Algerine Class Fleet
Minesweeperes |
|
Thanks to
Bruce T. Swain for providing so much help here :-) |
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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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