK Hewett

                                         US Navy. This ship was allocated to DELTA Attack Force under command of

                                         Rear Admiral Rodgers, US Navy to whom Commander CH Corbet-Singleton,

                                         Royal Navy as Senior Officer 19th Minesweeping Flotilla was responsible.)

          12th            Deployed with HM Minesweepers ROSARIO, ANTARES, ARCTURUS, SPANKER,

                             BRAVE and five US Navy Patrol Craft as escort for military convoy SF2A (DELTA)

                             during passage to assault area.

                             (Note: Convoy comprised three Landing Ships (Infantry).)

            13th           Called at Ajaccio with SF2A

           14th           Sailed with convoy from Ajaccio as escort to St Tropez for landings.

           15th           Detached from escort with ships of Flotilla to carry out minesweep in advance of

                             assault convoy. No mines were swept.

                             On completion of swept channel work cleared area to be used for naval gunfire support.

                             (Note: Ships assigned to DELTA area for gunfire support included:

                                         US battleships USS TEXAS and USS NEVADA, US cruiser

                                         PHILADELPHIA, French Cruisers GEORGES LEYGUES and MONTCALM)

                             (For details of Operation DRAGOON  See INVASION OF THE SOUTH OF

                             FRANCE (HMSO) and ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett).

           18th           Transferred from command of Task Force Commander to Task Group 80.12 ton carry

                             out programme of minesweeping.

           19th           Deployed for minesweeping off assault area with ships of Task Unit.

           to               (Note: During this period mine clearance was carried out to enable ports at Toulon and

           30th                        Marseilles to be used.    Both German and French mines had been laid in these

                                          areas

 

September            Task Unit minesweeping operations deployment in continuation.

             4th           Flotilla released from service with US Navy and took passage to Malta.

            15th          Resumed service under RN administration after R&R Period

                             (Note: Some ships of Flotilla were then deployed at Taranto for minesweeping and

                                         convoy escort)

 

October                Deployed with Flotilla for minesweeping in Adriatic.

               2nd        Took passage with HMS BRAVE and HMS SPANKER to Ancona for clearance

                             of passage between  Ancona and Sibinek, Yugoslavia for use by

                             ships deployed in support of military operations.

               23rd       Took passage from Ancona to Taranto for repair.

                             (Note: The Ships of Flotilla except HMS WATERWITCH rejoined  at Ancona for

                                          clearance of the cross-Adriatic channel.

 

November            On completion of repair rejoined Flotilla at Ancona to resume clearance of channel..

               11th       Deployed with HM Minesweepers ARCTURUS, ANTARES, BRAVE and SPANKER

                             ahead of HM Cruiser DELHI during passage through islands into Split for support of

                             shore operations.

                             (Note: Area around Split had been retaken by Partisan forces on 10th.)

                12th      Deployed for night patrol to intercept E-Boats and continued mine clearance of cross

                             Adriatic passage during daylight.

                             (Note: During latter apart of month new type of mine (OBOE) was encountered for

                                         first time. These exploded when surfacing after being cut from mooring cable

                                         and were intended to damage any following minesweeper.)

 

December             Cross-Adriatic channel clearance in continuation.

                   6th     Clearance of cross-Adriatic channel completed.

                             (Note: This task had taken nine weeks during which 214 mines were swept.

                             Detached for loan service in Aegean with 5th Minesweeping Flotilla and took passage

                             to Pireaus,

                             Assisted HM Destroyer BEAUFORT at Krioneri in support of military and came

                             under shore fire. Returned to Malta to rejoin Flotilla on release from loan service.

 

1 9 4 5

 

January                    Deployed at Malta

                                 (Note: After arrival in Malta the Flotilla were despatched to carry out minesweeping

                                            operation after suspected aircraft minelay. The circumstances of this sudden

                                            and possibly inappropriate deployment are suspect and no mines were swept.)

                  25th        Took passage with Flotilla for minesweeping southern Adriatic.

                                 (Operation ANTAGONIZE III)

                                 (Note: During this operation HMS ANTARES was badly damaged by a mine and

                                              never rejoined the Flotilla.)

 

February                   Southern Adriatic deployment with Flotilla in continuation.

to March

 

April                         Based at Taranto for mine clearance with Flotilla to provide clear passage to Trieste

                                  and Genoa..

 

May                           Deployed for joint sweeping operations with Flotilla and 5th Minesweeping Flotilla

                                  in continuation of Adriatic mine clearance.

                  12th         Channels to Trieste and Genoa completed. 77 mines were swept.

 

June                           Transferred to Trieste with ships of Flotilla.

                                  Deployed with HM Minesweepers BRAVE, WATERWITCH and FANCY for the

                                  widening of existing swept channels in northern Adriatic.

 

July                           On completion returned to Malta for mine sweeping in central Mediterranean.

 

August                      Central Mediterranean mine clearance in continuation with ships of Flotilla.

 

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

 

HMS RINALDO remained in the Mediterranean for mine clearance off Malta, and in the Aegean until returning to UK in June 1946. The ship was Paid-off at Portsmouth and placed in Reserve after de-storing. Recommissioned in May 1951 she joined the 4th Minesweeping Squadron after work-up at Portland and was then deployed at Harwich with the Flotilla for minesweeping training and Home Fleet duties. She remained in service until 1955 and attended the Coronation Review at Spithead in June 1953. After reduction to Reserve status she was laid-up at Portsmouth where she remained until placed on the Disposal List in 1961. The ship was sold to BISCO for demolition by CW Dorkin at Sunderland where she arrived in tow on 12th August that year.

 

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For more about Algerine-class Minesweepers, see http://www.minesweepers.org.uk/index.htm