HMS Elgin (J39)

Last updated

HMS Elgin FL7290.jpg
History
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Builder William Simons & Company, Renfrew
Launched3 March 1919
Identification Pennant number: J39
FateSold 20 March 1945, broken up King, Gateshead
General characteristics
Class and type Hunt-class minesweeper, Aberdare sub-class
Displacement800 long tons (813 t)
Length213 ft (65 m) o/a
Beam28 ft 6 in (8.69 m)
Draught7 ft 6 in (2.29 m)
Installed power
Propulsion
Speed16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Range1,500  nmi (2,800 km; 1,700 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement74
Armament

HMS Elgin was a Hunt-class minesweeper of the Aberdare sub-class built for the Royal Navy during World War I. She was not finished in time to participate in the First World War. A mine badly damaged her in 1944; she was sold for scrap in 1945.

Contents

Design and description

The Aberdare sub-class were enlarged versions of the original Hunt-class ships and carried more powerful armament. The ships displaced 800 long tons (810 t) at normal load. They had a length between perpendiculars of 220 feet (67.1 m), [1] and measured 231 feet (70.4 m) long overall. The Aberdares had a beam of 26 feet 6 inches (8.1 m) and a draught of 7 feet 6 inches (2.3 m). The ships' complement consisted of 74 officers and ratings. [2]

The ships had two vertical triple-expansion steam engines, each driving one shaft, using steam provided by two Yarrow boilers. The engines produced a total of 2,200 indicated horsepower (1,600 kW) and gave a maximum speed of 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph). They carried a maximum of 185 long tons (188 t) of coal [2] which gave them a range of 1,500 nautical miles (2,800 km; 1,700 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). [1]

The Aberdare sub-class was armed with a quick-firing (QF) four-inch (102 mm) gun forward of the bridge and a QF twelve-pounder (76.2 mm) anti-aircraft gun aft. [2] Some ships were fitted with six- or three-pounder guns in lieu of the twelve-pounder. [1]

Construction and career

HMS Elgin was built by the William Simons & Company at their shipyard in Renfrew. She was originally to be named Troon, but was renamed before launch to avoid possible misunderstandings of having vessels named after coastal locations. On 4 May 1944, Elgin was nine miles east of the Isle of Portland, when she triggered an acoustic mine that damaged her severely. She was towed to Portsmouth where she was scrapped in 1945.

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Cocker, p. 76
  2. 1 2 3 Gardiner & Gray, p. 98

Related Research Articles

HMS <i>Saltash</i> (J62) Minesweeper of the Royal Navy

HMS Saltash (J62) was a Hunt-class minesweeper of the Aberdare sub-class built for the Royal Navy during World War I. She was not finished in time to participate in the First World War and survived the Second World War to be sold for scrap in 1947.

HMS <i>Aberdare</i> Minesweeper of the Royal Navy

HMS Aberdare was the name ship of her sub-class of the Hunt-class minesweepers built for the Royal Navy during World War I. She survived both World Wars to be scrapped in 1947.

<i>Azalea</i>-class sloop Class of British Navy warships

The Azalea class of twelve minesweeping sloops were built under the Emergency War Programme for the Royal Navy in World War I as part of the larger Flower class, which were also referred to as the Cabbage class, or "Herbaceous Borders". The third batch of twelve ships to be ordered in May 1915, they differed from the preceding Acacia class only in mounting a heavier armament. One ship, converted to a Q-ship was lost during the war, another during the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War in 1919. With the exception of two others, the rest were scrapped. One entered mercantile service, while the other was transferred to the Belgian Navy. Both were captured by the Germans during World War II and put into German service. One was lost with the final ship being scrapped in 1952

HMS Abingdon was a Hunt-class minesweeper of the Aberdare sub-class built for the Royal Navy during World War I.

HMS <i>Albury</i> Royal Navy minesweeper

HMS Albury was a Hunt-class minesweeper of the Aberdare sub-class built for the Royal Navy during World War I. She was not finished in time to participate in the First World War and survived the Second World War to be sold for scrap in 1947.

HMS <i>Alresford</i> Minesweeper of the Royal Navy

HMS Alresford was a Hunt-class minesweeper of the Aberdare sub-class built for the Royal Navy during World War I. She was not finished in time to participate in the First World War and survived the Second World War to be sold for scrap in 1947.

HMS Appledore was a Hunt-class minesweeper of the Aberdare sub-class built for the Royal Navy during World War I. She was not finished in time to participate in the First World War and was sold into civilian service in 1920.

HMS Badminton was a Hunt-class minesweeper of the Aberdare sub-class built for the Royal Navy during World War I. She was not finished in time to participate in the First World War and was sold for scrap in 1928.

HMS Bagshot was a Hunt-class minesweeper of the Aberdare sub-class built for the Royal Navy during World War I. She was not completed in time to participate in the First World War, but survived World War II, and was sold for scrap in 1947.

HMS Leamington was a Hunt-class minesweeper of the Aberdare sub-class built for the Royal Navy during World War I. She was not finished in time to participate in the First World War and was sold for scrap in 1928.

HMS Derby was a Hunt-class minesweeper of the Aberdare sub-class built for the Royal Navy during World War I. She was not finished in time to participate in the First World War and survived the Second World War to be sold for scrap in 1946.

HMS Dundalk was a Hunt-class minesweeper of the Aberdare sub-class built for the Royal Navy during World War I. She was not finished in time to participate in the First World War and sank after striking a mine in 1940.

HMS <i>Dunoon</i> (J52) Minesweeper of the Royal Navy

HMS Dunoon was a Hunt-class minesweeper of the Aberdare sub-class built for the Royal Navy during World War I. She was not finished in time to participate in the First World War and was sunk by a mine in 1940.

HMS <i>Swindon</i> Minesweeper of the Royal Navy

HMS Swindon was a Hunt-class minesweeper of the Aberdare sub-class built for the Royal Navy during World War I. She was not finished in time to participate in the First World War and was sold into civilian service in 1921.

HMS Fareham was a Hunt-class minesweeper of the Aberdare sub-class built for the Royal Navy during World War I. She was not finished in time to participate in the First World War and survived the Second World War to be sold for scrap in 1948.

HMS Fermoy was a Hunt-class minesweeper of the Aberdare sub-class built for the Royal Navy during World War I. She was not finished in time to participate in the First World War, and was crippled by German bombers in 1941 and later scrapped.

HMS Ford was a Hunt-class minesweeper of the Aberdare sub-class built for the Royal Navy during World War I.

HMS Ross was a Hunt-class minesweeper of the Aberdare sub-class built for the Royal Navy during World War I. She was not finished in time to participate in the First World War and survived the Second World War to be sold for scrap in 1947.

HMS Selkirk was a Hunt-class minesweeper of the Aberdare sub-class built for the Royal Navy during World War I. She was not finished in time to participate in the First World War and survived the Second World War to be sold for scrap in 1947.

HMS Petersfield (ex-Portmadoc) was a Hunt-class minesweeper of the Aberdare sub-class built for the Royal Navy during World War I. She was not finished in time to participate in the First World War. Re-commissioned at Hong Kong on 23 February 1925 for service on the China Station as an admiral's yacht. She was wrecked on 11 November 1931 off Tung Yung Island, with the C-in-C China Station Admiral Sir Howard Kelly embarked. Two courts martial following her loss resulted in severe reprimands for her Captain, Commander Douglas C. Lang and Navigating Lieutenant, Geoffrey A. H. Pratt, though an imperious meddling throughout the unfolding disaster brought ignominy upon Admiral Kelly, as well.

References