Naval History Homepage and Site Search

 

 

SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2

by Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd) (c) 2005

HMS COQUETTE (J 350) - Algerine-class Fleet Minesweeper

HMS Acute, sister-ship  (Navy Photos/Mark Teadham, click to enlarge) return to Contents List 
 

ALGERINE-Class Fleet Minesweeper fitted with Reciprocating propulsion machinery ordered for the Royal Canadian Navy on 25th July 1942 from Redfern at Toronto. The  ship was  to  be  named HMCS BOWMANVILLE but was transferred to the Royal Navy before completion of build. Laid down on  9th August 1943 this minesweeper was launched as HMS COQUETTE on 24th November 1943. She was the seventh RN ship to carry this name, introduced in 1783 for a captured French 6th Rate and last borne by a destroyer built in 1897 and lost in the North Sea on 7th March 1916 after being mined.. Build was completed on 13th July 1944. This warship was not adopted by a UK civil community after a WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

SATSUMA 1863 - KAGASHIMA 1864 - SIMONOSEKI 1864 - ASHANTEE 1873-4 - SUEZ CANAL 1882 - SUAKIN 1884-5

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field Blue a Fan Gold with white ribs.

 

 

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 4

 

July             Contractors trials and commissioned for service in 8th Minesweeping Flotilla.

     13th        Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.

 

August         On completion of trials and storing took passage to UK to work-up for

                    operational service.

                   

 

September   Commenced minesweeping work-up in Forth area based at Port Edgar.

                     (Note: 8th Minesweeping Flotilla was to comprise HM Minesweepers

                                REGULUS (SO), COQUETTE, THISBE, MARY ROSE, MOON,

                                PROVIDENCE, SEABEAR and ROWENA. These were all sister

                                ships of this Class and were built in Canadian shipyards, except

                                HMS ROWENA which was built on the Clyde at Renfrew.

                                By this period several ships had not completed work-up.

 

October        On completion took passage to Gibraltar with HMS ROWENA for duty

                     with HMS REGULUS and HMS PROVIDENCE which were deployed

                     in western Mediterranean for minesweeping

 

November    Took passage to Malta with ships of Flotilla deployed at Gibraltar and

                     commenced local duties pending arrival of ships from UK.

                     (Note: HMS MARY ROSE, HMS THISBE and HMS  MOON joined

                                  and enabled ships of the Flotilla to be deployed as a complete

                                  Flotilla, although HMS SEABEAR had been delayed by repair

                                  in UK)

 

December    Nominated for minesweeping duties with Flotilla at Taranto.

                    Passage from Malta with ships of Flotilla.

                    Commenced sweeping operations and had significant successes.

                    (Note: This area had been heavily mined to protect Italian naval base and

                                 clearance was essential for access of allied mercantiles and warships.

 

1 9 4 5

 

January        On release from duty at Taranto took passage to Malta for maintenance and

                    repair with HMS MOON, HMS PROVIDENCE and HMS SEABEAR.

       12th      Assumed duty as Senior Officer’s ship for Flotilla after the sinking of HMS

                    REGULUS during minesweeping operations off Corfu and took passage from

                    Malta to join ships of Flotilla

       16th      Deployed at Corfu with Flotilla to continue mine clearance allowing entry to

                    port.

 

February

          2nd    On completion of operations off Corfu transferred for temporary duty with

                    12th Minesweeping Flotilla at Bari.

                    Passage to Bari with HMS ROWENA.

 

March          Deployed at Bari for minesweeping operations in Adriatic.

          12th   Rejoined 8th Flotilla at Taranto for Flotilla minesweeping operations based

                    at Taranto

                    On completion took passage to Malta with Flotilla.

 

April            Deployed with Flotilla based at Malta for local minesweeping operations.

                    Nominated for minesweeping off west Coast of Italy with 8th Flotilla.

          20th   Took passage with Flotilla from Malta.

          22nd  Arrived at Leghorn after call at Naples.

                    (Note: 8th Flotilla were relieving 12th Flotilla to continue mine clearance of

                                entry to Port of Genoa.

 

May             Leghorn based operations in continuation.

           12th  Took passage from Leghorn to Malta on relief by 12th Minesweeping Flotilla,

                    Maintenance and Leave period in Malta.

                    Returned to Leghorn with Flotilla.

 

June             Deployed at Leghorn for continuance of minesweeping operations 

           26th   Took passage to Malta on completion of operations.

 

July               Deployed with Flotilla based in Malta for local mine clearance.

 

August          Nominated for service in Far East with Flotilla for mine clearance based at

                     Hong Kong

           25th   Took passage to Hong Kong with Flotilla.

 

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

 

HMS COQUETTE served with the 8th Flotilla in the Far East as part of the Pacific Fleet from October 1945 and took part in minesweeping in Hong Kong and Singapore areas until early in 1946. She was transferred to the Mediterranean with the Flotilla and from March onwards carried out clearance operations off North Africa at Bizerta and near Malta until return to UK in August when the Flotilla disbanded. She was paid off and reduced to Reserve. Laid –up at Harwich this ship was brought forward in April 1951 for service in the Fishery Protection Squadron. In November 1956 when relieved by HM Frigate PALLISER she was Paid-off and placed in Reserve until 1958 when put on the Disposal List. Sold to Metal Industries that year the ship arrived at the Breaker’s Yard at Rosyth in tow on 26th May 1958 for demolition.

 


 

For more about Algerine-class Minesweepers, see http://www.minesweepers.org.uk/index.htm

 

 

back to Contents List
or Naval-History.Net

revised 23/4/11
further editing and formatting is required