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