HMS Squirrel underway in Belfast Lough on completion. | |
History | |
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United Kingdom | |
Name | HMS Squirrel |
Ordered | 30 April 1942 |
Builder | Harland and Wolff, Belfast [1] |
Yard number | 1206 [2] |
Laid down | 20 August 1943 |
Launched | 20 April 1944 |
Completed | 16 August 1944 [2] |
Commissioned | 16 August 1944 |
Identification | Pennant number J301 |
Fate | Hit a mine and subsequently scuttled, 24 July 1945 [3] |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Algerine-class minesweeper |
Displacement |
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Length | 225 ft (69 m) o/a |
Beam | 35 ft 6 in (10.82 m) |
Draught | 11 ft (3.4 m) |
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 |
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.
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]
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]
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 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 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 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 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.
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 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 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 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 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 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 Espiegle (J216) was a steam turbine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper during the Second World War.
HMS Chameleon (J387) was a steam turbine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper during the Second World War.
HMS Cheerful (J388) was a steam turbine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper during the Second World War.
HMS Circe (J214) was a steam turbine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper during the Second World War.
HMS Jewel (J390) was a steam turbine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper during the Second World War.
HMS Niger (J442) was a reciprocating engine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper during the Second World War.
HMS Onyx (J221) was a steam turbine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper during the Second World War.
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