Algerine Class Fleet Minesweeperes
 
Thanks to Bruce T. Swain for providing so much help here :-)
 
Specifications
Name Pennant Builder Completed
Acute J106 Harland & Wolff 30/7/42
Alarm J140 Harland & Wolff 18/5/42
Albacore J101 Harland & Wolff 16/6/42
Algerine J213 Harland & Wolff 24/4/42
Arcturus J283 Redfern Construction Co. 23/10/43
Aries J284 Toronto Shipyard 17/7/43
Bramble J273 Lobnitz & Co. Ltd. 28/6/45
Brave J305 Blyth S.B. & D.D. Co. 3/4/43
Cadmus J230 Harland & Wolff 9/9/42
Chameleon J387 Harland & Wolff 14/8/44
Cheerful J388 Harland & Wolff 13/10/44
Circe J214 Harland & Wolff 27/6/42
Cockatrice J229 Fleming & Ferguson 10/4/43
Coquette J350 Redfern Construction Co. 13/7/44
Courier J349 Redfern Construction Co. 31/9/44
Espiegle J216 Harland & Wolff 1/12/42
Fancy J308 Blyth S.B. & D.D. Co 5/4/43
Fantome J224 Harland & Wolff 22/9/42
Felicity J369 Redfern Construction Co. 10/8/44
Fierce J453 Lobnitz & Co. Ltd. 28/11/45
Fly J306 Lobnitz & Co. Ltd. 20/10/42
Flyingfish J370 Redfern Construction Co. 16/2/44
Golden Fleece J376 Redfern Construction Co. 29/9/44
Gozo J287 Redfern Construction Co. 9/9/43
Hare J389 Harland & Wolff 10/11/44
Hound J307 Lobnitz & Co. Ltd 11/12/42
Hydra J275 Lobnitz & Co. Ltd. 29/9/42
Jaseur J428 Redfern Construction Co. 19/4/44
Jewel J390 Harland & Wolff 9/12/44
Laertes J433 Redfern Construction Co. 2/3/45
Larne J274 Lobnitz & Co. Ltd. 22/11/43
Lennox J276 Lobnitz & Co. Ltd. 18/1/44
Liberty J391 Harland & Wolff 22/8/44
Lightfoot J299 Redfern Construction Co. 19/10/43
Lioness J377 Redfern Construction Co. 11/12/44
Loyalty J217 Harland & Wolff 22/4/43
Lysander J379 Port Arthur Shipyards 21/11/44
Mænad J335 Redfern Construction Co. 16/11/44
Magicienne J436 Redfern Construction Co. 24/6/44
Mameluke J437 Redfern Construction Co. 19/7/44
Mandate J438 Redfern Construction Co. 22/3/45
Mariner J380 Port Arthur Shipyards 23/5/45
Marmion J381 Port Arthur Shipyards 29/6/45
Marvel J443 Redfern Construction Co. 2/4/45
Mary Rose J360 Redfern Construction Co. 24/4/45
Melita J289 Redfern Construction Co. 20/12/43
Michael J444 Redfern Construction Co. 21/5/45
Minstrel J445 Redfern Construction Co. 7/6/45
Moon J329 Redfern Construction Co. 6/7/44
Mutine J227 Harland & Wolff 26/2/43
Myrmidon J454 Redfern Construction Co. 9/7/45
Mystic J455 Redfern Construction Co. 2/8/45
Nerissa J456 Redfern Construction Co. 28/8/45
Niger J442 Lobnitz & Co. Ltd. 21/9/45
Octavia J290 Redfern Construction Co. 31/12/42
Onyx J221 Harland & Wolff 26/3/43
Orcadia J462 Port Arthur Shipyards 11/8/45
Orestes J277 Lobnitz & Co. Ltd. 10/4/43
Ossory J463 Port Arthur Shipyards 3/8/44
Pelorus J291 Lobnitz & Co. Ltd. 7/10/43
Pickle J293 Harland & Wolff 15/10/43
Pincher J294 Harland & Wolff 12/11/43
Plucky J295 Harland & Wolff 10/12/43
Pluto J446 Port Arthur Shipyards 21/10/44
Polaris J447 Port Arthur Shipyards 13/12/44
Postillion J286 Redfern Construction Co. 18/3/43
Prompt J378 Redfern Construction Co. 30/3/44
Providence J325 Redfern Construction Co. 15/5/44
Pyrrhus J448 Port Arthur Shipyards 2/11/45
Rattlesnake J297 Lobnitz & Co. Ltd. 23/6/43
Ready J223 Harland & Wolff 21/5/43
Recruit J298 Harland & Wolff 14/1/44
Regulus J327 Redfern Construction Co. 20/5/44
Rifleman J299 Harland & Wolff 11/2/44
Rinaldo J225 Harland & Wolff 18/6/43
Romola J449 Port Arthur Shipyards 3/5/45
Rosamund J439 Port Arthur Shipyards 10/7/45
Rosario J219 Harland & Wolff 3/4/43
Rowena J384 Lobnitz & Co. Ltd. 6/9/44
Seabear J333 Redfern Construction Co. 22/6/44
Serene J354 Redfern Construction Co. 14/9/44
Skipjack J300 Redfern Construction Co. 29/4/44
Spanker J226 Harland & Wolff 20/4/43
Squirrel J301 Harland & Wolff 16/8/44
Stormcloud J367 Lobnitz & Co. Ltd. 28/3/44
Sylvia J382 Lobnitz & Co. Ltd. 17/5/44
Tanganyika J383 Lobnitz & Co. Ltd. 7/7/44
Thisbe J302 Redfern Construction Co. 8/6/44
Truelove J303 Redfern Construction Co. 3/4/44
Vestal J215 Harland & Wolff 10/9/43
Waterwitch J304 Lobnitz & Co. Ltd. 6/9/43
Wave J385 Lobnitz & Co. Ltd. 14/11/44
Welfare J356 Redfern Construction Co. 4/4/44
Welcome J386 Lobnitz & Co. Ltd. 20/1/45

These were the largest minesweepers ever built for the Royal Navy, and were frequently used as escort vessels during World War II.
The reason was that they were designed to combat every single type of mie around, and had to ship LL sweeps, acoustic hammers as well as conventional style sweeping gear. Thus, they were 40' longer and 7' beamier than the previous Bangor class, and the design was so suddesful, it continued right through the war until the cessation.
So there would be no hold ups in supply, a design with recoprocating and one with turbine machinery was prepared, and of 53 to be built in the UK, 31 had reciprocating and 21 had turbines. The USN too was deficient in minesweepers when the war started, and put this design in hand, and even transferred 15 ( built for them in Canada ) to the RN. 12 more RCN vessels were tranferred, for 4 "Flower" and 12 "Castle" corvettes.
Due to supply problems, early vessels shipped 4 single instead of twin 20mm cannon, and from 1944, 4 40mm Bofors were shipped instead. SW type 271 was carried on the bridge, and AW type 291 on the foremast. The large sweep deck was sufficientyl big to carry four DC lobbers and a 2 DC racks.
Of the original 100 ships ordered, 6 were cancelled and 6 were war losses. Postwar many were transferred or sold to Commonwealth or foreign navies, or assigned to RNVR units.
The ships were built in British and Canadian yards; construction time varied, but Wave was built in the incredible time of 3 days short of 8 months.

Dimensions
Standard Displacement 1040 tons Length 255
Full Displacement 1335 tons Beam 35'6"
Load 295 tons Draught 11'6"

 

Propulsion & Performance
Speed 16.5 knots
Propulsion 2 x Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 x triple-expansion engines* driving 2 shafts @ 2000 shp
* Geared turbines in Harland & Wolff ships

 

Armament & Complement
Complement 95 (peace), 104 to 138 (war) officers & ratings
Armament
  • Gun
    • 1 x 1 x 4" AA
    • 4 x 1 x 20mm Oerlikon AA, or;
    • 4 x 2 x 20mm Oerlikon AA, or;
    • 4 x 1 x 40 mm Bofors AA
  • ASW
    • 4 x DC Throwers
    • 2 x DC Racks

 

Fate
War Losses Alarm, Algerine, Loyalty, Regulus, Squirrel, Vestal
To Belgium, 1949~53 Cadmus, Fancy, Liberty, Ready, Rosario, Spanker
To Burma, 1958 Mariner
To Ceylon, 1949 Flyingfish
To Ceylon, 1958 Onyx, Pickle, Pincher, Plucky
To Greece Arcturus, Aries, Gozo, Lightfoot, Postillion
To Italy Larne
To Nigeria, 1958 Hare
To Persia (Iran), 1949 Fly
To Siam (Thailand) Minstrel
To South Africa, 1947 Pelorus, Rosamund
Scrapped, pre-1956 Fantome, Felicity, Hydra, Octavia, Mameluke, Octavia
Scrapped, 1956 Jaseur, Magicienne
Scrapped, 1958~62 Remainder of class

 

Representative Service Histories
Acute
  • Operated in the Mediterranean, earning the battle honours North Africa 1942-43, Sicily 1943 and Salerno 1943
  • departed Malta 9 May 1946 to return to UK for sweeping duties off the Dutch coast
  • paid off into reserve at Harwich Nov. 1946
  • refitted 1956 and recommisioned (May) for service with the Dartmouth Training Squadron
  • paid off into reserve again Jul. 1961
  • sold at Malta 20 Nov. 1964 for use as a torpedo target and broken up at La Spezia
Cheerful
  • On completion joined 18th Minesweeping Flotilla for service in Home Waters
  • in reserve 1947-50
  • refitted at Liverpool 1950-51 prior to joining the 4th Minesweeping Flotilla in the Channel Command
  • at Coronation Review 15 Jun. 1953
  • laid up in reserve at Chatham 1954
  • broken up at Queenborough from Sep. 1963.
Jewel
  • Far East 1945-46 then to reserve at Portsmouth
  • to Tay Division RNVR Jan. 1948
  • refit at Devonport Jun. 1955 then commissioned into Dartmouth Training Squadron
  • placed in reserve Aug. 1961
  • arrived at Inverkeithing Apr. 1967 to be broken up.
Lysander
  • In 11th Minesweeping Flotilla until Jan. 1947
  • paid off into reserve at Singapore
  • renamed Cornflower for service as RNVR ship at Hong Kong May 1950-Jul. 1951
  • assigned to 6th Minesweeping Flotilla at Singapore Jul. 1951
  • refitted at Sheerness 1954
  • commissioned into HMS Vernon (anti-submarine school) as training ship 18 Apr. 1955
  • paid off into reserve at Chatham May 1956
  • arrived at Blyth 23 Nov. 1957 to be broken up.
Marvel
  • Canadian built; with 3rd Minesweeping Flotilla based on Rosyth and Londonderry until transferred to 1st MSF in 1947
  • refitted at Bristol 1948-49 and on Merseyside 1951
  • attached to HMS Vernon and present at Coronation Review 15 Jun. 1953
  • arrived at Charlestown 7 May 1958 to be broken up
Pickle
  • Operated in European waters until Mar. 1945 and present at D-Day landings
  • East Indies Station 1945
  • placed in reserve at Plymouth 1946
  • assigned to 4th Minesweeping Flotilla in Operational Reserve at Harwich Apr. 1951
  • at Coronation Review 15 Jun. 1953
  • in Channel Command 1954, still with 4th MSF, followed by reserve at Portsmouth
  • towed from Portsmouth to Devonport 30 Jul. 1958 and sold to Ceylon
  • handed over to Royal Ceylon Navy 6 Apr. 1959 and renamed Parakrama
  • broken up 1964
Rattlesnake
  • Operated in Northern European waters including D-Day operations until Oct. 1947
  • paid off into reserve at Portsmouth
  • after refit joined 4th Minesweeping Flotilla at Portland May 1951
  • joined Fishery Protection Squadron Oct. 1952
  • paid off into reserve 1956
  • broken up at Grangemouth from Oct. 1959.
 
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