Algerine class minesweeper
Encyclopedia
The Algerine-class was a class
of minesweeper
s of the Royal Navy
and the Commonwealth. 110 ships of the class were launched between 1942 and 1944 and served in World War II
.
They were designed as small vessels that could serve in several roles, not just as minesweepers; in practice the desperate shortage of convoy escorts in the Second Battle of the Atlantic
meant that they served mainly in that role; twelve Algerines of the Royal Canadian Navy
consequently never had minesweeping gear fitted.
After the war, a number continued in service as patrol boat
s, survey ships, and training ships. Some were sold to other navies or into merchant service. At least one - HMS Pickle (commanded by Lt. Cmdr. Hallifax) - was still engaged in minesweeping duties in British waters as late as 1954. At least one Algerine is still in service with the Royal Thai Navy
: HTMS Phosampton (ex-HMS Minstrel).
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 minesweeper
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
s of 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 the Commonwealth. 110 ships of the class were launched between 1942 and 1944 and served in World War II
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 designed as small vessels that could serve in several roles, not just as minesweepers; in practice the desperate shortage of convoy escorts in the Second Battle of the Atlantic
Second Battle of the Atlantic
The Battle of the Atlantic was the longest continuous military campaign in World War II, running from 1939 to the defeat of Germany in 1945. At its core was the Allied naval blockade of Germany, announced the day after the declaration of war, and Germany's subsequent counter-blockade. It was at its...
meant that they served mainly in that role; twelve Algerines of the Royal Canadian Navy
Royal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
consequently never had minesweeping gear fitted.
After the war, a number continued in service as patrol boat
Patrol boat
A patrol boat is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defense duties.There have been many designs for patrol boats. They may be operated by a nation's navy, coast guard, or police force, and may be intended for marine and/or estuarine or river environments...
s, survey ships, and training ships. Some were sold to other navies or into merchant service. At least one - HMS Pickle (commanded by Lt. Cmdr. Hallifax) - was still engaged in minesweeping duties in British waters as late as 1954. At least one Algerine is still in service with the Royal Thai Navy
Royal Thai Navy
The Royal Thai Navy is the navy of Thailand and part of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, it was established in the late 19th century. Admiral Prince Abhakara Kiartiwongse is "The Father of Royal Thai Navy". Similar to the organizational structure of the United States, the Royal Thai Navy includes the...
: HTMS Phosampton (ex-HMS Minstrel).
Ships
| Royal Canadian Navy Royal Canadian Navy The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces... |
|---|
| Border Cities HMCS Border Cities (J344) HMCS Border Cities was an that served in the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II.The Algerine Coastal Escort, HMCS BORDER CITIES, served in the last years of the Second World War in the indispensable work of guarding valuable ocean convoys while they were passing through the highly vulnerable... |
| Fort Francis HMCS Fort Frances (J396) HMCS Fort Frances was an that served in the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II.- References :* *... |
| Kapuskasing |
| Middlesex HMCS Middlesex (J328) HMCS Middlesex was an that served in the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II.- References :* *... |
| New Liskeard HMCS New Liskeard (J397) HMCS New Liskeard was an that served in the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II.- References :* *... |
| Oshawa |
| Portage HMCS Portage (J331) HMCS Portage was an that served in the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II.- References :* *... |
| Rockcliffe HMCS Rockcliffe (J335) HMCS Rockcliffe was an that served in the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II. Allocated to the Western Escort Force W-6, she was part of the group that captured the German Type IX submarine . Rockcliffe was named after the Ottawa, Ontario suburb of Rockcliffe Park... |
| Sault Ste. Marie HMCS Sault Ste. Marie (J334) HMCS Sault Ste. Marie was an that served in the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II.- References :* *... |
| St. Boniface HMCS St. Boniface (J332) HMCS St. Boniface was an that served in the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II.- References :* *... |
| Wallaceburg HMCS Wallaceburg (J336) HMCS Wallaceburg was an that served in the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II.The Algerine Coastal Escort, HMCS Wallaceburg, was laid down in the yards of Port Arthur Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., on 6 July 1942, and was launched on 17 December the same year. Trials for the ship began in November... |
| Winnipeg HMCS Winnipeg (J337) HMCS Winnipeg was an that served in the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II.- References :* *... |
| 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... |
|---|
| Acute |
| Alarm (lost 2 January 1943) |
| Albacore |
| Algerine (lost 15 November 1942) |
| Antares |
| Arcturus |
| Aries |
| Bramble |
| Brave |
| Cadmus |
| Chameleon |
| Cheerful |
| Circe |
| Clinton |
| Cockatrice |
| Coquette |
| Courier |
| Espiegle |
| Fancy |
| Fantome |
| Felicity |
| Fierce |
| Fly |
| Flying Fish (Gifted to Royal Ceylon Navy as HMCyS Vijaya HMCyS Vijaya HMCyS Vijaya, named in honor of Vijaya, the first king of Sri Lanka, was an of the Royal Ceylon Navy, the first warship of that navy. Vijaya had been built as HMS Flying Fish for the Royal Navy during World War II, but was given to Ceylon by the United Kingdom upon the 1951 formation of Ceylon's... ) |
| Friendship |
| Golden Fleece |
| Gozo |
| Hare (renamed HMNS Nigeria as flagship of Nigerian Navy Nigerian Navy The Nigerian Navy is a branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces. The Nigerian Navy is among the largest Navies on the African continent, consisting of about 15,000 personnel, including those of the Coast Guard.-Brief History:... on 21 July 1959) |
| Hound HMS Hound (J307) HMS Hound was an of the Royal Navy. She served during the Second World War. She was laid down on 2 Dec 1941 at Lobnitz & Co, Renfrew, and launched on 29 July 1942. The ship was commissioned on 11 December 1942, and eventually scrapped on 1 September 1962.... |
| Hydra HMS Hydra (J275) HMS Hydra was an of the Royal Navy.Hydra was laid down at the yard of Lobnitz, Renfrew. As a result of savings raised during "Warship Week", she was adopted by Wellingborough Urban District Council in Northamptonshire on 14 March 1942... |
| Jaseur |
| Jewel |
| Laertes |
| Larne |
| Lennox |
| Liberty |
| Lightfoot |
| Lioness |
| Loyalty HMS Loyalty (J217) HMS Loyalty was an of the Royal Navy. She served during the Second World War.-Service:Loyalty was laid down as HMS Rattler on 14 April 1941 at Harland and Wolff, Belfast, and launched on 9 December 1942. She was commissioned on 22 April 1943, and renamed HMS Loyalty in June 1943... - launched as Rattler but later renamed Loyalty (lost 22 August 1944) |
| Lysander |
| Maenad HMS Maenad (J335) HMS Maenad was an of the Royal Navy. She saw service during the Second World War.Maenad was laid down by Redfern Construction Ltd., Toronto, Canada on 1 March 1944. She was launched on 8 June 1944 and completed on 11 November of that year... |
| Magicienne |
| Mameluke |
| Mandate |
| Mariner HMS Mariner (J380) HMS Mariner was an of the Royal Navy. She was built by the Port Arthur Shipbuilding Company , launched on 9 May 1944 and commissioned on 23 May 1944. She was sold to the Burmese Navy on 18 April 1958 and renamed Yan Myo Aung serving until 1982.... |
| Marmion |
| Marvel |
| Mary Rose |
| Melita |
| Michael |
| Minstrel |
| Moon |
| Mutine HMS Mutine (J227) HMS Mutine was an of the Royal Navy. She served during the Second World War, and was adopted by the civil community of Mitcham, Surrey.-Construction and early career:... |
| Myrmidon |
| Mystic |
| Nerissa |
| Niger |
| Octavia |
| Onyx |
| Orcadia |
| Orestes |
| Ossory |
| Pelorus HMS Pelorus (J291) HMS Pelorus was an , built by Lobnitz of Renfrew, Scotland and launched on 19 June 1943. While equipped with minesweeping gear, she was primarily assigned to convoy escort duty in the Atlantic... (Sold to South African Navy South African Navy The South African Navy is the navy of the Republic of South Africa.-Formation:The South African Navy can trace its official origins back to the SA Naval Service, which was established on 1 April 1922.... as HMSAS Pietermaritzburg) |
| Persian |
| Pickle |
| Pincher |
| Plucky (Sold to Royal Ceylon Navy as HMCyS Parakrama) |
| Pluto |
| Polaris |
| Postillion HMS Postillion (J296) HMS Postillion was an of the Royal Navy during World War II.Launched on 18 March 1943 as "AM 335", she was commissioned into the Royal Navy on 25 November 1943 as HMS Postillion.She was sold to the Greek Navy in 1947 as Machitis... |
| Prompt Towed to Southend but not repaired ( CTL ) |
| Providence HMS Providence (J325) HMS Providence was an of the Royal Navy. Providence was ordered as in 1942, and laid down at the Toronto yards of Redfern Construction Ltd on 17 July 1943. She was renamed Providence in June 1943, and was launched on 27 October 1943. Her conversion to a minesweeper was completed on 15 May 1944... |
| Pyrrhus |
| Rattler HMS Loyalty (J217) HMS Loyalty was an of the Royal Navy. She served during the Second World War.-Service:Loyalty was laid down as HMS Rattler on 14 April 1941 at Harland and Wolff, Belfast, and launched on 9 December 1942. She was commissioned on 22 April 1943, and renamed HMS Loyalty in June 1943... , see Loyalty (lost 22 August 1944) |
| Rattlesnake |
| Ready |
| Recruit |
| Regulus (lost 12 January 1945) |
| Rifleman |
| Rinaldo |
| Romola |
| Rosamund (Sold to South African Navy South African Navy The South African Navy is the navy of the Republic of South Africa.-Formation:The South African Navy can trace its official origins back to the SA Naval Service, which was established on 1 April 1922.... as HMSAS Bloemfontein) |
| Rosario |
| Rowena |
| Seabear |
| Serene |
| Skipjack |
| Spanker |
| Squirrel HMS Squirrel (J301) HMS Squirrel was an launched in 1944 and scuttled off Phuket Island, Thailand in 1945 after being damaged by a mine.Squirrel was taking part in minesweeping operations off the west coast of the Malay peninsula on 24 July 1945. The operations were supported by the British East Indies Fleet, which... (lost 24 July 1945) |
| Stormcloud |
| Sylvia |
| Tanganyika |
| Thisbe |
| Truelove |
| Vestal (lost 26 July 1945) |
| Waterwitch |
| Wave |
| Welcome HMS Welcome (J386) HMS Welcome was an Algerine class ocean minesweeper of the Royal Navy. She was ordered on 19 December 1942 and was built by Lobnitz & Co. Ltd, Renfrew, Scotland. She was laid down on 3 May 1944 and launched on 14 November 1944 and displaced 860 tons. She was completed in 1945 and commissioned on 20... |
| Welfare |
| Belgian Navy Belgian Navy The Marine Component of the Belgian Army, formerly the Belgian Naval Force, is the naval service of Belgium.-Early history:The Belgian Navy was created as the Marine Royale in 1831. This force has operated in various forms throughout Belgian history.When after the Belgian Revolution, the country... |
|---|
| M900 Adrien de Gerlache (ex HMS Liberty, acquired 1949 - stricken 1969) |
| M901 Georges Lecointe (i) (ex HMS Cadmus, acquired 1950 - stricken 1959) |
| M901 Georges Lecointe (ii) (ex HMCS Wallaceburg, acquired 1959 - stricken 1969) |
| M902 Van Haverbeke (i) (ex HMS Ready - acquired 1951 - stricken 1960) |
| M903 Dufour (i) (ex HMS Fancy - acquired 1951 - stricken 1959) |
| M903 Dufour (ii) (ex HMCS Winnipeg - acquired 1959 - stricken 1966) |
| M904 De Brouwer (i) (ex HMS Spanker - acquired 1953 - stricken 1966) |
| M905 De Moor (ex HMS Rosario - acquired 1953 - stricken 1966) |
| Cancelled |
|---|
| Fireball (J464) |
| Gabriel (J465) |
| Happy Return (J466) |
| Larne |
| Lennox |
| Marmion |
| Moon |
| Nicator (J457) |
| Niger |
| Nonpareil (J459) |
| Nox (J459) |
| Odin (J460) |
| Styx (J440) |
Algerines sunk in action
- Algerine was torpedoed by the Italian submarine Ascianghi off Bougie, AlgeriaBéjaïaBéjaïa, Vgaiet or Bejaya is a Mediterranean port city on the Gulf of Béjaïa in Algeria; it is the capital of Béjaïa Province, Kabylia. Under French rule, it was formerly known under various European names, such as Budschaja in German, Bugia in Italian, and Bougie...
on 15 November 1942. - Alarm was damaged beyond repair by air attack off Bône, AlgeriaAnnabaAnnaba is a city in the northeastern corner of Algeria near the river Seybouse. It is located in Annaba Province. With a population of 257,359 , it is the fourth largest city in Algeria. It is a leading industrial centre in eastern Algeria....
on 2 January 1943. - LoyaltyHMS Loyalty (J217)HMS Loyalty was an of the Royal Navy. She served during the Second World War.-Service:Loyalty was laid down as HMS Rattler on 14 April 1941 at Harland and Wolff, Belfast, and launched on 9 December 1942. She was commissioned on 22 April 1943, and renamed HMS Loyalty in June 1943...
(ex-Rattler) was sunk by U-480German submarine U-480U-480 was an experimental Kriegsmarine Type VIIC U-boat of World War II, considered by many to be the first stealth submarine. It was equipped with a special rubber coating that made it harder to detect by British ASDIC sonar.-The coating:The Germans developed a...
in the English ChannelEnglish ChannelThe English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
on 22 August 1944. - Regulus was sunk by a mineNaval mineA naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
off CorfuCorfuCorfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the edge of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality. The...
on 12 January 1945. - SquirrelHMS Squirrel (J301)HMS Squirrel was an launched in 1944 and scuttled off Phuket Island, Thailand in 1945 after being damaged by a mine.Squirrel was taking part in minesweeping operations off the west coast of the Malay peninsula on 24 July 1945. The operations were supported by the British East Indies Fleet, which...
was sunk by a mineNaval mineA naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
off PhuketPhuket ProvincePhuket , formerly known as Thalang and, in Western sources, Junk Ceylon , is one of the southern provinces of Thailand...
, ThailandThailandThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
on 24 July 1945. - Vestal was sunk by a JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese kamikazeKamikazeThe were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
plane off PhuketPhuket ProvincePhuket , formerly known as Thalang and, in Western sources, Junk Ceylon , is one of the southern provinces of Thailand...
, ThailandThailandThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
on 26 July 1945.