Later
HUNT-Class coal burning minesweeper
ordered from Clyde Shipbuilders at Port
Glasgow in June 1917 and laid
down on 26th August 1918. She was
launched on 21st March 1919 and was the
first RN
ship to bear this name. Her
build was completed on 19th
June 1919 and she took part in the
extensive mine clearance
operations which were carried out after
the end of
WW1. In
1938 this ship was
laid up in Malta
B a t t
l e
H o n o u r s
None is recorded in the
Official List.
Heraldic
Data
Badge;
On a Field
Blue,. a
castle Gold on a mount Silver.
M
o t t
o
“Forward”.
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 3 9
August Laid-up
in Malta
with sister ship HMS DUNDALK.
(Note: Other
ships of this Class in Malta
and at Alexandria were brought
forward in 1939 for
patrol
duty in Eastern
Mediterranean to prevent illegal
immigrants from entering Palestine.
The
deployment as the 3rd Minesweeping
Flotilla for this purpose was cancelled
and
the
ships
were used for
the interception of mercantiles for
Contraband Control.)
Commissioned
for service.
September
Deployed in
Mediterranean
to
October
November
Nominated for return to UK for
minesweeping in Home
Waters
Passage to Portland
(Note:
Significant losses of merchant
ships and warships due to enemy mining
off the East Coast
including
first use of magnetic mines had made
necessary an
increase in minesweepers
in that area.
See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by
Corelli
Barnett and the
Naval
Staff History.)
December
On
arrival at Portland ships
officers given briefing on
new tasks.
Took passage to
Great Yarmouth to join HM Minesweepers
FITZROY, KELLETT and SELKIRK
with HMS
DUNDALK.
Deployed
at Great Yarmouth for minesweeping to
ensure safe passage
of East Cost convoys.
(Note:
HMS FITZROY
and HMS KELLETT had been used for
Hydrographic duties and reverted
to a
minesweeping
role after outbreak of war. HMS SELKIRK
had been laid-up in Reserve
in
UK.
1 9 4 0
January
East
Coast minesweeping duties in
continuation.
to
Joined 4th Minesweeping
Flotilla on formation.
March
(Note:
Flotilla also included HM Minesweepers
FITZROY, KELLETT, DUNDALK, SELKIRK,
ELGIN
and
SUTTON.
The other ships had been transferred
from the Mediterranean to
reinforce
minesweepers available to deal with the
increase
in enemy minelaying off the
East
Coast of UK.)
April
Deployment
with Flotilla based at Yarmouth in
continuation.
30th
During an attempt to recover
a parted Sweep detonated a mine which
resulted in further explosion
of the 4in
magazine. Ship sank after 20 minutes in
position 52.45N
02.23E. off
Great Yarmouth.
(Casualty
List - note
on casualties)