ALGERINE-Class
Fleet Minesweeper fitted with
Reciprocating propulsion machinery and
originally ordered from Simons but
cancelled in March 1942. Re-ordered
from Lobnitz on 5 May 1942 and laid down
on3rd March 1943. She was launched on
15th October 1943 and was
the fourth RN ship to carry this name,
introduced in 1678 for a 3rd rate built
at Deptford. The name was to have
been used for a destroyer under
construction in 1913 but that ship was
renamed PORTIA before launch in 1913.
Build of the minesweeper was completed
on 18th January 1944 and she had been
adopted by the civil community of Erith,
Kent
following a successful WARSHIP WEEK
campaign for National Savings in March
1942.
B a t t l
e H o n o u r s
NORMANDY 1944
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge: On a
Field White, four roses Red slipped and
leaved in saltire Proper.
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
January
Contractors
Trials and commissioning.
18th
Build completion and commenced
Acceptance Trials.
On completion took
passage to Tobermory to work-up for
operational service.
February
Work-up
at Tobermory and took passage to Granton
for minesweeping
trials.
Joined HM
Minesweepers PLUCKY, PELORUS, PICKLE,
FANCY and PINCHER
with HM Minesweepers
LARNE, RIFLEMAN and RECRUIT at Harwich
for service in
7th Minesweeper
Flotilla..
March
Deployed
with Flotilla for minesweeping of East
Coast convoy routes to
ensure clear
passage.
April
Transferred
with Flotilla to Portsmouth.
8th
Took passage to
Portsmouth.
9th
Arrived at Portsmouth for
minesweeping duties in English Channel.
12th
Returned to Thames Estuary with
Flotilla for special mine clearance
operations.
29th
Resumed duties in Portsmouth
Command.
May
Nominated for minesweeping
duties in support of planned allied
landings in Normandy
as part of Force
J.
(Note: An Isles
Class Danlayer, a Motor Minesweeper and
three Motor Launches were
allocated
for duty with the Flotilla for laying of
markers and to
provide assistance
during
NEPTUNE.)
Deployed
with Flotilla for exercises
including night sweeping and major
exercise
(FABIUS III) in
Bracklesham Bay.
(Note: During
FABIUS III Flotilla came under E-Boat
attack.)
Returned
to Solent ion completion
to prepare for NEPTUNE.
For details of
naval activities prior to and during
NEPTUNE see LANDINGS IN
NORMANDY, June 1944
(HMSO) and OPERATION NEPTUNE by K
Edwards.
June
4th
Operation delayed for 24 hours.
5th
Sailed from Portsmouth with
Flotilla for clearance of Channel 8
ahead of first Assault
convoys.
6th
After arrival off JUNO Beach
deployed for local minesweeping and for
widening of
approach Channels.
(Note: During
Assault Phase continued minesweeping off
Normandy and later during
Build-up
Phase was part of TROUT Defence Line for
patrol against any
attempt
by
submarines, surface warships or E-Boats
to enter Eastern Task Force area.
Deployed for escort
as required and returned to Portsmouth
for refuelling and
replenishment.)
July
Retained in Forward Area
for minesweeping after termination of
NEPTUNE.
(Note:
During minesweeping operations HMS
POLARIS was damaged and
enemy
minelaying and torpedo attacks were
frequently carried out in French
coastal
waters. See references
and HOLD THE NARROW SEA by P Smith.)
August
French
coast minesweeping and escort duties
with Flotilla in
continuation.
September
Transferred with HM Minesweepers
PINCHER, LENNOX, RECRUIT and PLUCKY
for special duties
and took passage to Harwich.
17th
Deployed with Flotilla for Air
Sea Rescue duties during Arnhem airborne
landings (Operation
MARKET GARDEN)
October
Nore Command duties with
Flotilla in continuation.
Deployed for mine
clearance duties in Scheldt estuary and
for escort of military convoy
to Antwerp.
November
Transferred
with HMS PELORUS to 6th Minesweeper
Flotilla.
Joined HM
Minesweepers FRIENDSHIP (SO),
POSTILLION, MELITA, GOZO,
LIGHTFOOT and
PERSIAN for mine sweeping off Belgian
coast and convoy escort for
military
convoys to
Channel ports.
(Note: These
convoys were under attacks by E-Boats
and midget submarines which also
carried
out minelaying operations to interfere
with these convoys. See
HOLD
THE
NARROWS SEA by P Smith and ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY
by C
Barnett.)
December
Flotilla
duties in continuation.
1 9 4 5
January
Nominated for foreign service with
Flotilla
for minesweeping and convoy defence in
to
March
Indian
Ocean.
(Note: Ships of
Flotilla with drawn temporarily from
minesweeping duties for essential
repairs
and
maintenance prior to departure for
Colombo.)
April
Deployed with Flotilla
in Channel area and took passage to
Falmouth prior to sailing
to Gibraltar
with HMS GOZO, HMS LIGHTFOOT and HMS
PERSIAN.
8th
Sailed from Falmouth and joined
by HM Danlayers IMERSAY and LINGAY which
were allocated
for duty with Flotilla whilst deployed
in support of operations off
Burma.
May
Passage in Red Sea
and Indian Ocean,
June
Deployed with Flotilla
for convoy escort duties in defence of
convoys to Rangoon
and Indian
ports prior to planned operations by
Eastern Fleet.
Nominated for
minesweeping duties off Car Nicobar
covered by ships of Eastern
Fleet prior
to planned landings in Malaya (Operation
COLLIE).
(Note:
Experience in the Pacific Ocean by the
US Navy had shown that Japanese
minefields had been laid in
defence of ports under threat of
attacks. See
WAR
WITH JAPAN, Volume VI (HMSO).)
July
2nd
Sailed from Trincomalee with HM
Minesweepers MELITA, GOZO, PELORUS,
PERSIAN,
POSTILLION and LIGHTFOOT, HMS
IMERSAY and HMS LINGAY
as Force 62
for COLLIE.
(Note: Cover
was provided by Force 61 comprising HM
Cruiser NIGERIA, HM
Escort
Aircraft
Carriers AMEER and EMPEROR
screened by
HM Destroyers
ESKIMO,
ROEBUCK and VIGILANT. See above
reference and THE
FORGOTTEN
FLEET by J Winton.)
5th
Commenced mine clearance
operations with Flotilla.
10th
On completion took passage to
Ceylon.
(Note: 167
mines were cleared by Flotilla.)
14th
Arrived at Colombo with
Flotilla.
20th
Prepared for minesweeping
support of planned landings in Malaya.
(Operation
ZIPPER)
(Note: These
landings were delayed by both the
implementation of the PYTHON
Scheme
to repatriate army personnel who had
served in South East Asia
for
over three years and four
months, and US Policy relating to
occupation of
former
Colonial territory. See Final SEAC
Report (HMSO).)
August
Joined Force 155
made-up of 6th, 7th and 37th
Minesweeping Flotillas for operations
off
Malaya
15th
Sailed from Colombo for
minesweeping operations in Malacca
Strait.
24th
Delayed by weather conditions
and took shelter with Force 155 in the
lee of Simular
Island on
the west coast of Sumatra.
30th
Commenced minesweeping
operations to enable ships to enter
Penang and Sabang.
Post
War Notes
HMS
LENNOX took part in the
clearance of mines in Malacca Strait
with Force 155 in advance of Eastern
Fleet
ships taking the occupation force to
Singapore. The ship remained in the Far
East with the Flotilla for mine
clearance duties in
support of re-occupation of ports in the
Dutch East Indies until March 1946
when she sailed for UK, After
arrival at Portsmouth in May she
remained in service and was deployed
with the Fishery Protection Squadron
from September that year until November
1947 when she was Paid-off and had been
reduced to Reserve
Status by February 1948. Eight years
later in 1956 this minesweeper was
recommissioned for further
Fishery Protection duties and was
deployed mainly in Distant Waters off
Iceland
and North Norway until February 1958
when she was relieved by the new Type 14
Frigate, HMS RUSSELL. After paying off
remained in Reserve and was refitted
including installation of a SQUID Mortar
Outfit to improve her
anti-submarine capability necessary for
use as a convoy escort. Placed on the
Disposal List in 1960 she was
sold to BISCO for demolition by Clinton
and Davie and arrived in tow at the
Breakers Yard in Milford
Haven during June 1961.
For more about Algerine-class
Minesweepers, see
http://www.minesweepers.org.uk/index.htm
