ALGERINE-Class
Fleet Minesweeper fitted with Turbine
propulsion machinery ordered on 15th
November 1940 from Harland and Wolff,
Belfast. Laid down on 5th February 1942
at the same time as sister ship FANTOME,
the ship was
launched
on 12th August that year as sixth RN
ship to carry
this name, introduced in 1793 for a
French 16 gun Brig Sloop
captured
off Ushant. It was last borne by a
Sloop, reported as being last
RN ship to be built with a figurehead,
built at Sheerness
in 1900 and sold at Bombay in 1923.
Her build was completed on 1st December
1942 and she had been adopted
by the civil
community of Ellesmere Port, Cheshire,
following a successful WARSHIP WEEK
National Savings campaign in March 1942.
B a t t l
e H o n o u r s
EGYPT
1801 - MESOPOTAMIA 1914-16 - SICILY
1943 - SALERNO 1943 -
ANZIO 1943
H
e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge:
On
a Field White, a gnome proper, clad
Green.
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
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1
9 4 2
November
Contractors trials and commissioned for
service.
December
1st
Build completion and commenced
Acceptance Trials.
On completion took
passage to Tobermory for work-up and
preparation for
operational
minesweeping duties.
1
9 4 3
January After
Work-up took passage to Port Edgar
to carry out minesweeping training.
Commenced
minesweeping training in Forth
area.
February
Deployed in Home waters.
March
Nominated for service with 12th
Minesweeping Flotilla in the
Mediterranean.
Took
passage
to join Flotilla at Bizerta.
April
Joined Flotilla at Bizerta with
HM Minesweeper CIRCE.
Deployed for convoy
defence and patrol off North African
coast based at Bizerta.
(Note: HMS
FANTOME later replaced HMS
ALGERINE as Leader)
May Flotilla
nominated for joint
operations with 13th Minesweeping
Flotilla for mine
clearance of passage
through Galita and Sicilian
Channels
(Operation ANTIDOTE).
5th
Deployed at Bizerta for ANTIDOTE
with the two minesweeping Flotillas.
20th
Took part in rescue operations after
HMS FANTOME sustained major damage when
mine exploded in sweep
gear.
June ANTIDOTE
deployment with
Flotilla in continuation
7th
Mine clearance completed with
destruction of 126 mines by the 12th
Flotilla.
HM Minesweepers FLY,
CADMUS and MUTINE of Flotilla, HMS FLY
taking over
duty as Leader.
Nominated for
minesweeping and escort duties during
planned allied landings in Sicily
(Operation HUSKY)
July
Detached with HM Minesweeper
FLY, MUTINE and CADMUS for minesweeping
support
10th
Passage to western sector of Assault
area as part of escort for military
convoy.
12th
Carried out minesweeping prior to
landings and remained in area for
anti-submarine patrol
and
escort duties for traffic
between Malta, Bizerta and beachheads.
August Central
Mediterranean
minesweeping and escort duty with
Flotilla in continuation.
September Resumed
Flotilla deployment for
minesweeping support of planned landings
on Italian
mainland at Salerno
(Operation AVALANCHE – See above
references).
8th
Deployed with Flotilla to ensure
clearance of mines during passage to
Salerno.
Sustained slight
damage from near miss by shore fire
during minesweeping off beachhead.
16th
Released from AVALANCHE and
deployed in Bay of Naples for
minesweeping with
Flotilla.
(Note: Flotilla dealt
with 135 mines in Salerno area.)
30th
Nominated for transfer to Capri on
completion of service in Bay of Naples.
October
1st
Deployed for support of operations
off west coast of Sicily including mine
clearance of
positions to be used
by allied warships for bombardments
prior to military advances.
(Note: Minesweeping
operations were frequently target of
heavy fire from shore batteries
in the
Gulf of Gaeta and often restricted in
their ability to rapidly change because
of
sweeping
operation in progress. Air attacks were
also frequent.)
November
West coast minesweeping duties and
support off west coast of Italy in
continuation.
to
December (Note: At the
end of 1943 the Flotilla had
swept 770 mines since arrival at
Gibraltar
in
December 1942.)
Nominated for
minesweeping in support of planned
landings at Anzio (Operation SHINGLE).
Based at Naples to
prepare for SHINGLE.
1
9 4 4
January
Passage to Anzio, 90 miles north
of Naples.
21st
Deployed with HM Minesweepers
RINALDO and WATERWITCH of 19th Flotilla
to
provide swept channel
off Anzio for ships of the assault
force.
On release from
SHINGLE took passage to Naples.
February
Took part with ships of Flotilla and
19th Flotilla in minesweeping to ensure
clear channels
to
March
for passage ships supporting
military operations, including clearance
of areas selected for
naval gunfire support
by cruisers.
April
Carried out minesweeping
operations off Malta when not required
for support of military
on Italian mainland,
11th
Deployed with HM Minesweepers ACUTE,
CIRCE and SPANKER of Flotilla for sweep
of known minefield SW
of Anzio during which five mines were
cut.
18th
Carried
out mine clearance northwards and
into Tiber River and under fire from
shore.
20th
Deployed for clearance sweep in
western channel off Anzio and during
night period for
anti-submarine
patrol.
23rd
Assisted
HMS CIRCE after of mine caught in sweep
exploded on board
causing many
casualties
24th
Escorted HMS ACUTE and HMS SPANKER
during tow of damaged HMS CIRCE to
Naples.
This involved a
passage of 100 miles..
May
West coast of Italy
minesweeping in continuation with part
of Flotilla
(Note: Some ships of
12th Flotilla were deployed off Malta
for clearance of minefields.)
11th
Deployed with HM Minesweepers FLY,
ACUTE, ALBACORE, CADMUS of 12th Flotilla
and HM Minesweepers
ROSARIO and SPANKER of 19th Flotilla for
night sweep off Gaeta
to ensure bombardment
area for naval gunfire support of
offensive by allied troops on
Monte Casino.
(Note: Air attacks
were also a constant hazard.)
12th
Carried out sweep close inshore
prior to bombardment by HM Cruiser DIDO,
US Cruisers
BROOKLYN and
PHILADELPHIA during which the ships came
under heavy fire from
shore batteries.
On completion of
bombardment requirements rejoined
Flotilla in mine clearance of channel
from Naples to Anzio.
89 mines were cut.
June
Carried out joint
minesweeping operations with ships of
Flotilla, 13th Flotilla and 28th
Motor Launch Flotilla
.
4th
Cleared entrance to port of
Civitavecchia with joint minesweeping
force.
13th
Deployed for clearance of mines in
anchorage area off Civitavecchia.
July
Joint minesweeping
operations in continuation to ensure
passage for ships supporting
military advance .
14th
Took part in operation to clear a
channel to port of Leghorn with ships of
Flotilla, 19th and
13th Minesweeping
Flotillas (Operation LOBSTER)
25th
Port available for use by shipping.
(Note:
250 mines were swept
during clearance of channel between
Anzio to Leghorn and
ships
engaged were subject to shore fire.)
August
Deployed with Flotilla for
clearance of mines off west coast of
Italy to ensure safe passage.
to
September (Note:
Aircraft minelaying was a common
feature during this period )
October
Nominated for minesweeping service
with Flotilla, in support of allied
military operations
in
Greece (Operation MANNA).
(Note: The Flotilla
had swept 1013 mines by this date, an
achievement recognised by
the
Supreme Commander, Mediterranean in a
congratulatory signal)
22nd
Transferred to eastern Mediterranean
Passage to Greek
waters with HM Minesweepers ALBACORE,
ACUTE and MUTINE.,
supplemented by HM
Minesweepers SKIPJACK and TRUELOVE of
5th Flotilla.
(Note: 5th
Minesweeping Flotilla deployed for this
work had recently suffered two losses)
November
1st
Carried out minesweeping operation
to ensure clear passages for ships
deployed in Aegean for
support of
re-occupation of Greek mainland and
Aegean islands.
December
Aegean minesweeping in support of
Greece re-occupation in continuation.
Passage to Malta for
Xmas
1
9 4 5
January
Passage
Dardanelles with HMS FLY for
Dardanelles mine clearance as relief
for
HMS
MUTINE. On completion
rejoined Flotilla to continue mine
clearance off Greek mainland.
February
Deployed in Aegean for mine clearance
with Flotilla
March
Deployed at Malta,
23rd
Took passage from Malta with HM
Minesweepers ALBACORE, ACUTE, CIRCE,
MUTINE and CADMUS to
resume minefield clearance operations
based at Naples.
April
Deployed with Flotilla for
clearance between Leghorn and Genoa.
May
Deployed off Genoa.
9th
Port Anchorage at Genoa cleared of
mines.
First major warship
to enter Genoa.
June
Gulf of Genoa area mine
clearance in continuation.
to
August
P
o s t W a r
N o t e s
HMS
ESPIEGLE remained in the
Mediterranean with the 12th Flotilla and
continued deployment for mine clearance
operations between
Malta and the North African coast until
being deployed for interception of
ships carrying illegal immigrants
into Palestine from October until 1948
when this patrol ceased. She had
transferred to the 5th Flotilla in
December 1946 and returned to UK to
Pay-off and reduce to Reserve status in
1948. The ship was laid up at
Hartlepool but never recommissioned
although she was refitted for use as an
Anti-submarine Escort whilst in Reserve.
Sold to BISCO in 1966 for breaking-up by
Arnott Young at Dalmuir she arrived at
Dalmuir on the Clyde in
March 1967.
For more about Algerine-class
Minesweepers, see
http://www.minesweepers.org.uk/index.htm