HMS Lyme Regis (J193)

History
United Kingdom
Name	Lyme Regis
Ordered	20 December 1939
Builder	Lobnitz & Co.
Laid down	9 September 1941
Launched	19 March 1942
Commissioned	5 June 1942
Decommissioned	1948
Fate	Scrapped 1948
General characteristics
Class and type	Bangor-class minesweeper
Displacement	656 long tons (667 t) standard 820 long tons (833 t) full
Length	174 ft (53 m) o/a
Beam	28 ft 6 in (8.69 m)
Draught	10 ft 3 in (3.12 m)
Installed power	2,000  ihp (1,500 kW) 2 × Admiralty 3-drum boilers
Propulsion	2 shafts 2 steam turbines
Speed	16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Range	2,800  nmi (5,200 km; 3,200 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement	60
Armament	1 × single 12-pounder 3-inch (76 mm) anti-aircraft gun 1 × single QF 2-pounder (4 cm) AA gun

HMS Lyme Regis was a Bangor-class minesweeper built for the Royal Navy during the Second World War.

Design and description

The Bangor class was designed as a small minesweeper that could be easily built in large numbers by civilian shipyards; as steam turbines were difficult to manufacture, the ships were designed to accept a wide variety of engines. Lyme Regis displaced 656 long tons (667 t) at standard load and 820 long tons (830 t) at deep load. The ship had an overall length of 174 feet (53.0 m), a beam of 28 feet 6 inches (8.7 m) and a draught of 10 feet 3 inches (3.1 m). ^[1] The ship's complement consisted of 60 officers and ratings. ^[2]

She was powered by two Parsons geared steam turbines, each driving one shaft, using steam provided by two Admiralty three-drum boilers. The engines produced a total of 2,000 shaft horsepower (1,500 kW) and gave a maximum speed of 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph). Lyme Regis carried a maximum of 160 long tons (163 t) of fuel oil that gave her a range of 2,800 nautical miles (5,200 km; 3,200 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). ^[3]

The turbine-powered Bangors were armed with a 12-pounder 3-inch (76 mm) anti-aircraft gun and a single QF 2-pounder (4 cm) AA gun. In some ships the 2-pounder was replaced a single or twin 20 mm Oerlikon AA gun, while most ships were fitted with four additional single Oerlikon mounts over the course of the war. ^[3] For escort work, her minesweeping gear could be exchanged for around 40 depth charges. ^[2]

Construction and career

Ordered in late 1939, Lyme Regis was launched on 19 March 1942 and commissioned on 5 June 1942. Originally named HMS Sunderland, she was renamed after the original Lyme Regis, her sister ship, was transferred to the Royal Indian Navy and became HMIS Rajputana. Lyme Regis was sold for scrap on 24 August 1948 and was scrapped at Sunderland. ^[4]

References

1. Lenton, pp. 253–54
2. Chesneau, p. 64
3. Lenton, p. 254
4. "HMS Lyme Regis (ii) (J 193)". Uboat.net.

Bibliography

• Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN   0-85177-146-7.
• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN   978-1-86176-281-8.
• Lello, John (1988). "HMS Lyme Regis: The Story of a Minesweeper". Warship International. XXV (2): 196–200. ISSN   0043-0374.
• Lenton, H. T. (1998). British & Empire Warships of the Second World War. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN   1-55750-048-7.