Manxman in June 1945 |
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| Career (United Kingdom) | |
|---|---|
| Name: | HMS Manxman |
| Ordered: | 21 December 1938[1] |
| Builder: | Alexander Stephen and Sons |
| Laid down: | 24 March 1939 |
| Launched: | 5 September 1940 |
| Commissioned: | 20 June 1941[2] |
| Motto: | Stabit quoconque jerceris (Latin: "It will stand, however it is thrown")[1] |
| Honours and awards: |
Malta Convoys 1941-1942 |
| Fate: | Scrapped October 1972 |
| Badge: | On a Field Blue, Three legs conjoined in armour Proper, spurred and garnished Gold |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Abdiel class minelayer |
| Displacement: | 2,650 long tons (2,693 t) standard 3,415 long tons (3,470 t) full (1938 group) |
| Length: | 400 ft 6 in (122.07 m) p/p 418 ft (127 m) o/a |
| Beam: | 40 ft (12 m) |
| Draught: | 11 ft 3 in (3.43 m) 14 ft 9 in (4.50 m) full |
| Propulsion: | 4 × Admiralty 3-drum water-tube boilers Parsons geared steam turbines 2 shafts 72,000 shp (54,000 kW) |
| Speed: | 39¾ knots 38 knots (70 km/h; 44 mph) (full) |
| Range: | 1,000 nmi (1,900 km) at 38 knots |
| Complement: | 242 |
| Armament: | (1938 group) 6 × QF 4 in (100 mm) L/45 Mark XVI guns on twin mounts HA/LA Mk.XIX 4 × QF 2 pdr L/39 Mk.VIII on quadruple mount Mk.VII 8 × Vickers .50 machine guns on quadruple mount Mk.I (later up to 12 × 20 mm Oerlikons on single mounts P Mk.III or twin mounts Mk.V) 156 mines |
HMS Manxman (M70) was an Abdiel class minelayer.
Contents |
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. In August she took part in Operation Mincemeat, which involved mine-laying in the Gulf of Genoa while disguised as the French vessel Leopard. From October 1941 to February 1942, Manxman was returned to the Home Fleet and took part in a number of mine-laying operations in the North Sea and the English Channel. In March, she joined the Eastern Fleet at Kilindini the Indian Ocean. After escort and patrol duties, on 8 October she participated in the assault and capture of the island of Noise Be on the north west coat of Madagascar, which was occupied by Vichy French forces.
Transferring to the Mediterranean again, Manxman was sent with supplies to Malta followed by mine-laying in the Sicilian Channel. On 1 December, whilst in transit from Algiers to Gibraltar, she was torpedoed by U-375 and severely damaged on the position . Following emergency repairs at Oran and Gibraltar, she returned to Newcastle-upon-Tyne for extensive repair work.
Manxman re-commissioned on 10 April 1945 and made ready to join the British Pacific Fleet. She arrived at Geelong shortly after VJ Day and she was used for repatriation and supply operations.
Returning to the UK in June 1946, she had a further spell with the Pacific Fleet before joining the Reserve Fleet at Sheerness. Following a refit, Manxman joined the Mediterranean Fleet in 1951. In 1953, she appeared in the film Sailor of the King as the German cruiser Essen.[3] In 1956, she was deployed for headquarters duties during the Suez operation. After a spell in reserve at Malta and two refits, she was commissioned in 1963 as a support ship for minesweepers and was stationed at Singapore. Returning to the UK in 1968, Manxman was used for engineering training at Devonport and following a fire, was transferred to the reserve at Chatham Dockyard until broken-up at Newport in 1973.[1]
A Manxman is an inhabitant of the Isle of Man.
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