BANGOR-Class with Turbine Machinery
ordered from Ailsa at Troon on 27th
July 1939. The ship was laid down on
27th November 1939 and was launched on
19th August 1940 as the 4th RN ship to
carry this name, introduced in 1696
for a 5th Rate and last used for a
similar category in 1745. Build was
completed on 20th October 1941 and the
ship was adopted by the civil
community of Rye, East Sussex after a
successful National
Savings campaign in March 1942
B a t t l e H
o n o u r s
ATLANTIC 1942
-
MALTA
CONVOYS 1942 -
SICILY 1943 -
NORMANDY 1944
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge: On a Field per
pale red and blue, a demi-lion
passant,
Gold langued and
armed Blue
conjoined to the hulk of
a
ship, White.
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
October
Contractors Trials
Commissioned for service in 14th
Minesweeping Flotilla
Passage to Tobermory for work-up
November
Worked-up at Tobermory
December
Joined Flotilla in Rosyth Command.
(Note: Other ships in Flotilla were
HM Minesweepers CROMER, BEAUMARIS,
CROMARTY, FRASERBURGH,
POOLE, ROMNEY and TENBY, all sister
ships. )
1
9 4 2
January
Deployed with Flotilla in Western
Approaches for mine clearance.
(Note: British
minelaying operations were being
carried out on Northern Barrage
and
minesweeping operations were required to
provide gaps in some areas
February
Atlantic duties in continuation.
Nominated for service with Flotilla in
Mediterranean.
March
Under refit
prior to foreign service.
(Note: Did not take passage with
Flotilla which was later diverted for
service
with the
Eastern Fleet)
April
Completed refit and prepared for foreign
Service.
May
8th
Took passage to Gibraltar with Sister
ship, HMS HYTHE.
On arrival delayed at Gibraltar and
later nominated for service at Malta
with HM Minesweepers
HEBE, HYTHE and SPEEDY as 17th
Minesweeping Flotilla.
Deployed at Gibraltar pending arrival of
Malta relief convoy.
June
12th
Joined escort for Malta convoy
(Operation HARPOON).
(For details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett and BATTLE
FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D McIntyre and
MALTA CONVOYS by R Woodman
14th
Under heavy and sustained air attacks.
15th
Under attack by Italian surface ships
and sustained air attacks.
Shot down one attacking aircraft.
Rescued survivors from ss CHANT which
had been
damaged and was disabled.
16th
On arrival off Malta deployed to sweep
entry route of convoy into Grand
Harbour.
(Note: This was not executed and
resulted in sinking and damage to
warships and also
to one of the two surviving mercantiles
(ss ORARI). The Polish destroyer
ORP KUJAWIAK (Ex HMS OAKLEY) was sunk.
HM Destroyers BADSWORTH
and HMS MATCHLESS of the escort were
badly damaged and had to remain in
17th
Deployed with Flotilla to begin mine
clearance operations in approaches to
Grand Harbour
assisted by Motor Launches of 3rd Motor
Launch Flotilla.
July
Malta mine clearance operations in
continuation with Flotilla.
(Note: During this period enemy
minelaying of moored and ground minks by
air and by submarine
were unremitting. 214 Moored and 58
Ground Mines were swept).
August
Malta minesweeping duties in
continuation.
(Note: 27 Moored mines were cut between
1st and 8th August)
13th
Deployed with Flotilla to ensure
approach channel into Grand Harbour was
clear to allow safe entry
of Malta relief convoy (Operation
PEDESTAL)
Joined escort for three of the surviving
ships of this convoy.
Detached to assist HM Destroyer
PENN which had been disabled by air attacks
On arrival off the island assisted in
towing operation and under sustained air
attacks.
14th
Towing operation in continuation with
HM Destroyers LEDBURY, and PENN
Under attack by dive bombers.
The other three ships of 17th Flotilla
provided an anti-submarine screen.
During the subsequent tow of
OHIO by tug ,assisted and HM Destroyers BRAMHAM and
PENN
carried out minesweep ahead of rescue
group
15th
Resumed Malta mine clearances duties
after arrival of OHIO in Grand Harbour.
September
Malta minesweeping in continuation with
Flotilla.
to
(Note: Total number of mines swept by
Flotilla since June was 300)
December
Mine clearance operations extended and
included Fifla area after an enemy
minelay by
E-Boats
Flotilla ships were withdrawn
individually for maintenance and refit.
1
9 4 3
January
Deployed with Flotilla for mine
clearance in Malta area.
to
(Note: Flotilla total of mines swept was
419 by end April.).
April
May
Malta mine clearance in continuation
with HMS HYTHE.
(Note: HMS SPEEDY was badly damaged by a
mine on 15th and under repair for some
weeks
HMS HEBE was also damaged by an air
attack whilst in harbour.)
June
Malta deployment in continuation.
20th
Escorted HM Cruiser AURORA into Malta
with HMS HYTHE.
(Note: HMS AURORA had HM King George VI
embarked for Royal visit to the Island..
July
Nominated for service with 14th
Minesweeping Flotilla for support of
planned allied landings in
Sicily (Operation HUSKY - See Naval
Staff History).
Transferred with HMS HYTHE and joined HM
Minesweepers CROMARTY, BOSTON,
SEAHAM and POOLE.
8th
Sailed from Malta with Flotilla as
escort for Landing Craft convoy.
9th
Deployed with Flotilla for mine
clearance in approaches to ACID Sector
beaches.
to
Continued support of landings and
military advance in Sicily.
18th
Carried out anti-submarine patrols, mine
clearance and escort duties
August
Resumed duty with 17th Flotilla and
deployed for convoy defence.
8th
Sailed from Alexandria with HMS HYTHE as
escort for Convoy MKS21 during passage
to Gibraltar.
(Operation COCKATOO)
Other ships in escort included HM Sloop
SHOREHAM, HM Minesweepers WHITEHAVEN,
ROMNEY and four RAN corvettes).
13th
Under air attacks by 36 He111 torpedo
bombers near Alboran.
Destroyed one aircraft during defence of
convoy.
Took mercantile disabled during air
attacks in tow until transferred later
to HMS HYTHE.
Carried out anti-submarine attacks after
wake of torpedo from submarine was
reported.
15th
Arrived at Gibraltar and took passage to
Malta with HMS HYTHE.
(Note: HM Minesweeper SPEEDY was in this
convoy and then took passage to UK for
repair.
September
Deployed at
Malta.
October
Malta deployment for convoy defence in
continuation.
9th
Took passage from Malta with HMS HYTHE.
Joined US Destroyer USS BRISTOL as
escort for Convoy GU18 to Gibraltar.
11th
Under attack by U371 off Algerian coast.
Carried out anti-submarine operation
after sinking of HMS HYTHE by GNAT
Torpedo.
Rescued 12 survivors from HMS HYTHE
which sank in a few minutes off Bougie
in
position
37.04N 05.00E. Two survivors died on
board later
16th
Return passage to Malta.
November
Deployed at
Malta for mine
clearance and convoy defence.
to
Nominated for refit in
UK.
December
(Note: This ship was the sole surviving
operational ship of the Flotilla which
had made a
vital contribution to the defence of
Malta and will always be associated with
the
HARPOON and PEDESTAL convoy operations).
1
9 4 4
January
Passage to
UK.
On arrival taken in hand for refit in
Build Yard at Troon.
February
Under refit and repair.
to
Nominated for service with 14th
Minesweeping Flotilla on completion.
March
April
Post refit trials and shakedown for
operational service.
Joined HM Minesweepers ROMNEY, SEAHAM,
POOLE,
WHITEHAVEN,
GUYSBOROUGH (RCN), KENORA (RCN) and
VEGREVILLE (RCN) in Flotilla
May
Deployed in Channel for minesweeping
prior to allied landings in Normandy.
(Operation NEPTUNE - See OPERATION
NEPTUNE by K Edwards and Naval Staff
History (HMSO)).
Flotilla allocated for clearance of
Channel 2 for assault on UTAH
Beachhead).
Took part in preparatory amphibious
exercises in Channel (Exercise FABIUS
Series).
June
Preparatory minesweeping in
continuation.
5th
Carried out Channel 2 sweep in front of
first assault convoy.
6th
Arrived of French coast earlier than
planned.
Carried out clearance sweep of
Bombardment Area.
Deployed for widening of Channels 3 and
4 in joint operation with the 4th and
14th
Minesweeping Flotillas.
7th
Deployed off Beach Head for minesweeping
operations in Eastern Task Force area
with
to
Flotilla and assisted by smaller
minesweeping vessels (BYMS, YMS and
ML's).
30th
Carried out patrol to intercept attacks
by E-Boats and submersibles off
beachhead.
July
On release from Neptune deployed for
minesweeping and convoy defence in
Channel.
to
December
1
9 4 5
January
Deployed for Patrol,
convoy defence and mine clearance
deployment in Channel and
to
Nore Command area in
continuation.
April
(Note: During this period enemy
submarine and E-Boat minelaying
continued with
particular
increase in
Thames
estuary and off Dutch coast..)
See HOLD THE
NARROW SEA by
P Smith.
May
Transferred to 9th Minesweeping Flotilla
after VE Day.
Deployed in Norwegian waters for mine
clearance with HM Minesweepers SIDMOUTH,
TENBY, BLACKPOOL, BANGOR and ROMNEY.
Based at Stavanger during sweeping
operations which frequently lasted
several days of.
continuous sweeping.
June
Norwegian coast operations in
continuation
to.
On completion returned to Rosyth.
September
P o s t W a r
N o t e s
HMS RYE continued
minesweeping duties after VJ Day and
in January 1946 was deployed in the
Bristol Channel and off coast of South
Wales for clearance of minefields. On
completion the ship was Paid-off and
had been placed in Reserve by the end
of the year. She was put on the
Disposal List in 1947 and sold to
BISCO for demolition by Chicks at
Purfleet where she arrived in tow on
24th August 1948.