Abdiel class minelayer
Encyclopedia
The Abdiel class were a class
of six fast minelayer
s commissioned into the Royal Navy
and active during the Second World War
. They were also known as the Manxman class and as "mine-laying cruisers".
A large mineload of up to 150 mines was required to be carried under cover, therefore a long, flushdecked hull with high freeboard was required. The mines were laid through doors in her stern and she carried her own cranes for loading.
In size they were almost as long as a cruiser
, but laid out much like a large destroyer
. However, the three straight funnels were an instant identifying feature. Top speed was specified as 40 knots (78 km/h). To achieve this they were given a full cruiser set of machinery and with an installed output of 72000 shp on four shafts they made 39.75 knots (77.9 km/h) light and 38 knots (74 km/h) deep load. To put this into perspective, the contemporary "Town" class cruiser
s had 80000 shp and a full load displacement of 12,980 tons, just short of four times that of the Abdiels.
The ships were initially to be armed much as destroyers, with three twin CP Mark XIX mounts for the QF 4.7 inches (119.4 mm) Mark XII gun (which had a maximum elevation of only 40°) in 'A', 'B' and 'X' positions, a quadruple "multiple pom-pom" mounting Mark VIII for the QF 2-pdr Mark VIII
and a pair of quadruple 0.5 inch Vickers machine guns
.
Wartime modifications involved adding Radar Type 279 at the masthead, a primitive metric wavelength
air warning set, later replaced by Type 286 then Type 291 as they became available. Radar Type 285 was fitted to the rangefinder-director on the bridge, this was a metric set and could provide target ranging and bearing information. The centimetric Radar Type 272, a target indication set with plan position indicator
(PPI), was fitted to the front leg of the foremast. Following the loss of Latona to air attack, the surviving ships were re-armed with three twin HA/LA Mark XIX mounts for the QF 4 inches (101.6 mm) L/45 Mark XIV gun with an elevation of 70° to remedy the shortcomings in anti-aircraft defence. Those on the stocks were armed with these mountings from new, but 'B' mount was suppressed and replaced (in Ariadne only) by a twin "Hazemeyer" mounting Mark IV for the 40 mm Bofors
. Both Ariadne and Apollo had two such mountings sided amidships, replacing the pom-pom in 'Q' position, and these mounts carried their own Radar Type 282 for target ranging. Six single 20 mm Oerlikon guns
were initially added on pedestal mountings P Mark III, although these were later replaced by powered twin mountings Mark V. In 1945 Ariadne was refitted in the United States
in July 1945 for far eastern service, when the Bofors mounts were replaced by American pattern models (Mark I) with off-mounting "simple tachymetric directors" (STD) fitted with Radar Type 282 and the Oerlikon mounts regunned with Bofors guns (this combination was known as the "Boffin").
to isolated garrisons such as during the siege of Tobruk
and Malta
in Operation Harpoon
. With three funnels and the outline of a destroyer, Welshman
was camouflaged to appear like the Vichy French
"contre torpilleurs" (large destroyer) Le Tigre. For this, a false bow was fitted, funnel caps were added, the mine chutes were plated over and a false deckline was painted on to camouflage the high flush-deck. Manxman received a similar disguise to pass for the Vichy cruiser Leopard so she could pass Corsica
and mine the approaches to Livorno
.
Latona was hit by a 250 pound bomb in the engine room that caused a serious fire, which spread to the munitions she was carrying and caused her loss on 25 October 1941. Welshman was torpedoed and sunk by U-617 in 1943. Manxman took a torpedo in her engine room but survived, although repairs took two years.
Apollo, Ariadne and Manxman survived the war and saw post-war service, with pennant number
flag superior changed from "M" to "N". Apollo served as a despatch vessel and Manxman as a mine warfare support ship.
A story - or legend - has grown that, during the Suez Crisis of 1956, Manxman overawed an American Carrier Group. Manxman reportedly shadowed them; the US Admiral increased speed, eventually to 'Devil take the hindmost' - over thirty knots - and then Manxman swept past - showing the signal "See you in Egypt". It is far from clear whether this episode happened, or was a gibe to get back at the US after they were sold out by their so-called allies in the Suez Affair; 'knowledge' about it was common in the Merchant Navy of the 1970s.
Ship class
A ship class is a group of ships of a similar design. This is distinct from a ship-type, which might reflect a similarity of tonnage or intended use. For example, the is a nuclear aircraft carrier of the Nimitz class....
of six fast minelayer
Minelayer
Minelaying is the act of deploying explosive mines. Historically this has been carried out by ships, submarines and aircraft. Additionally, since World War I the term minelayer refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines...
s commissioned into the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
and active during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. They were also known as the Manxman class and as "mine-laying cruisers".
Design
The Royal Navy ordered the first four ships in 1938, with a further two acquired as part of the War Emergency Programme. They were specifically designed for the rapid laying of minefields in enemy waters, close to harbours or sea lanes. As such they were required to be very fast and to possess sufficient anti-aircraft weaponry to defend themselves if discovered by enemy aircraft.A large mineload of up to 150 mines was required to be carried under cover, therefore a long, flushdecked hull with high freeboard was required. The mines were laid through doors in her stern and she carried her own cranes for loading.
In size they were almost as long as a cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
, but laid out much like a large destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
. However, the three straight funnels were an instant identifying feature. Top speed was specified as 40 knots (78 km/h). To achieve this they were given a full cruiser set of machinery and with an installed output of 72000 shp on four shafts they made 39.75 knots (77.9 km/h) light and 38 knots (74 km/h) deep load. To put this into perspective, the contemporary "Town" class cruiser
Town class cruiser (1936)
The Town-class was a 10-ship class of light cruisers of the Royal Navy. The Towns were designed to the constraints imposed by the London Naval Treaty of 1930....
s had 80000 shp and a full load displacement of 12,980 tons, just short of four times that of the Abdiels.
The ships were initially to be armed much as destroyers, with three twin CP Mark XIX mounts for the QF 4.7 inches (119.4 mm) Mark XII gun (which had a maximum elevation of only 40°) in 'A', 'B' and 'X' positions, a quadruple "multiple pom-pom" mounting Mark VIII for the QF 2-pdr Mark VIII
QF 2 pounder naval gun
The 2-pounder gun, officially designated the QF 2-pounder and universally known as the pom-pom, was a 1.575 inch British autocannon, used famously as an anti-aircraft gun by the Royal Navy. The name came from the sound that the original models make when firing...
and a pair of quadruple 0.5 inch Vickers machine guns
Vickers machine gun
Not to be confused with the Vickers light machine gunThe Vickers machine gun or Vickers gun is a name primarily used to refer to the water-cooled .303 inch machine gun produced by Vickers Limited, originally for the British Army...
.
Wartime modifications involved adding Radar Type 279 at the masthead, a primitive metric wavelength
Wavelength
In physics, the wavelength of a sinusoidal wave is the spatial period of the wave—the distance over which the wave's shape repeats.It is usually determined by considering the distance between consecutive corresponding points of the same phase, such as crests, troughs, or zero crossings, and is a...
air warning set, later replaced by Type 286 then Type 291 as they became available. Radar Type 285 was fitted to the rangefinder-director on the bridge, this was a metric set and could provide target ranging and bearing information. The centimetric Radar Type 272, a target indication set with plan position indicator
Plan position indicator
The plan position indicator , is the most common type of radar display. The radar antenna is usually represented in the center of the display, so the distance from it and height above ground can be drawn as concentric circles...
(PPI), was fitted to the front leg of the foremast. Following the loss of Latona to air attack, the surviving ships were re-armed with three twin HA/LA Mark XIX mounts for the QF 4 inches (101.6 mm) L/45 Mark XIV gun with an elevation of 70° to remedy the shortcomings in anti-aircraft defence. Those on the stocks were armed with these mountings from new, but 'B' mount was suppressed and replaced (in Ariadne only) by a twin "Hazemeyer" mounting Mark IV for the 40 mm Bofors
Bofors 40 mm gun
The Bofors 40 mm gun is an anti-aircraft autocannon designed by the Swedish defence firm of Bofors Defence...
. Both Ariadne and Apollo had two such mountings sided amidships, replacing the pom-pom in 'Q' position, and these mounts carried their own Radar Type 282 for target ranging. Six single 20 mm Oerlikon guns
Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
The Oerlikon 20 mm cannon is a series of autocannons, based on an original design by Reinhold Becker of Germany, very early in World War I, and widely produced by Oerlikon Contraves and others...
were initially added on pedestal mountings P Mark III, although these were later replaced by powered twin mountings Mark V. In 1945 Ariadne was refitted in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in July 1945 for far eastern service, when the Bofors mounts were replaced by American pattern models (Mark I) with off-mounting "simple tachymetric directors" (STD) fitted with Radar Type 282 and the Oerlikon mounts regunned with Bofors guns (this combination was known as the "Boffin").
Service
Although they were effective ships in their intended role, the combination of high internal capacity and exceptionally high speed meant that they were extremely valuable fast transports. As such for much of their service they were used for running supplies; particularly men and matérielMateriel
Materiel is a term used in English to refer to the equipment and supplies in military and commercial supply chain management....
to isolated garrisons such as during the siege of Tobruk
Siege of Tobruk
The siege of Tobruk was a confrontation that lasted 240 days between Axis and Allied forces in North Africa during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War...
and Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
in Operation Harpoon
Operation Harpoon (1942)
Not to be confused with Operation Harpoon Operation Harpoon was one of two simultaneous Allied convoys sent to supply Malta in the Axis-dominated Mediterranean Sea in mid-June 1942, during the Second World War. One convoy, Operation Vigorous, left Alexandria. The other, Operation Harpoon, travelled...
. With three funnels and the outline of a destroyer, Welshman
HMS Welshman (M84)
HMS Welshman was an of the Royal Navy. During World War II she served with the Home Fleet carrying out minelaying operations, before being transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet in mid-1942 for the Malta Convoys. She also saw service during "Operation Torch"...
was camouflaged to appear like the Vichy French
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
"contre torpilleurs" (large destroyer) Le Tigre. For this, a false bow was fitted, funnel caps were added, the mine chutes were plated over and a false deckline was painted on to camouflage the high flush-deck. Manxman received a similar disguise to pass for the Vichy cruiser Leopard so she could pass Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
and mine the approaches to Livorno
Livorno
Livorno , traditionally Leghorn , is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of approximately 160,000 residents in 2009.- History :...
.
Latona was hit by a 250 pound bomb in the engine room that caused a serious fire, which spread to the munitions she was carrying and caused her loss on 25 October 1941. Welshman was torpedoed and sunk by U-617 in 1943. Manxman took a torpedo in her engine room but survived, although repairs took two years.
Apollo, Ariadne and Manxman survived the war and saw post-war service, with pennant number
Pennant number
In the modern Royal Navy, and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth, ships are identified by pennant numbers...
flag superior changed from "M" to "N". Apollo served as a despatch vessel and Manxman as a mine warfare support ship.
A story - or legend - has grown that, during the Suez Crisis of 1956, Manxman overawed an American Carrier Group. Manxman reportedly shadowed them; the US Admiral increased speed, eventually to 'Devil take the hindmost' - over thirty knots - and then Manxman swept past - showing the signal "See you in Egypt". It is far from clear whether this episode happened, or was a gibe to get back at the US after they were sold out by their so-called allies in the Suez Affair; 'knowledge' about it was common in the Merchant Navy of the 1970s.
1938 group
- Abdiel (M39)HMS Abdiel (M39)HMS Abdiel was an that served with the Royal Navy during World War II. She served with the Mediterranean Fleet , Eastern Fleet , Home Fleet , and the Mediterranean Fleet . Abdiel was sunk by mines in Taranto harbour in 1943...
— built by J. Samuel White & Company, CowesCowesCowes is an English seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east Bank...
, laid down 29 March 1939, launched 23 April 1940, completed 15 April 1941, sunk by mines 9 September 1943 in Taranto BayTarantoTaranto is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto and is an important commercial port as well as the main Italian naval base.... - Latona (M76)HMS Latona (M76)HMS Latona was an Abdiel-class minelayer of the Royal Navy. She served briefly during the Second World War, but was sunk less than six months after commissioning.-Construction and commissioning:...
— built by John I. Thornycroft & CompanyJohn I. Thornycroft & CompanyJohn I. Thornycroft & Company Limited, usually known simply as Thornycroft was a British shipbuilding firm started by John Isaac Thornycroft in the 19th century.-History:...
, Woolston, laid down March 4, 1939, launched 20 August 1940, completed 4 May 1941, bombed by Italian aircraftItalian Air ForceThe Italian Air Force has gone under different names in different periods:*Regia Aeronautica , from 1923 to June 1946*Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana, the air force of Italian Social Republic during World War II...
off LibyaLibyaLibya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
north of BardiaBardiaBardia is a geographic region in the Democratic Republic of Nepal.Bardia comprises a portion of the Terai, or lowland hills and valleys of southern Nepal. The Terai is over 1,000 feet in elevation, and extends all along the Indian border...
and foundered 25 October 1941 - Manxman (M70)HMS Manxman (M70)HMS Manxman was an Abdiel class minelayer.-Second World War:Commissioned on 7 June 1941, her first mission was the delivery of mines to Murmansk. Manxman then transferred to the Mediterranean, where she was employed on relief runs to Malta...
— built by Alexander Stephen & Sons, LinthouseLinthouseLinthouse is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated south of the River Clyde. It is immediately west of Govan, and although it is often referred to locally as 'Govan' due to its closeness, it is in fact a distinct area .Linthouse was home to the shipbuilder...
, laid down 24 March 1939, launched 5 September 1940, completed 20 June 1941, sold for scrapping 1972 - Welshman (M48)HMS Welshman (M84)HMS Welshman was an of the Royal Navy. During World War II she served with the Home Fleet carrying out minelaying operations, before being transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet in mid-1942 for the Malta Convoys. She also saw service during "Operation Torch"...
— built by Hawthorn Leslie & Company, HebburnHebburnHebburn is a small town situated on the south bank of the River Tyne in North East England, sandwiched between the towns of Jarrow and Bill Quay...
, laid down 8 June 1939, launched 4 September 1940, completed 25 August 1941, torpedoed by U-617 off CreteCreteCrete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
1 February 1943
War Emergency Programme (WEP) group
- AriadneHMS Ariadne (M65)HMS Ariadne was an Abdiel-class minelayer of the Royal Navy. She was built by Alexander Stephen and Sons of Glasgow, Scotland. She was laid down on 10 October 1941, launched on 5 April 1943 and commissioned on 12 February 1944....
— built by A. Stephen & Sons Ltd, laid down 10 October 1941, launched 5 April 1943, commissioned 12 February 1944, sold for scrapping June 1965 - ApolloHMS Apollo (M01)HMS Apollo was an of the British Royal Navy, the eighth RN ship to carry the name. She served with the Home Fleet during World War II, taking part in the Normandy Landings before being transferred to the British Pacific Fleet...
— built by Hawthorn Leslie and Company, laid down 15 November 1941, launched 16 February 1943, completed 9 October 1943, sold for scrapping 1962.