Algerine-class minesweeper

The Algerine-class minesweeper was a large group of minesweepers built for the Royal Navy and the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. 110 ships of the class were launched between 1942 and 1944.

Design and description

By 1940 the Royal Navy had realized that the s were too small to carry the equipment needed to handle magnetic mines. A bigger ship was designed, ironically about the same size as the older that the Royal Navy had rejected earlier as too large and expensive for mass production. The size of the new ship made them suitable for use as ocean-going escort ships and many were used to supplement specialist escorts. Most of the ships built for the RCN were solely employed as such and were fitted with more anti-submarine weapons than the RN ships. To maximise production, alternate designs were made to use either steam turbines or reciprocating steam engines. This enabled ships to be built at yards more used to merchant ship design and as with other mass-produced escort vessels engines.
Both groups of ships had the same dimensions, although the VTE powered ships had a greater displacement and a deeper draught.
The hull measured long overall with a beam of. The turbine group had a draught of while the reciprocating engined ships sat deeper in the water.
The turbine-powered ships displaced at standard load and at deep load while the reciprocating engined group displaced at standard load and at deep load.
The ships' complement consisted of 85 officers and ratings.
The turbine-powered 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 and gave a maximum speed of. The reciprocating engined ships had two vertical triple-expansion steam engines totalling and reached the same speed. They carried a maximum of of fuel oil that gave them a range of at.
The Algerine class was armed with a QF Mk V anti-aircraft gun 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. Many Canadian ships omitted their sweeping gear in exchange for a 24-bomb Hedgehog spigot mortar and a stowage capacity for 90+ depth charges.
The construction contracts were awarded to shipbuilders in both the United Kingdom and Canada.

United Kingdom
*Blyth Dry Docks & Shipbuilding Co., Blyth
*Fleming & Ferguson, Port Glasgow
*Harland & Wolff, Belfast
*Lobnitz & Co., Paisley
*William Simons & Co., Paisley
Canada
*Collingwood Shipbuilding Co., Collingwood
*Port Arthur Shipbuilding Co., Thunder Bay
*Toronto Shipbuilding Co., Toronto
*Redfern Construction Co., Toronto

Construction

A total of 94 Algerine class vessels served with the Royal Navy; of these 45 were built in the UK and another 49 in Canada. A further 12 vessels served with the Royal Canadian Navy; all these were built in Canada.
The ships were built in the UK were ordered under the 1940 to 1943 war emergency building programmes.
The companies involved were Harland & Wolff, Lobnitz, Blyth, Fleming & Ferguson and William Simons. Another 15 were ordered in 1943 but cancelled, to free yard space for building Loch-class frigates.
The ships were built in two types; 26 powered by steam turbine and 22 by reciprocating or vertical triple expansion steam engines. The turbine powered ships were all built by Harland & Wolff, save two, built at Blyth; the VTE powered ships were built at Lobnitz, Simons and Fleming & Ferguson.
Of the ships built in Canada, the companies involved were Toronto Shipbuilding, Port Arthur and Collingwood. All the Canadian-built ships were VTE powered. Only 12 of these ships served with the RCN; a further 17 were built for the RCN but transferred to the Royal Navy in exchange for an equal number of Castle-class corvettes, as the RCN was in need of escort vessels. Fourteen ships were built for the United States Navy, but again were transferred to the RN on completion under Lend-Lease. Nineteen ships were ordered directly by the RN under the 1943 programme; a further six ships were ordered, but cancelled.

Service history

The Algerine class vessels in service with the Royal Navy were employed mainly as minesweepers, though they were equipped as anti-submarine warfare vessels also, and could serve as escort ships as needed. Their ASDIC and depth-charge equipment was equal to that of the Flower-class corvettes or even River-class frigates, though they were not equipped with forward-firing weapons like Hedgehog. Five Algerines were sunk in action, and four others were declared constructive total losses after sustaining damage. The Algerines of the Royal Canadian Navy by contrast were employed as escorts. They were not fitted with mine-sweeping gear, though they were optimized for service in the Arctic. The Algerines served principally as senior ships in Canadian escort groups of the Western Local Escort Force and the Halifax Force. No RCN vessels of the class were lost.

Post-war service

After the war, a number of Algerines continued in service as patrol boats, survey ships, and training ships. On 11 March 1959, HMS Acute and HMS Jewel, training ships at Dartmouth, rescued the burning German coaster Vorman Rass, off Start Point, Devon.
At least one, HMS Pickle, was still engaged in minesweeping duties in British waters as late as 1955.
All Algerines in RN and RCN service were disposed of by the late 1950s or early 1960s.
Some were sold to other navies or into merchant service. The fourteen ships under Lend-Lease were returned to the USN in 1946; five of these later transferred to the Greek Navy. Of the RN ships, five were transferred to the Belgian Navy, two to South Africa and two to Ceylon; another five, one apiece, were acquired by Burma, Nigeria, Italy, Iran, and Thailand. Two RCN ships were transferred to Belgium in 1959 as replacements for two ex-RN ships that were due for disposal. One, HTMS Phosampton, was in service until 2012 with the Royal Thai Navy.

Ships

Name	Builder	Powerplant	Fate
	Harland & Wolff	Turbine	1964 destroyed as a target
	Harland & Wolff	Turbine	2 January 1943 badly damaged by mine near Bône December 1943 sold for demolition
	Harland & Wolff	Turbine	1963 broken up
	Harland & Wolff	Turbine	15 November 1942 sunk by Italian submarine off Bougie
	Toronto Shipbuilding	Reciprocating	1947 returned to USA after lend-lease
	Redfern Construction	Reciprocating	1946 returned to USA after lend-lease 1946 sold to Hellenic Navy as Pyrpolitis 1984 sunk as a target
	Toronto Shipbuilding	Reciprocating	1946 returned to USA after lend-lease 1947 sold to Hellenic Navy as Armatolos 1977 sunk as a target
	Lobnitz & Co	Reciprocating	1961 broken up
	Blyth Dry Docks	Turbine	1951 RNVR drillship Satellite 1958 broken up
	Harland & Wolff	Turbine	1950 sold to Belgian Navy as Georges Lecointe 1960 broken up
	Harland & Wolff	Turbine	1966 broken up
	Harland & Wolff	Turbine	1963 broken up
	Harland & Wolff	Turbine	1967 broken up
	Toronto Shipbuilding	Reciprocating	1947 returned to USA after lend-lease
	Fleming & Ferguson	Reciprocating	1963 broken up
	Redfern Construction	Reciprocating	1958 broken up
	Redfern Construction	Reciprocating	1959 broken up
	Harland & Wolff	Turbine	1967 broken up
	Blyth Dry Docks	Turbine	1950 sold to Belgian Navy as A. F. Dufour 1959 renamed Nzadi 1960 broken up
	Harland & Wolff	Turbine	1947 broken up
	Redfern Construction	Reciprocating	1947 sold mercantile as Fairfree 1957 broken up
	Lobnitz & Co	Reciprocating	1959 broken up
	Lobnitz & Co	Reciprocating	1949 sold to Imperial Iranian Navy as Palang 1972 broken up
	Redfern Construction	Reciprocating	1949 gifted to Royal Ceylon Navy as 1972 Sri Lanka Navy 1975 broken up
	Toronto Shipbuilding	Reciprocating	1947 returned to USA after lend-lease
	Redfern Construction	Reciprocating	1960 broken up
	Redfern Construction	Reciprocating	1946 returned to USA after lend-lease 1947 sold to Hellenic Navy as Polemistis 1977 deleted
	Harland & Wolff	Turbine	21 July 1959 sold to Nigerian Navy as HMNS Nigeria 1962 broken up
	Lobnitz & Co	Reciprocating	1962 broken up
	Lobnitz & Co	Reciprocating	10 November 1944 damaged by mine and not repaired 1947 broken up
	Redfern Construction	Reciprocating	1956 broken up
	Harland & Wolff	Turbine	1967 broken up
	Redfern Construction	Reciprocating	1959 broken up
	Lobnitz & Co	Reciprocating	1947 sold to Italian Navy as Eritrea
	Lobnitz & Co	Reciprocating	1961 broken up
	Harland & Wolff	Turbine	1949 sold to Belgian Navy as Adrien de Gerlache 1969 sold for demolition
	Redfern Construction	Reciprocating	1946 returned to USA after lend-lease 1947 sold to Hellenic Navy as Navmachos 1976 withdrawn
	Redfern Construction	Reciprocating	1956 broken up
ex-Rattler 1976 stricken 19 November 1994 scuttled in Smitswinkel Bay, South Africa
	Redfern Construction	Reciprocating	1946 returned to USA after lend-lease 1948 transferred to State Department
	Harland & Wolff	Turbine	1959 sold to Royal Ceylon Navy as 1964 broken up
	Harland & Wolff	Turbine	1962 broken up
	Harland & Wolff	Turbine	1962 broken up
	Port Arthur Shipbuilding	Reciprocating	1973 broken up
	Port Arthur Shipbuilding	Reciprocating	1956 broken up
	Redfern Construction	Reciprocating	1946 returned to USA after lend-lease 1947 sold to Hellenic Navy as Machitis 1976 withdrawn
	Redfern Construction	Reciprocating	8 May 1945 damaged by mine 1947 broken up
	Redfern Construction	Reciprocating	1958 broken up
	Port Arthur Shipbuilding	Reciprocating	1956 broken up
Rattler see	Harland & Wolff	Turbine	22 August 1944 sunk by submarine in the English Channel
	Lobnitz & Co	Reciprocating	1959 broken up
	Harland & Wolff	Turbine	1951 sold to Belgian Navy as Jan van Haverbeke 1961 broken up
	Harland & Wolff	Turbine	1965 broken up
	Toronto Shipbuilding	Reciprocating	12 January 1945 sunk by mine in Corfu Channel
	Harland & Wolff	Turbine	1972 broken up
	Harland & Wolff	Turbine	1961 broken up
	Collingwood Shipbuilding	Reciprocating	1957 broken up
	Collingwood Shipbuilding	Reciprocating	1947 sold to South African Navy as HMSAS Bloemfontein 5 June 1967 sunk as a target off Simonstown
	Harland & Wolff	Turbine	1951 sold to Belgian Navy as De Moor 1969 broken up
	Lobnitz & Co	Reciprocating	1958 broken up
	Redfern Construction	Reciprocating	1958 broken up
	Redfern Construction	Reciprocating	1959 broken up
	Redfern Construction	Reciprocating	1959 broken up
	Harland & Wolff	Turbine	1953 sold to Belgian Navy as De Brouwer 1963 broken up
	Harland & Wolff	Turbine	24 July 1945 scuttled off Phuket, Thailand after mine damage
	Lobnitz & Co	Reciprocating	1959 broken up
	Lobnitz & Co	Reciprocating	1958 broken up
	Lobnitz & Co	Reciprocating	1963 broken up
	Redfern Construction	Reciprocating	1957 broken up
	Redfern Construction	Reciprocating	1957 broken up
	Harland & Wolff	Turbine	26 July 1945 sunk by Japanese aircraft off Phuket, Thailand
	Lobnitz & Co	Reciprocating	1963 broken up
	Lobnitz & Co	Reciprocating	1962 broken up
	Lobnitz & Co	Reciprocating	1962 broken up
	Redfern Construction	Reciprocating	1957 broken up

Name	Builder	Powerplant	Fate
Fireball	Lobnitz & Co	?Reciprocating	Cancelled October 1944
Gabriel	Lobnitz & Co	?Reciprocating	Cancelled October 1944
Happy Return	Lobnitz & Co	?Reciprocating	Cancelled October 1944
Larne	William Simons	?Reciprocating	Cancelled March 1942
Lennox	William Simons	?Reciprocating	Cancelled March 1942
Lysander	Harland & Wolff	?Turbine	Cancelled May 1943
Mariner	Harland & Wolff	?Turbine	Cancelled May 1943
Marmion	Harland & Wolff	?Turbine	Cancelled May 1943
Mary Rose	Harland & Wolff	?Turbine	Cancelled May 1943
Moon	Harland & Wolff	?Turbine	Cancelled May 1943
Nicator	Toronto Shipbuilding	?Reciprocating
Niger	Toronto Shipbuilding	?Reciprocating
Nonpareil	Toronto Shipbuilding	?Reciprocating
Nox	Toronto Shipbuilding	?Reciprocating
Odin	Toronto Shipbuilding	?Reciprocating
Providence	Harland & Wolff	?Turbine	Cancelled May 1943
Regulus	Harland & Wolff	?Turbine	Cancelled May 1943
Rowena	Harland & Wolff	?Turbine	Cancelled May 1943
Seabriar	Harland & Wolff	?Turbine	Cancelled May 1943
Serene	Harland & Wolff	?Turbine	Cancelled May 1943
Styx	Collingwood Shipbuilding	?Reciprocating

Post-war operators

Name	Ex-	Powerplant	Acquired	Stricken
	HMS Flying Fish	VTE	1949	1975
	HMS Pickle	Turbine	1959	1964

Name	Ex-	Powerplant	Acquired	Stricken
HMSAS Pietermaritzburg	HMS Pelorus	VTE	1947	1976
HMSAS Bloemfontein	HMS Rosamund	VTE	1947	1967

Name	Ex-	Powerplant	Navy	Acquired	Stricken
Yan Myo Aung	HMS Mariner	VTE	Burmese Navy	1958	1982
HMNS Nigeria	HMS Hare	Turbine	Nigerian Navy	1959	1962
Eritrea (renamed Alabarda)	HMS Larne	VTE	Italian Navy	1947	1981
Palang	HMS Fly	VTE	Imperial Iranian Navy	1949	1972
Phosampton	HMS Minstrel	VTE	Royal Thai Navy	1947	2012

''Algerine''s sunk in action

Five Algerines were sunk in action and four others were written off after sustaining damage.

was torpedoed by the off Bougie, Algeria on 15 November 1942.
was damaged beyond repair by air attack off Bône, Algeria on 2 January 1943.
was mined, and damaged beyond repair, in the Mediterranean on 20 May 1943
was sunk by the in the English Channel on 22 August 1944.
was mined, and damaged beyond repair, off Ostend on 10 November 1944
was sunk by a mine off Corfu on 12 January 1945.
was mined, and damaged beyond repair, off Ostend on 9 May 1945
was sunk by a mine off Phuket, Thailand on 24 July 1945.
was sunk by a Japanese kamikaze plane off Phuket, Thailand on 26 July 1945.