HMS Squirrel (J301)

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HMS Squirrel FL10368.jpg
HMS Squirrel underway in Belfast Lough on completion.
History
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svgUnited Kingdom
NameHMS Squirrel
Ordered30 April 1942
BuilderHarland and Wolff, Belfast [1]
Yard number1206 [2]
Laid down20 August 1943
Launched20 April 1944
Completed16 August 1944 [2]
Commissioned16 August 1944
Identification Pennant number J301
FateHit a mine and subsequently scuttled, 24 July 1945 [3]
General characteristics
Class and type Algerine-class minesweeper
Displacement
  • 850 long tons (864 t) (standard)
  • 1,125 long tons (1,143 t) (deep)
Length225 ft (69 m) o/a
Beam35 ft 6 in (10.82 m)
Draught11 ft (3.4 m)
Installed power
Propulsion
Speed16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph)
Range5,000  nmi (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement85
Armament

HMS Squirrel was a turbine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper built for the Royal Navy during the Second World War. She was scuttled after striking a mine in 1945.

Contents

Design and description

The turbine-powered ships displaced 850 long tons (860 t) at standard load and 1,125 long tons (1,143 t) at deep load. The ship measured 225 feet (68.6 m) long overall with a beam of 35 feet 6 inches (10.8 m). The turbine group had a draught of 11 feet (3.4 m). The ships' complement consisted of 85 officers and ratings. [4]

The ships had 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 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph). The ships carried a maximum of 660 long tons (671 t) of fuel oil that gave them a range of 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). [4]

The Algerine class was armed with a QF 4 in (102 mm) Mk V anti-aircraft gun [5] and four twin-gun mounts for Oerlikon 20 mm cannon. The latter guns were in short supply when the first ships were being completed and they often got a proportion of single mounts. By 1944, single-barrel Bofors 40 mm mounts began replacing the twin 20 mm mounts on a one for one basis. All of the ships were fitted for four throwers and two rails for depth charges. [4]

Construction and career

She was launched in 1944. Squirrel took part in minesweeping operations off the west coast of the Malay Peninsula on 24 July 1945. [6] The operations were supported by the British East Indies Fleet, which defeated a Japanese kamikaze attack on HMS Ameer at the time. [6] Squirrel hit a mine off Phuket Island during the attack, and caught fire. After a half hour the flames were beyond control and she was abandoned. Survivors were rescued by HMIS Punjab. [7] She was scuttled by gunfire two hours later. Seven men were lost in the attack. [3]

Related Research Articles

<i>Algerine</i>-class minesweeper Class of ships built for the navies of Britain and Canada during World War II

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 <i>Rifleman</i> (J299) Minesweeper of the Royal Navy

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 Ossory was a reciprocating engine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper built for the Royal Navy during the Second World War. She commissioned too late for service in the conflict, but was in service during the Cold War period. She was scrapped in 1959.

HMS <i>Mutine</i> (J227) Minesweeper of the Royal Navy

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HMS <i>Welcome</i> (J386) Minesweeper of the Royal Navy

HMS Welcome was a reciprocating engine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper built for the Royal Navy during the Second World War. She survived the war and was scrapped in 1962.

HMS <i>Vestal</i> (J215) Algerine-class minesweeper of the Royal Navy

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 <i>Pickle</i> (J293) Minesweeper of the Royal Navy

HMCyS Parakrama, was a turbine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper of the Royal Ceylon Navy, originally built as HMS Pickle (J293) for the Royal Navy during World War II, and transferred to Ceylon by the United Kingdom in 1958. She was scrapped in 1964.

HMS <i>Rosario</i> (J219) Algerine-class minesweeper

HMS Rosario (J219) was a steam turbine-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 <i>Spanker</i> (J226) Algerine-class minesweeper

HMS Spanker (J226) was a steam turbine-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 <i>Fancy</i> (J308) Algerine-class minesweeper

HMS Fancy (J308) was a steam turbine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper during the Second World War. She survived the war and was sold to Belgium in 1951 as A.F. Dufour (M903).

HMS <i>Liberty</i> (J391) Algerine-class minesweeper

HMS Liberty (J391) was a steam turbine-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 <i>Cadmus</i> (J230) Algerine-class minesweeper

HMS Cadmus (J230) was a steam turbine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper during the Second World War. Launched in 1942 the ship survived the war and was sold to Belgium in 1950 as Georges Lecointe (M901).

HMS <i>Espiegle</i> (J216) Algerine-class minesweeper

HMS Espiegle (J216) was a steam turbine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper during the Second World War.

HMS <i>Chameleon</i> (J387) Algerine-class minesweeper

HMS Chameleon (J387) was a steam turbine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper during the Second World War.

HMS <i>Cheerful</i> (J388) Algerine-class minesweeper

HMS Cheerful (J388) was a steam turbine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper during the Second World War.

HMS <i>Circe</i> (J214) Algerine-class minesweeper

HMS Circe (J214) was a steam turbine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper during the Second World War.

HMS <i>Jewel</i> (J390) Algerine-class minesweeper

HMS Jewel (J390) was a steam turbine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper during the Second World War.

HMS <i>Niger</i> (J442) Algerine-class minesweeper

HMS Niger (J442) was a reciprocating engine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper during the Second World War.

HMS <i>Onyx</i> (J221) Algerine-class minesweeper

HMS Onyx (J221) was a steam turbine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper during the Second World War.

References

  1. "NMM, vessel ID 376280" (PDF). Warship Histories, vol x. National Maritime Museum. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 August 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  2. 1 2 McCluskie 2013, p. 153.
  3. 1 2 Brown 1995, p. 155.
  4. 1 2 3 Lenton, p. 261
  5. Chesneau, p. 65
  6. 1 2 "Suicide Plane Attack Fails". The Southeast Missourian. Associated Press. 30 July 1945. p. 1. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  7. "The Royal Indian Navy 1939-1945". Inbiblio. Retrieved 18 August 2020.

Bibliography

This article includes data released under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported UK: England & Wales Licence, by the National Maritime Museum, as part of the Warship Histories project.