The initial 80 ships were ordered by the U.S. Navy specifically for transfer to the United Kingdom under the Lend-Lease Programme. On transfer to Britain, BYMS-1 through BYMS-80 were assigned the British pennant numbers BYMS-2001 through BYMS-2080. Names were not assigned to the class members.
A further 53 BYMS vessels bore hull numbers from 137 to 284. These were originally built for the U.S. Navy as part of the YMS-1 class and transferred to Britain on, or shortly after, completion. On the Navy List they were designated BYMS, with their original U.S. Navy numbers. The remaining 17 BYMS vessels were delivered in a final batch.
By 1949, only 18 remained in service with the Royal Navy: BYMS-2031, 2039, 2044, 2047, 2049, 2052, 2055, 2063, 2070, 2079, 2157, 2167, 2173, 2213, 2214, 2234, 2253 and 2279.[1]
Twenty-five were transferred to the Royal Hellenic Navy between December 1943 and September 1948: Afroessa (ex-BYMS-2185, ex-YMS-185), Andromeda (ex-BYMS-2261, ex-YMS-261), Ariadne (ex-BYMS-2058, ex-BYMS-58), Aura (ex-BYMS-2054, ex-BYMS-54), Ithiki (ex-BYMS-2240, ex-YMS-240), Kalymnos (ex-BYMS-2033, ex-BYMS-33), Karteria (ex-BYMS-2065, ex-BYMS-65), Kassos (ex-BYMS-2074, ex-BYMS-74; mined 15 October 1944), Kefallinia (ex-BYMS-2171, ex-YMS-171), Kerkyra (ex-BYMS-2172, ex-YMS-172), Klio (ex-BYMS-2152, ex-BYMS-152), Kos (ex-BYMS-2191, ex-YMS-191; mined 15 October 1944), Lambadias (ex-BYMS-2182, ex-YMS-182), Lefkas (ex-BYMS-2068, ex-BYMS-68), Leros (ex-BYMS-2186, exYMS-186), Paralos (ex-BYMS-2066, ex-BYMS-66), Patmos (ex-BYMS-2229, ex-YMS-229), Paxi (ex-BYMS-2056, ex-BYMS-56), Pigassos (ex-BYMS-2221, ex-YMS-221), Prokyon (ex-BYMS-2076, ex-BYMS-76), Salaminia (ex-BYMS-2067, ex-BYMS-67), Symi (ex-BYMS-2190, ex-YMS-190), Thalia (ex-BYMS-2252, ex-YMS-252), Vegas (ex-BYMS-2078, ex-BYMS-78) and Zakynthos (ex-BYMS-2209, ex-YMS-209)[2][3]
Ten were transferred to the Royal Netherlands Navy between March 1946 and April 1947: Borndiep (ex-BYMS-2210, ex-YMS-210), Deurloo (ex-BYMS-2254, ex-YMS-254), Hollandsch Diep (ex-BYMS-2050, ex-BYMS-50), Marsdiep (ex-BYMS-2038, ex-BYMS-38), Oosterschelde (ex-BYMS-2230, ex-YMS230), Texelstroom (ex-BYMS2156, ex-YMS-156), Vliestroom (ex-BYMS-2155, ex-YMS-155), Volkerak (ex-BYMS-2188, ex-YMS-188"), Westerschelde (ex-BYMS-2046, ex-BYMS-46) and Zuiderdiep (ex-BYMS-2048, ex-BYMS-48).[4]
Five were purchased by Finland in 1948 of which four were transferred to the Finnish Navy and the remaining one was refurbished as missionary ship in 1953 and named Ebeneser. The ship sailed to Ceylon in and later on to Indonesian waters. The ship was lost in tropical storm in 1983.:[5] Purunpää, Vahterpää, Tammenpää, and Katanpää. These were previously designated BYMS-2032, BYMS-2044, BYMS-2049 and BYMS-2047.[6]
Dutch BYMS-class minesweepers in 1948, led by Westerschelde.
RV Calypso is a former British Royal Navy minesweeper converted into a research vessel for the oceanographic researcher Jacques Cousteau, equipped with a mobile laboratory for underwater field research. She was severely damaged in 1996 and was planned to undergo a complete refurbishment in 2009–2011 that has not been accomplished. The ship is named after the Greek mythological figure Calypso.
USS Admirable (AM-136) was the lead ship of her class of minesweeper built for the United States Navy during World War II. In commission from 1943 to 1945, she was transferred to the Soviet Navy in 1945 and served as T-331 until stricken in 1958.
The Isles-class trawlers were a class of naval trawler used by the Royal Navy, Royal Canadian Navy and Royal New Zealand Navy during World War II.
The British Royal Navy operated large numbers of small Motor Minesweepers (MMS) during the Second World War, in two major classes: the first with 105 ft (32 m) hulls and the second with 126 ft (38 m) hulls. Intended to counter magnetic influence mines in coastal waters, they had wooden hulls.
The YMS-1 class of auxiliary motor minesweepers was established with the laying down of YMS-1 on 4 March 1941. Some were later transferred to the United Kingdom as part of the World War II Lend-Lease pact between the two nations. One ship eventually made its way into the Royal Canadian Navy postwar.
USS Bombard (AM-151) was an Admirable-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy during World War II and in commission from 1944 to 1945. In 1945, she was transferred to the Soviet Union, serving after that in the Soviet Navy as T-336.
USS Bond (AM-152) was an Admirable-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy during World War II and in commission from 1943 to 1945. In 1945, she was transferred to the Soviet Union and served after that in the Soviet Navy as T-285 and as BRN-37.
USS Augury (AM-149) was an Admirable-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy during World War II and in commission from 1943 to 1945. In 1945, she was transferred to the Soviet Navy, in which she served as T-334.
USS Astute (AM-148) was an Admirable-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy during World War II and in commission from 1944 to 1945. In 1945, she was transferred to the Soviet Navy, in which she served as T-333.
USS Candid (AM-154) was an Admirable-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy during World War II and in commission from 1943 to 1945. In 1945, she was transferred to the Soviet Union and served after that in the Soviet Navy as T-283.
USS Capable (AM-155) was an Admirable-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy during World War II. In 1945, she was transferred to the Soviet Union and then served in the Soviet Navy as T-339.
USS Captivate (AM-156) was an Admirable-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy during World War II and in commission from 1943 to 1945. In 1945, she was transferred to the Soviet Union and then served in the Soviet Navy as T-338.
USS Caution (AM-158) was an Admirable-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy during World War II and in commission from 1944 to 1945. In 1945, she was transferred to the Soviet Union and after that served in the Soviet Navy as T-284.
Auxiliary motor minesweepers were small wood-hulled minesweepers commissioned by the United States Navy for service during World War II. The vessels were numbered, but unnamed. The auxiliary motor minesweepers were originally designated yard minesweepers (YMS) and kept the abbreviation YMS after being re-designated. The type proved successful and eventually became the basis for the AMS type of United States Navy minesweeper.
HMS BYMS-2203 was a YMS-1-class auxiliary motor minesweeper originally built for the United States Navy during World War II. Upon completion she was transferred to the Royal Navy under Lend-Lease. She was returned to the U.S. Navy after conclusion of the war, and struck soon after. She was never commissioned in the U.S. Navy.
HMS BYMS-2282 was a BYMS-class minesweeper of the Royal Navy during the Second World War. She was built as YMS-282 for the United States Navy but was transferred under Lend-Lease to the United Kingdom upon completion and never commissioned into the United States Navy. BYMS-2282 was transferred to the Polish Navy after conclusion of the war and served as ORP Mors.
A motor minesweeper is a small minesweeper, powered by an internal combustion engine, very often of wooden construction, designed to locate and destroy mines in coastal waters and harbors. Many navies have used such ships.
A danlayer was a type of vessel assigned to minesweeping flotillas during and immediately after World War II. They were usually small trawlers, fitted for the purpose of laying dans. A dan is a marker buoy which consists of a long pole moored to the seabed and fitted to float vertically, usually with a coded flag at the top.
The Bouchard-class minesweepers were a class of nine minesweepers, designed and built in Argentina, in service with the Argentine Navy from 1937 to the late 1960s. One of the class was lost after running aground in the Straits of Magellan and the remaining eight were discarded. Three were transferred to the Paraguayan Navy and remained in service as of late 1990s. In Paraguayan service, they were used for river patrol work. One of the class was docked in Asunción in 2009 with the intention of converting the vessel to a museum ship
References
↑ Francis E. McMurtrie and Raymond V.B. Blackman, Jane's Fighting Ships 1949-50, p. 61. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1949
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