HMS Vestal (J215)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Vestal.

History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Vestal
Builder	Harland and Wolff, Belfast [1]
Yard number	1147 [2]
Laid down	11 January 1943
Launched	19 June 1943
Completed	10 September 1943 [2]
Commissioned	11 February 1944
Identification	Pennant number: J299
Fate	Hit by a Japanese kamikaze pilot on 26 July 1945 and subsequently scuttled
Badge	A sacred flame which was brought to Rome by Aeneas, and was then tended to by Vesta, Goddess of the Hearth. The patch is blue; with a gold altar with a flame. [3]
General characteristics
Class and type	Algerine-class minesweeper
Length	255 ft (78 m)
Beam	35.5 ft (10.8 m)
Draft	3.50
Propulsion	Steam Turbine [4]
Speed	16.5 knots (30.6 km/h)
Crew	104–135
Armament	1 × QF 4 in (102 mm) Mk V anti-aircraft gun 4 × 20 mm (4 x I-AA) ASW (× 4 DCT, 2 × DCR) [5]

HMS Vestal ^[6] 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.

Vestal was the only British ship to be sunk by kamikaze attack ^[7] and the last Royal Navy ship to be lost in the Second World War. ^[8] She was sunk whilst partaking in Operation Livery. Vestal was commanded by Lt. Charles William Porter, DSC, from 26 July 1943 until 26 July 1945, when the ship was sunk. ^[9] Her engine was provided by Paxman. ^[10]

Design and description

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

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). They 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). ^[11]

The Algerine class was armed with a QF 4 in (102 mm) Mk V anti-aircraft gun ^[12] 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 gun 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. ^[11]

Construction

The ship was laid down at the Harland and Wolff yard in Belfast on 11 January 1943. She was launched on 19 June that year and commissioned on 10 September, a build time of just seven months and three days. ^[13]

Operations

1944

Vestal underwent trials until October 1944. She took part in a minesweeping exercise around Harwich with a flotilla, which was working in the Scheldt estuary. This was with the ships Pincher, Recruit, Rifleman, Plucky, Fancy, Squirrel, and Chameleon, all of which were Algerine-class minesweepers. ^[14]

1945

Vestal was deployed as a part of the East Indies Fleet, along with Pincher, Plucky, Recruit, Pickle, Rifleman, and Chameleon. ^[14] On 24 July, Squirrel hit a mine, which killed seven men. The ship was scuttled by Rotherham, and the survivors were rescued by Vestal, and taken to the battleship Nelson. ^[15]

Vestal was sunk on 26 July 1945 whilst participating in Operation Livery. At around 18:25, an alarm was sounded as three unidentified planes had been spotted coming over Phuket Island, and were soon followed by several more. ^[16] Vestal was hit by a kamikaze, sustaining critical damage and killing twenty men. She was the last Royal Navy ship to be sunk in the Second World War. ^[8] As the ship was hit close to Thailand, which was a Japanese ally, the crew were taken off and the ship was scuttled ^[8] by the destroyer HMS Racehorse. ^[17]

Wreck

The wreck of Vestal currently lies off Phuket at 72 metres (236 ft) below sea level. ^[8]

References

1. "HMS Vestal-World Naval Ships Directory". World Naval Ships. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
2. McCluskie, Tom (2013). The Rise and Fall of Harland and Wolff. Stroud: The History Press. p. 151. ISBN   9780752488615.
3. "The 110 Ships, Their Fate & Their Badges RN(6)". Minesweepers.org. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
4. "HMS Vestal (J-215)". Wreck Site. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
5. "HMS Vestal (J215)". Warships of World War II. Archived from the original on 24 June 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
6. "HMS Vestal (FL 21022)". Imperial War Museum . Retrieved 22 June 2013.
7. "Saundersfoot War Memorial". WW1.Wales. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
8. "HMS Vestal". thaiwreckdiver.com. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
9. "HMS Vestal (J 215) of the Royal Navy". uboat.net. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
10. "Paxman and the Royal Navy-Surface Ships". Paxman History. Archived from the original on 27 May 2011. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
11. Lenton, p. 261
12. Chesneau, p. 65
13. Elliott p.311
14. "HMS Chameleon (J 387) – Algerine-class Fleet Minesweeper". Naval History. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
15. Mason, Geoffrey B., LCDR. "HMS Nelson – Nelson-class 16in gun Battleship". Naval History Homepage. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
16. Donate, Andreas, "The Discovery of the HMS Vestal (Pdf)" (PDF), Happy Divers, retrieved 24 June 2013
17. "Dedicated to remembering person surname of Walker of Stretford that fought in WW2 for our freedom. Entry Number 128". traffordwardead.co.uk. Retrieved 29 January 2023.

07°05′N97°50′E / 7.083°N 97.833°E / 7.083; 97.833

Publications

• Gardiner, Robert; Chesneau, Roger, eds. (1980). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. London: 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.
• Elliott, Peter (1977). Allied Escort Ships of World War II: A complete survey. London: Macdonald and Jane's. ISBN   0-356-08401-9.
• H Lenton (1998) British & Empire Warships of the Second World War. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland ISBN   1-55750-048-7

External links

• HMS Vestal at uboat.net