BANGOR-Class
Minesweeper ordered from Lobnitz
on 9th
September 1939 and laid down
on 2nd
April 1940. The ship was
launched on 4th September 1940 as the
1st RN warship to carry this name Build
was
completed on 12th February 1941 with
Turbine propulsion machinery. This
ship was adopted by the civil
community of Bude,
Cornwall after a successful WARSHIP WEEK
National Savings
campaign in March 1942...
B
a t t l
e H o n o u r s
SICILY
1943 - SALERNO 1943 -
ANZIO 1944 - SOUTH FRANCE.
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge:
On a Field Blue, in
front of a saltire
couped
White
a
trident Black.
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 1
February Contractors
trials
Nominated for
service with
9th Minesweeping Flotilla.
(Note: Flotilla
comprised HM Fleet Minesweepers BANGOR,
BLACKPOOL,
BRIDLINGTON,
BRIDPORT, RHYL and ROMNEY already in
commission..
12th Build
completion and commenced Acceptance
Trials
March
On completion
of trials and storing carried out
minesweeping
work-up in Forth.
April
Joined Flotilla at Scapa Flow with HM Fleet Minesweepers CROMER
Deployed for
minesweeping at Scapa Flow and for East
Coast convoy routes as far south
as
Aberdeen to ensure safe passage of
traffic.
May
Transferred with Flotilla to
Portsmouth Command for minesweeping
in English Channel.
(Note: Ships
were
based at Poole and when required for
service east of Isle of Wight at
Portsmouth.)
June
Channel
minesweeping in
continuation.
to
(Note: Minesweepers
were fitted with small barrage balloons
to deter low level aircraft
November
attacks.)
Nominated for
special duty in Nore Command (Operation
QO)
December
Deployed in Nore Command to provide
two additional gaps in existing East
Coast
Barrier
to enable destroyers based at
Harwich and Sheerness to enable
interception of
German
warships attempting passage through English
Channel.
(Note: This
was in anticipation of break-out of
SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU
from Brest to
return to Germany.).
13th Minesweeping
Flotilla based at Harwich were also
deployed for Operation QO)
1
9 4 2
January
Resumed duty at Poole
for minesweeping in English
Channel west of Isle of Wight.
to
(Note
Ships of Flotilla were nominated for
special operation in support of
planned landings at
July
Dieppe.
(Operation JUBILEE. This ship did not
take part and
may have been under
repair or
refit.).
August
Channel
deployment with Flotilla in
continuation.
to
Nominated for service in
Mediterranean in support of planned
allied landings in
September
North
Africa.
(Operation TORCH)
October
Took part in preparatory
exercises in Irish Sea with 9th Flotilla
prior to passage to
Gibraltar.
Transferred to 13th
Minesweeping Flotilla to replace HMS
ILFRACOMBE that
had been damaged in
collision with sister ship HMS
EASTBOURNE.
(Note: Other ships in Flotilla
comprised:
HM Fleet
Minesweepers RHYL (SO), BRIXHAM,
CLACTON,
FELIXSTOWE,
POLRUAN, ROTHESAY and STORNOWAY.
November
Passage to Gibraltar with ships of Flotilla
7th
Part of escort for military convoy KMS1
during passage to ROGER and ZULU Beaches
at
Arzue, Oran
(For details see Naval Staff History and
for
information about all warships and mercantiles
involved
BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser.)
On release from beach head
operations deployed
with ships of 12th Minesweeping Flotilla
for minesweeping operations in
western Mediterranean to ensure clear
passage for
mercantile and military convoys
to Tripoli.
(Note: Similar operations
were being carried out from Alexandria to Tripoli by ships
of
14th Flotilla, also of this Class.)
December
Western Mediterranean minesweeping
in
continuation with Flotilla.
1
9 4 3
January
Operations
along North African coast in
continuation with Flotilla.
to
May
June
On completion transferred to Malta
to prepare for
minesweeping
in support of planned
allied
landings in Sicily (Operation
HUSKY)
For
details
see Naval Staff History and for
information about all warships and mercantiles
involved
BRITISH
INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser.)
July
9th
Deployed
for clearance and
maintenance of Tunis war channel for
passage of assault
and
follow-up military convoys to Sicily
beach heads.
August
Deployed at Malta and prepared for
support of planned allied landings
at Salerno
(Operation
AVALANCHE)
September
Passage
to
Bizerta with ships of Flotilla.
7th
Carried out minesweeping operations from
Bizerta in advance of military Convoy
FSS2
during
passage to Beach Head.
9th
On arrival deployed with Flotilla
to carry
out sweeping operations north off
Salerno Bay
prior to US landings
10th
Continued
minesweeping
operations in area
12th
Released
from AVALANCHE support and returned
to Malta.
(Note: During
AVALANCHE minesweeping off
beach head 36 mines were swept by
Flotilla.)
For details see Naval Staff
History and for
information about all warships and mercantiles
involved
BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J
de Winser.)
October
Deployed
with Flotilla based in Malta
to
Nominated with
Flotilla to relieve 14th Minesweeping
Flotilla in minesweeping operations to
clear
November
Straits
of Bonifacio
in preparations for planned landings in
south France.
December
Deployed for minesweeping of Sardinia with Flotilla.
1 9 4 4
January
Nominated for transfer to 12th
Minesweeping Flotilla with HMS ROTHESAY
for support
of planned allied landings at
Anzio (Operation SHINGLE).
Passage
to join 12th Flotilla
for minesweeping during passage of
assault convoys.
22nd
Deployed at Anzio with 12th Flotilla in
support of landings.
27th
Passage
from Anzio to rejoin 13th Flotilla in
Sardinia.
February
Deployed in Sardinia area for minesweeping with Flotilla,
to
April.
May
Nominated with Flotilla for
minesweeping between Naples and Anzio to
ensure safe
passage for military convoys
supporting shore
operations.
Passage to Naples with HMS STORNOWAY,
HMS POLRUAN and HMS BRIXHAM of
Flotilla on relief by
ships of 19th Minesweeping Flotilla.
Joined ships of 12th
Minesweeping Flotilla for minesweeping
off Italian coast on
arrival at Naples.
June
Deployed to clear an
approach Channel to Civitavecchia
(Note:
Civitavecchia
fell on 13th June.)
July
Relieved in Flotilla by HMS
ROTHESAY and returned to Naples
to prepare for support
of planned allied landings in
South France (Operation DRAGOON)
August
Deployed with HM Fleet
Minesweepers ROTHESAY, POLRUAN,
STORNOWAY and
BRIXHAM in preparation for
DRAGOON.
9th
Sailed from Naples as part of escort for
assault Convoy SS1B during
passage to
ALPHA Beach area. after call at
Ajaccio
For details see
LANDINGS IN SOUTH FRANCE (HMSO) and for
information about
all warships and mercantiles
taking part
BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser.)
13th
Sailed
from Ajaccio
14th
Detached
from SS1B on arrival at Assembly Area
15th
Carried
out minesweeping
operations to clear an assault channel
to YELLOW Beach south of
St
Tropez.
On completion deployed for
further
minesweeping along coast.
(Note: During
these operations the Flotilla accounted
for 179 mines and came under
shore fire at times.)
24th
Completed clearance of Gulf of Fos
September
Minesweeping operations in
continuation to allow entry to major
ports.
24th
Minesweeping
Task Group TG80.10 dissolved
Passage to Malta for Rest and
Recuperation..
October
Nominated for minesweeping
operations off Greece in Gulf of Patras and Gulf of
Corinth
Passage with
Flotilla to commence operations of
Greece
November
Greek deployment in continuation.
Nominated for
return to UK
Passage to Malta to prepare for passage
(Note: During
deployment off Greece with BYMS and Motor Launches 353 mines
were
swept by Flotilla.)
December
Passage to UK
Nominated for withdrawal from
service with
other ships of Flotilla.
1 9 4 5
January
Paid-off and de-stored
to
Reduced to Reserve
status.
March
April
Laid-up in Reserve.
to
August
P
o s t W a r S e
r v i c e
HMS
BUDE
was placed on the Disposal List and sold
to Egypt in 1946. The ship was renamed
NASR and was later
re-designated as a Corvette. She
remained on the Active List of the Egyptian
Navy until after 1973