ALGERINE-Class
Fleet Minesweeper fitted with Turbine
propulsion machinery ordered on 30th
April 1942 from Harland and Wolff,
Belfast. Laid down on 20th August 1943
at the same time as sister ship
CHEERFUL. Launched on
6th May 1944, she was the ninth RN ship to carry this name, or the variant CAMELEON,
introduced in 1777 for a 14
gun Sloop built in London which was lost
during a hurricane in the West Indies in October 1780. Last used for a
destroyer named CAMELEON built at Govan
in 1910 and sold in 1921. Her build was
completed on 18th May 1942. No
record of an adoption by any civil
community in UK after a successful
WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign
held during 1941-42 is recorded, as the
ship had not been ordered.
B
a t t l e H o n o u r s
EGYPT
1801 - BURMA 1945
H
e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge:
On a Field Blue, on a flowering spray, a
Chameleon, all
Gold.
D
e t a i l s o f
W a r S e r v i c e
(for
more ship information,
go
to
Naval History Homepage
and
type name in Site Search
1
9 4 4
September
Contractors trials and commissioned for
service in 7th Minesweeping Flotilla.
15th
Build completion and commenced
Acceptance Trials.
On completion took passage to Tobermory
to work-up for operational service,
October
Deployed in Firth Of
Forth for minesweeping training.
Took passage to join Flotilla based at
Harwich for mine clearance operations in
Scheldt
estuary.
(Note: Other
ships in Flotilla were HM Minesweepers
PINCHER, RECRUIT,
RIFLEMAN, PLUCKY,
FANCY, SQUIRREL and VESTAL.
These ships
were all
fitted with Turbine propulsion machinery
to ensure maximum
compatibility for maintenance and
support during operations.)
November Transferred
for loan service to Plymouth Command for
anti-submarine patrols and
minesweeping based at Falmouth.
December Prepared
for foreign service.
(Note: Ships of Flotilla were all
individually withdrawn from operational
duties
during this period for essential
maintenance and repair in Home dockyards
before
sailing to join the Eastern Fleet.
1
9 4 5
January
Rejoined Flotilla in Channel area for
local duties pending departure for
Ceylon.
(Note: Ships were based at Portland or
Falmouth.)
February
Took passage for
Gibraltar.
(Note: Ship may have been deployed as an
escort for a convoy.)
March
Passage in Mediterranean and Red Sea.
April
Passage from Aden to Colombo.
14th
Joined East
Indies Fleet and deployed with HM
Minesweepers PINCHER, PLUCKY,
RECRUIT, PICKLE, VESTAL and RIFLEMAN.
(Note: HMS FANCY and HMS SQUIRREL had
been deployed for tow of a Floating
Dock
from UK to Gibraltar but after the Dock
had foundered during passage
their transfer to the East Indies Fleet
had been delayed.. Only HMS SQUIRREL
rejoined
the Flotilla as HMS FANCY was
transferred to 19th Flotilla in the
Mediterranean during passage.)
Nominated for service in Force 65 of
Eastern Fleet for joint minesweeping
operation
with 37th Minesweeping Flotilla in
support of planned military operation to
capture
Rangoon (Operation DRACULA).
Joined Force 65 at Akyab, Burma.
29th
Sailed with ships of Force 65 as part of
escort for Convoy ABLE for minesweeping
operations
in support of assault.
(Note: For details off other naval
activities associated with DRACULA see
WAR
WITH JAPAN (HMSO) and THE FORGOTTEN
FLEET by J Winton.)
May
1st
Commenced minesweeping to clear approach
passage for assault ships.
3rd
Deployed with Force 65 to ensure clear
passage to enable ships to berth at
Rangoon.
On release from DRACULA returned with
Flotilla to Colombo.
Nominated for refit in South Africa and
took passage to Durban.
June
Taken in hand for refit prior to
minesweeping support of planned British
landings in Malaya.
July
Under refit
(Note: Absence of this ship in Durban
prevented her taking part in Operation
LIVERY
a minesweeping operation off Phuket
Island. During this operation two ships
of
the Flotilla were lost, HMS SQUIRREL and
HMS VESTAL
August
On completion of post refit trials to
passage to Trincomalee to resume
operational
duties
with Flotilla.
P
o s t W a r N o
t e s
HMS
CHAMELEON rejoined 7th Flotilla at
Singapore and remained in the Far East
until February 1946 when she returned to
UK with the six remaining ships of the
Flotilla to Pay-off . The ship later
recommissioned for service in the 2nd
Minesweeping Flotilla, Mediterranean
Fleet based in Malta. Between 1947
and 1954 she was deployed
for Palestine patrol with other Fleet
units and took part in the standard
Exercise and Visits Programmes each year
after 1948. In 1954 she returned to UK
with HM Minesweepers PLUCKY, RECRUIT and
RIFLEMAN of 2nd Flotilla. After arrival
at Portsmouth on 13th December that year
the ship was Paid-off and reduced to
Reserve status. Laid-up at
Portsmouth she was not recommissioned
before being placed on the Disposal List
in 1965, although she was refitted
during this period when a SQUID
anti-submarine mortar was fitted.
Sold in 1966 to BISCO for demolition by
Ardmore Steel at Silloth, Cumberland she
arrived in tow t the breaker’s yard on
3rd April 1966.
For more about Algerine-class
Minesweepers, see
http://www.minesweepers.org.uk/index.htm