BANGOR-Class
Minesweeper fitted with Diesel
propulsion machinery, ordered on 6th
July 1939 from Harland and
Wolff and laid down at Govan shipyard,
Glasgow on 19th September 1939 with
sister ship to be named BANGOR.
She was launched 4th July 1940 and
build was completed on 3rd February
1941. She was the 1st RN ship
to carry this name, which like others
of the Class
built in UK was that of a coastal
town. .She was adopted
by
the civil community of Ashington,
Northumberland
after a successful WARSHIP WEEK
National Savings campaign
in March 1942.
B a t t l
e H o n o u r s
DIEPPE
1942 - ENGLISH CHANNEL 1940-43 -
NORMANDY
1944
H e r a l d
i
c D a t a
Badge: On a
Field Green, upon a Roundel barry wavy
Blue and White,
a Black
swan
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 1
February
Commissioned for service in 9th
Minesweeping Flotilla.
3rd
Build completion and commenced
Acceptance Trials.
On completion of trials and storing
took passage to Scapa Flow.
28th
During work-up came under air attack.
March
Deployment with HM Minesweepers
BANGOR, BRIDLINGTON BRIDPORT ,
RHYL and ROMNEY at Scapa Flow for
work-up and minesweeping trials with
Flotilla.
On completion deployed for
minesweeping to ensure clear passage
of Fleet units in and out of
Scapa Flow and also of East Coast convoy routes between
Aberdeen
and NW of Scottish coast.
April
Flotilla minesweeping duties in
continuation based at Scapa Flow.
(Note: HMS BUDE and HMS CROMER joined
Flotilla.
Duties also included clearance of
gunnery firing ranges off Cape Wrath.)
May
Transferred to English Channel for
minesweeping duties with Flotilla.
June
Channel deployment with Flotilla
including convoy escort as well as
routine clearance
to
November
of convoy routes between Dover and
Plymouth.
Based at Poole and Portland as
required by commitments.
RAF air cover was provided subject to
UK air defence requirements and came
under
air attacks.
(Note: Ships were provided with
balloons using specially fitted hand
winches, for protection
against bombing attacks, but their
value was indeterminate.
HMS SIDMOUTH and HMS TENBY joined
Flotilla.)
December
Transferred to Harwich with Flotilla
for special mine clearance off East
Coast with ships of
13th Minesweeping Flotilla (Operation
QO).
On arrival carried out joint
minesweeping operations to provide two
gaps through British East
Coast Mine Barrier and a known German
minefield for use by allied destroyers
requiring speedy
access to North Sea from Harwich.
Poor visibility often proved of great
value since work was completed without
enemy air attacks.
(Note: This was required In view of
any attempt by the German battleships
SCHARNHORST
and GNEISENAU to return to Germany
from Brest through the English Channel instead
of via NW Passage. This was indeed
justified within two months.)
9th Minesweeping Flotilla were also
deployed in Channel.)
Resumed Channel duties at Poole with
Flotilla on completion of QO.
1 9 4 2
January
Channel deployment based at Poole with
Flotilla in continuation.
to
June
(Note: HMS SIDMOUTH had replaced HMS
CROMER as Senior Officer.)
Nominated for support of planned
assault landings at Dieppe (Operation
JUBILEE)
July
Deployed with Flotilla for joint
minesweeping operations with 13th
Flotilla in preparation
for JUBILEE.
(Note: This operation had been subject
to many delays after its initial
conception in April
and was cancelled when air attacks on
assembled ships off Yarmouth, IoW were
attacked by aircraft and later
operation further delayed by weather.
See THE WATERY
MAZE by B Fergusson and Naval Staff
History.
It is assumed that the minesweepers
resumed their Channel duties after the
cancellation.
August
Channel deployment in continuation
pending execution of JUBILEE.
18th
Joined invasion ships in Channel and
took passage to assembly area north of
Dieppe..
(Note: Other ships of Flotilla taking
part were HM Minesweepers SIDMOUTH
(SO),
BANGOR, BRIDLINGTON, BRIDPORT, RHYL
and TENBY)
19th
Commenced night minesweeping
operations in advance of assault craft
and control ships.
(Note: Two channels were swept in
advance of invasion force and an
unexpected encounter with
a German coastal convoy was a prelude
to what proved to be a disastrous
attempt
to make an effective landing.
20th
Resumed Channel minesweeping and
convoy defence duties.
(Note: See above references for
details of return of invasion force.
No record of
minesweeping support during return
passage was traced.)
September
Channel minesweeping and convoy escort
duties in continuation.
to
December
(Note: In addition to routine
clearance of convoy routes the
Flotilla carried out mine
sweeping to ensure clear passage of
destroyers to carry out attacks on
enemy
coastal ships. (TUNNEL Series of
operations.)
1 9 4 3
Deployed in English Channel with
Flotilla for minesweeping and convoy
defence.
(Note: Other ships in Flotilla during
this period were HM Minesweepers
SIDMOUTH (SO), TENBY, BRIDPORT,
BRIDLINGTON, BANGOR
EASTBOURNE, BLYTH and ILFRACOMBE.)
1 9 4 4
January
Channel deployment in continuation.
to
April
Nominated for minesweeping support
with Flotilla for planned allied
landings in
Normandy (Operation
NEPTUNE)
May
Deployed as part of Force J for
service in Eastern Task Force and
nominated for
clearance of Approach Channel No.7 to
JUNO Beach with ships of 9th
Minesweeping
Flotilla.
Took part in preparatory exercises
with Ships of Force J based at Cowes,
IoW.
(Note: Ships of Forces O, S and J
carried out Final Rehearsal for
NEPTUNE
with Force J deployed off Hayling
Island . These were primarily for
berthing,
loading and sailing prior to departure
and minesweepers may not have been
required. (Exercise FABIUS) between
2nd and 4th May. Similarly a Defence
exercise was also carried out off
Brighton which may not have included
minesweepers. The Flotilla may
therefore have remained on normal
duties in
Channel for part of this month.)
Passage to Solent to join Force J for
NEPTUNE briefing.
For details of naval activities before
and during operation see LANDINGS IN
NORMANDY, June 1944 (HMSO) and
OPERATION NEPTUNE by K Edwards
June
Deployed in Solent with HM
Minesweepers SIDMOUTH, BANGOR,
BOSTON, BRIDLINGTON, BRIDPORT,
EASTBOURNE, and TENBY,
HM Trawlers BRYHER, DALMATIA, IJUIN
and SIGMA.
(Note: The Trawlers were to be
deployed as Danlayers to identify
boundaries of
Channel No 7. Three of these were all
ships requisitioned for minesweeping
early in WW2 but BRYHER built in 1943
was an Admiralty ISLES Class
Danlayer.)
4th
Operation delayed 24 hours.
5th
Sailed from Solent with ships of
Flotilla to carry out mine clearance
of Channel No 7.
On completion of clearance of Channel
7 deployed off beachhead for
minesweeping
in anchorage area for Force J ships.
7th
Deployed off landing beaches in
Eastern Task Force area.
25th
Deployed off Cherbourg with ships of
Flotilla to clear approach channel to
the
selected bombardment area for US
battleships USS TEXAS and ARKANSAS.
On completion carried out further
minesweeping off Cherbourg.
29th
Retained for minesweeping duties off
Normandy on completion of NEPTUNE.
For further details of minesweeping
operations off Normandy see THEY LED
THE WAY by J Williams.
July
Minesweeping support off French coast
in continuation.
Deployed off Brest after occupation by
allied forces.
August
Released from support of landings in
France and taken in hand for repair
and
maintenance.
September
Resumed Flotilla duties and carried
out mine clearance in Channel and Nore
to
December
Command areas.
1 9 4 5
January
Minesweeping and convoy defence in
continuation.
to
April
May
Deployed with HM Minesweepers
SIDMOUTH, TENBY, BANGOR, ROMNEY,
and RYE off southern Norway after VE
Day for mine clearance.
Based at Stavanger.
Took part in longest continual sweep
during WW2 which lasted nearly 79
hours
and ensured safe passage for shipping.
On completion returned to Stavanger
with Flotilla.
June
On return from Norwegian deployment
taken in hand for repair and
maintenance.
July
Deployed with Flotilla in SW
Approaches for mine clearance duties
based at
to
August
Plymouth.
P
o s t
W a r N o t e s
HMS
BLACKPOOL remained in
commission after VJ Day and continued
mine clearance duties in Bristol
Channel area until July 1946
when she was Paid off and reduced to
Reserve status. This minesweeper was
sold to Norway later in 1946
and was renamed HMNorS TARNA. She
remained on the Active List of
the
Royal Norwegian Navy
until 1st May 1961 when stricken and
later sold for demolition.
HMS
BLACKPOOL at NORMANDY
Letter
from
Petty Officer Henry
Sutton,
June 1944