![]() Algerine in profile, with her pennant number visible | |
History | |
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Name | HMS Algerine |
Ordered | 15 November 1940 |
Builder | Harland and Wolff, Belfast |
Yard number | 1132 [1] |
Laid down | 15 March 1941 |
Launched | 22 December 1941 |
Completed | 24 March 1942 [1] |
Commissioned | 24 March 1942 |
Identification | Pennant number: J213 |
Fate | Sunk by a torpedo from the Italian submarine Ascianghi on 15 November 1942 |
Badge | ![]() |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Algerine-class minesweeper |
Displacement |
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Length | 225 ft (68.6 m) o/a |
Beam | 35 ft 6 in (10.8 m) |
Draught | 11 ft (3.4 m) (deep load) |
Installed power |
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Propulsion |
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Speed | 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph) |
Range | 5,000 nmi (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
Complement | 85 |
Sensors and processing systems | |
Armament |
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HMS Algerine was the lead ship of her namesake class of minesweepers built for the Royal Navy during World War II, the Algerine-class minesweepers. Initially assigned to the North Sea, she was transferred to lead the 12th Minesweeping Flotilla. The Flotilla were posted to the Mediterranean to assist with Operation Torch. In 1942, after a successful mine clearing operation off Bougie, she was torpedoed by the Italian submarine Ascianghi, causing Algerine to sink, leaving only eight survivors.
Algerine displaced 850 long tons (860 t) at standard load and 1,125 long tons (1,143 t) at deep load. The ship had an overall length of 225 feet (68.6 m), a beam of 35 feet 6 inches (10.8 m) and a draught of 8 feet 6 inches (2.6 m). She was powered by Parsons geared steam turbines, driving two shafts, which gave a maximum speed of 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph). [2]
The ship mounted one single 4-inch (102 mm) Mk V gun. Algerine had four single mounts for 20-millimetre (0.8 in) Oerlikon 20 mm autocannon, and she was fitted with two depth charge rails, and four depth charge throwers. [2]
Algerine was laid down on 15 March 1941, [3] by Harland & Wolff, Belfast, and launched on 22 December 1941. She was the eighth ship of the Royal Navy to be named Algerine. [4] After being completed, the ship was commissioned on 24 March 1942, and adopted by Sittingbourne due to a Warship Week campaign. [4]
Algerine joined the 9th Minesweeping Flotilla in May 1942 and began action in minesweeping, escorting, and patrolling duties on the east side of England. [4] She was proposed as leader for the 12th Minesweeping Flotilla, which would participate in action abroad. [4] Her sister ships from the 9th Flotilla, Alarm and Albacore, joined her, as did Acute, and Cadmus. [4] In October, she was put forward to go to the Mediterranean to assist Operation Torch, but her departure was delayed due to repair work. The other four ships in her flotilla left for Gibraltar as escorts to a convoy. [4] Four days after the other ships left, Algerine escorted convoy KMF1 to Oran. [4]
In early November, she helped recover the escort destroyer Cowdray off Algiers after Cowdray was damaged by an aerial attack. [4] On 15 November, [3] [4] Algerine and Alarm were positioned off Bougie, clearing mines. [3] The mission had been successful, with 46 mines cleared; [3] but, Algerine was torpedoed by the Italian Adua-class submarine Ascianghi, [4] commanded by Lieutenant commander Rino Erler. [5] The submarine had first fired two torpedoes at the middle ship in the trio, then fired another two torpedoes at the last ship, Algerine: [3] Algerine suffered heavy casualties and sank. [6] The auxiliary anti-aircraft ship Pozarica rescued 32 men, of whom only 8 survived, internal wounds killing 24. [3] The survivors had been on a Carley raft. [3] The final death toll was 84. [7]
Algerine's wreck lies at 1,100 ft (340 m) [8] on the northern coast of Algeria. [3]
HMS Foresight was one of nine F-class destroyers built for the Royal Navy during the 1930s. She was assigned to the Home Fleet upon completion. Unlike her sister ships, she does not appear to have been attached to the Mediterranean Fleet in 1935–36 during the Abyssinia Crisis, nor did she enforce the arms blockade imposed by Britain and France on both sides of the conflict the Spanish Civil War of 1936–1939. The ship escorted the larger ships of the fleet during the early stages of World War II and played a minor role in the Norwegian Campaign of 1940. Foresight was sent to Gibraltar in mid-1940 and formed part of Force H where she participated in the attack on Mers-el-Kébir and the Battle of Dakar. The ship escorted numerous convoys to Malta in 1941 and Arctic convoys during 1942. Later that year, Foresight participated in Operation Pedestal, another convoy to Malta. She was torpedoed by an Italian aircraft on 12 August and had to be scuttled the next day.
The Algerine-class minesweeper was a large group of minesweepers built for the Royal Navy (RN) and the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) during the Second World War. 110 ships of the class were launched between 1942 and 1944.
HMS Pelorus was an Algerine-class minesweeper built for the Royal Navy (RN) during World War II. Upon completion, the ship became the flotilla leader of the 7th Minesweeper Flotilla, clearing mines off the east coast of England. In June 1944, the flotilla was assigned to sweep one of the beaches during the Normandy landings until she struck a mine the following month. After her repairs were completed, Pelorus was reassigned to the English Channel and the 6th Minesweeping Flotilla. The flotilla was transferred to the Indian Ocean in 1945 and spent some time escorting convoys. They participated in Operation Collie, a bombardment of Japanese positions in the Nicobar Islands, in July and then swept the Strait of Malacca and the approaches to Singapore in August.
HMS Hythe was a Bangor-class minesweeper built for the Royal Navy during the Second World War.
HMS Rifleman was a turbine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper of the Royal Navy. She was launched in 1943 and saw active service during World War II, both in the European and Far East theatres. After the war she served in the Mediterranean and was used as an accommodation ship in Barrow before being sold for breaking in 1972.
HMS Bangor was a Bangor-class minesweeper of the Royal Navy that served during the Second World War. She was built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Govan, Scotland. Bangor was the lead vessel of her class and one of the diesel-engined versions. She was ordered on 12 July 1939, laid down on 19 September 1939, launched on 23 May 1940, and commissioned on 7 November 1940.
HMS Medway was the first purpose-built submarine depot ship constructed for the Royal Navy. She was built by Vickers Armstrong at Barrow-in-Furness during the late 1920s. The ship served on the China Station before the Second World War and was transferred to Egypt in early 1940. Ordered to evacuate Alexandria in the face of the German advance after the Battle of Gazala in May 1942, Medway sailed for Lebanon at the end of June, escorted by a light cruiser and seven destroyers. Her strong escort could not protect her; on 30 June a German submarine torpedoed and sank her.
HMS Hydra was a reciprocating engine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper built for the Royal Navy during the Second World War. She was badly damaged during the war and was scrapped in 1947.
HMS Esk was an E-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy in the early 1930s. She was designed to be easily converted into a fast minelayer by removing some guns and her torpedo tubes. Although assigned to the Home Fleet upon completion, the ship was attached to the Mediterranean Fleet in 1935–36, during the Abyssinia Crisis. During the Spanish Civil War of 1936–1939, she spent considerable time in Spanish waters, enforcing the arms blockade imposed by Britain and France on both sides of the conflict. Esk was converted to a minelayer when World War II began in September 1939, and spent most of her time laying mines. During the Norwegian Campaign of April–June 1940, the ship laid mines in Norwegian territorial waters before the Germans invaded, but was recalled to home waters to resume her minelaying duties in early May. During one such sortie, Esk was sunk during the Texel Disaster on the night of 31 August 1940, when she ran into a newly laid German minefield.
HMS Mutine was a turbine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper of the Royal Navy. She served during the Second World War, and was adopted by the civil community of Mitcham, Surrey following a successful Warship Week National Savings campaign held in February 1942.
HMS Loyalty was a turbine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper of the Royal Navy, formerly HMS Rattler. She served during the Second World War. Commissioned in 1943, Loyalty saw action off the coast of Normandy during the Allied assault there in 1944. While performing duties off the coast, the ship was torpedoed by a German submarine and sank.
HMS Vestal was a turbine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper of the Royal Navy. She was launched in 1943 and saw service in the Pacific War against the Empire of Japan. She was critically damaged by Japanese kamikaze aircraft in 1945 and was subsequently scuttled in waters close to Thailand.
HMS Campbell was an Admiralty type flotilla leader of the British Royal Navy. Built by Cammell Laird, Douglas commissioned in December 1918, just after the end of the First World War. During the Second World War, Campbell mainly served with as a convoy escort, particularly on the East Coast of the United Kingdom. She survived the war, and was sold for scrap in 1947.
HMS Sharpshooter was a Halcyon-class minesweeper of the British Royal Navy. Built at Devonport Dockyard, Sharpshooter was completed in 1937. She served through the Second World War, acting both in her designed role as minesweeper and as a convoy escort, escorting several Arctic convoys. She took part in the evacuation from Dunkirk in 1940, and sank the German submarine U-655 in 1942.
HMS Fly (J306) was a reciprocating engine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper during the Second World War. She survived the war and was sold to Iran in 1949 as IISPalang.
HMS Larne (J274) was a reciprocating engine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper during the Second World War. She survived the war and was sold to Italy in 1947 as Alabarda(F 560).
HMS Rosario (J219) was a turbine engine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper during the Second World War. She survived the war and was sold to Belgium in 1953 as De Moor (M905).
HMS Spanker (J226) was a turbine engine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper during the Second World War. She survived the war and was sold to Belgium in 1953 as De Brouwer (M904).
HMS Liberty (J391) was a turbine engine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper during the Second World War. She survived the war and was sold to Belgium in 1949 as Adrien de Gerlache (M900).
HMS Cadmus (J230) was a turbine engine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper during the Second World War. She survived the war and was sold to Belgium in 1942 as Georges Lecointe (M901).