Bangor class minesweeper

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You have new messages (last change).
HMS Bangor (J00)
Enlarge
HMS Bangor (J00)

Bangor Class Minesweepers were employed as Fleet (i.e. Open Water) minesweepers for the Royal Navy. Over a hundred were built, mainly between 1940 and 1942. The first two were launched on the same day (19 February 1940) at Belfast, Northern Ireland. Additional vessels were built during the war for the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and the Royal Indian Navy (RIN).

Their small size made them poor sea-boats, worse even than the Flower class corvettes; the diesel versions were the worst and the slow-speed reciprocating the best. Their shallow draft (9 feet, 2.7 m) made them unstable and their short, stubby hulls meant that they tended to bury their noses into head seas.

They were also very crowded, cramming up-to 90 ratings and six officers into a hull originally intended for a total of 40 officers and men.

Contents

[edit] Variants

The original intent of the Bangor class minesweeper design was to provide a coastal equivalent of the Halcyon class minesweeper but the realities brought to light by the start of the war caused a modification of the design before construction started.

The need for fast construction coupled with the limitations of engineering resources resulted in several variations existing based on the availability of propulsion machinery. They all had twin screws, but the machinery was a mix of steam turbine, slow-speed steam reciprocating, high-speed steam reciprocating and diesel. The diesel powered examples were about 20 feet (6 m) shorter than the rest as they had no need for boiler rooms. Displacement varied with propulsion machinery in the range 590 to 672 tons.

[edit] Diesel-engined

  • Displacement (standard): 605 tons (RN group), 592 tons (RCN group)
  • Length (p/p):162 feet
  • Beam: 28 feet
  • Draught: 8¼ ft
  • Machinery: 2-shaft 9-cyl diesel motors, 2,000 bhp = 16 knots
  • Armament:
  • Complement: 60

[edit] Reciprocating-engined

[edit] Turbine-engined

  • Displacement (standard): 656 tons
  • Length (p/p): 174 feet
  • Beam: 28½ feet
  • Draught: 8¼ feet
  • Machinery: 2 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2-shaft Parsons, Metropolitan-Vickers (Ardrossan, Bootle, Brixham, Dornoch) or British Thompson-Houston (Whitehaven, Worthing) steam turbines; 2,000 shp = 16 knots
    • RN group: 1 x QF 12-pdr (3 in / 76 mm) gun, 1 x quadruple 0.5 in Vickers machine gun / single QF 2 pdr Mark VIII
    • RIN group: 1 x QF 12-pdr (3 in / 76 mm) gun, 3 x single 20 mm Oerlikon guns
  • Complement: 60 (RN), 87 (RIN)

[edit] Vessels in Class

Royal Navy vessels were commissioned as His Majesty's Ship (HMS). Royal Canadian Navy vessels were commissioned as His Majesty's Canadian Ship (HMCS). Royal Indian Navy vessels were commissioned as His Majesty's Indian Ships (HMIS).

[edit] Diesel-engined

[edit] Royal Navy group

[edit] Royal Canadian Navy group

  • Brockville — built Marine Industries, Sorel, launched 20 June 1941, to Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) as Macleod 1945-50, reaquired by RCN 1951, scrapped 1961.
  • Digby — built Davie, Lévis, launched 5 June 1942, to RCMP as Perry 1950, reaquired by RCN 1951, scrapped 1956.
  • Esquimalt — built Marine Industries, launched 8 August 1941, torpedoed by German U-boat U190 off Chedabucto April 16, 1945.
  • Granby — built Davie, launched 9 June 1941, to RCMP as Colonel White 1950, reaquired RCN 1951, scrapped 1956.
  • Lachine — built Davie, launched 16 June 1941, to RCMP as Starnes 1950, to mercantile as Jacks Bay 1952.
  • Melville — built Davie, launched 7 June 1941, to RCMP as Cygnus 1945, scrapped 1961.
  • Noranda — built Davie, launched 13 June 1941, to RCMP as Irvine, sold 1962, foundered Montego Bay 1972.
  • Stratford — built by Davie, launched 4 February 1942, Decommissioned 1 April 1946
  • Transcona — built Marine Industries, launched April 26, 1941, to RCMP as French 1945, scrapped 1961.
  • Trois Rivières — built Davie, launched 30 June 1941, to RCMP as Macbrien 1945, scrapped 1959.
  • Truro — built Davie, launched 5 June 1941, to RCMP as Herchmer 1945, to mercantile as Gulf Mariner, scrapped 1964.

[edit] Turbine-engined

[edit] Royal Navy group

[edit] Royal Indian Navy group

  • Baluchistan (ex-Greenock) — built by Blyth, launched 11 May 1942, to Pakistan 1947, sold for scrapping 1959
  • Carnatic (ex-Newhaven) — built by Hamilton, launched July 29, 1942, scrapped 1949
  • Kathiawar (ex-Hartlepool) — built by Blyth, launched 14 July 1942, to Pakistan 1947 as Chittagong, scrapped 1956
  • Khyber (ex-Harwich) — built by Hamilton, launched 17 February 1942, scrapped 1949
  • Kumaon (ex-Middlesbrough) — built by Hamilton, launched May 2, 1942, scrapped 1949
  • Rohilkand (ex-Padstow) — built by Hamilton, launched October 29, 1942, scrapped 1961

[edit] Reciprocating-engined

[edit] Royal Navy group

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
  • Blyth — built Blyth, launched 2 September 1940, to mercantile as Radbourne 1949, conversion never completed and scrapped.
  • Cydebank (J200) - see HMIS Orisa.
  • Caraquet (J38) - see HMIS Carquet.
  • Guysborough (J52) - see HMCS Guysborough.
  • Igonish (J69) - see HMCS Igonish.
  • Lockport (J100) - see HMCS Lockport.
  • Lyme Regis (J197) - see HMIS Rajputana.
  • Seaham - built Lobnitz, launched 16th June 1941, allocated to Fishery Protection Service 1946, sold to Burma 1947 as Chinthe (Lion), used as pilot vessel and survey ship, sunk 1948 by an uncharted Japanese mine.
  • Tilbury (J228) - see HMIS Konkan.

[edit] Royal Navy Hong Kong group

  • Lantan (ex-Beaulieu) — built by Hong Kong & Whapoa Dock, Hong Kong, laid down 22 July 1941, Beaulieu was renamed Lantan during construction September 1941, captured incomplete by Japanese at fall of Hong Kong 25 December 1941, completed by Japanese to mercantile as Gyosei Maru 1942, renamed Shima Maru 1943.
  • Lyemun (ex-Looe)— built by Hong Kong & Whapoa Dock, Looe was renamed Lyemun during construction September 1941, captured incomplete by Japanese 1941, launched 1942 as Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) gunboat Nanyo, sunk American aircraft in Formosa Strait 23 December 1943.
  • Taitum (ex-Portland) — built by Taikoo Dockyard, Hong Kong, Portland was renamed Taitum during construction September 1941, captured incomplete by Japanese 1941, launched 20 February 1943 as IJN W 101, sunk by American aircraft off Cape Padaran 10 March 1945.
  • Waglan (ex-Seaford) — built by Taikoo Dockyard, Seaford was renamed Waglan during construction September 1941 captured incomplete by Japanese 1941, launched 20 March 1943 as IJN W 102, damaged by American aircraft off Keelung on 3 February 1945, returned to Royal Navy 1947, sold for scrapping 1948.

[edit] Royal Canadian Navy group

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
  • Bayfield — built by North Vancouver Ship Repairers, launched 26 May 1941, transferred to RCN 1941-45, sold for scrapping at Gateshead 1948.
  • Bellechase — built by Burrard Dry Dock, North Vancouver, launched 20 October 1941
  • Burlington — built by Dufferin, Toronto, launched 23 November 1940
  • Carquet — built by North Vancouver Ship Repairers, launched 2 June 1941, transferred to RCN
  • Canso — built by North Vancouver Ship Repairers, launched 9 June 1941, transferred to RCN* Chedabucto — built by Burrard, launched 12 December 1940
  • Chignecto — built by North Vancouver Ship Repairers, launched 2 June 1941
  • Clayoquot (ex-Esperanza) - built Prince Rupert, launched 3 October 1940
  • Courtney — built by Prince Rupert Dry Dock, launched 2 August 1941
  • Cowichan — built by North Vancouver Ship Repairers, launched 9 August 1940
  • Drummondville — built by Canadian Vickers, launched 21 April 1941
  • Fort William — built by Port Arthur Shipbuilding, launched 30 December 1941
  • Fort York — built by Dufferin, launched 24 August 1941
  • Gananoque — built by Dufferin, launched 23 April 1941
  • Georgian — built by Dufferin, launched 28 January 1941
  • Goderich — built by Dufferin, launched 14 May 1941
  • Grandmere — built by Canadian Vickers, Montreal, launched 21 August 1941
  • Guysborough — built by North Vancouver Ship Repairers, launched 21 July 1941
  • Ingonish — built by North Vancouver Ship Repairers, launched 30 July 1941
  • Kelowna — built by Prince Rupert Dry dock, launched 28 May 1941
  • Kenora — built by Port Arthur Shipbuilding, reciprocating engined, launched 5 August 1942
  • Kentville — built by Port Arthur Shipbuilding, reciprocating engined, launched 17 April 1942

[edit] Royal Indian Navy group

  • Bihar — built Garden Reach, Calcutta, launched 7 July 1942, scrapped 1949
  • Deccan — built by Garden Reach, launched 24 April 1944, sold 1949
  • Konkan (ex-Tilbury) — built by Lobnitz, launched 18 February 1942, sold 1949
  • Malwa — built by Garden Reach, launched 21 June 1944 to Pakistani Navy 1947 as Peshwar, sold for scrapping 1959
  • Oudh — built by Garden Reach, launched 3 March 1942, to Pakistan as Dacca 1947, sold for scrapping 1959
  • Orissa (ex-Clydebank) — built by Lobnitz, launched 2 September 1941, scrapped 1949
  • Rajputana (ex-Lyme Regis) — built by Lobnitz, launched December 31, 1941, scrapped 1961

[edit] The current HMS Bangor

The Bangor class tradition continues in the modern Royal Navy with HMS Bangor (M109), the ninth of the Sandown class minehunters. She was built by Vosper Thornycroft UK Ltd at Woolston, Southampton. She was launched on the 16 April 1999 by Lady Lisa Spencer. She carries the battle honours of the old J00 from the Dieppe Raid in 1942, Normandy and the English Channel in 1944. She has since earned her own battle honour for operations at Al Faw in 2003.

[edit] Sources

  • Warships of World War II, by H. T. Lenton & J. J. Colledge, pub. Ian Allen Ltd.

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../b/a/n/Bangor_class_minesweeper.html"