ALGERINE-Class Fleet Minesweeper fitted with Turbine
propulsion machinery ordered on 30th April 1942 from Harland and Wolff, Belfast. Laid down on 27th November 1943 at the same time as sister ships HARE and JEWEL this ship was launched on 22nd August 1944. The name was introduced in 1632 when given to the 44
gun ship CHARLES in 1649. It was also used later by 13 other vessels, lastly by
a destroyer built by JS White at Cowes in 1913 instead of previous name ROSALIND
after launch. Build of this
minesweeper was completed on 18th January 1945. She had not been adopted by any civil community in
UK following a successful WARSHIP WEEK campaign during 1941-42 for National Savings as
her build had not been started.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
MARTINIQUE 1809 -
HELIGOLAND 1914 - DOGGER BANK
1915 - JUTLAND 1916
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On
a Field Blue, Statue of Liberty in New York Harbour
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 4 5
January Contractors trials and commissioned
for service with 10th Minesweeping Flotilla.
(Note: The ships in this Flotilla were HM Miner sweepers COURIER, FELICITY,
GOLDEN FLEECE, and SERENE which had been built in Canada.
18th Build completion and commenced
Acceptance Trials.
On completion of
Acceptance Trials and took passage to commence work-up for
operational
service at Tobermory
February Work-up at Tobermory.
Passage
to Granton for minesweeping training and work-up.
Carried
out minesweeping training in Firth of Forth area.
March Joined Flotilla at Granton on
completion of training.
22nd Passage to Harwich with ships of
Flotilla for minesweeping operations in Nore Command.
April Deployed with Flotilla for
minesweeping in southern North
Sea to ensure safe passage
of
convoys in Nore Command including military convoys to Antwerp as well as in the
Thames estuary for traffic in North Sea.
(Note: During this period extensive minelaying was being carried out by enemy
aircraft,
surface craft. Attacks on convoys were also being carried
out by midget
submarines and E
Boat Boats. See HOLD THE NARROW SEA by P Smith,
BATTLE OF
THE EAST COAST by JP Foynes and ENGAGE THE ENEMY
MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett.
May Based at Cuxhaven in continuation of North Sea mine clearance.
June Deployed with Flotilla for
mine clearance in North Sea until withdrawn for refit and
preparation
for foreign service.
July
Under refit.
P o s t W a
r N o t e s
HMS
LIBERTY rejoined the Flotilla on completion and took passage with them in
October 1945 for duty based
initially at Singapore. First deployed for mine clearance in areas near Singapore including ports in Indonesia she was later based at Hong Kong for similar duties. The ship returned to UK and arrived at Portsmouth to Pay-off and reduce to Reserve status in July 1946. Whilst Laid-up at
Devonport she was put on the
Sales List and sold to Belgium in 1949. After refit at Cowes, Isle
of Wight this ship was
renamed ADRIEN
DE GERLACHE on 29th November 1949. She remained in service until 20th June 1969 and was
broken-up
at Bruges the next year.
For more about Algerine-class Minesweepers, see
http://www.minesweepers.org.uk/index.htm