BANGOR-Class
Minesweeper fitted with Reciprocating
propulsion machinery ordered on 6th July
1939 from Blyth
Shipbuilders. Laid down on 11th January
1940 this minesweeper was launched on 2nd
September 1940 and after delay in
completion was accepted for
service on 17th June1941. She was the 1st
RN ship to carry this name, which
like others of the Class built in UK was
that of a coastal town. The selection may
also
have been influenced by build in a local
shipyard. Her build completion date as
planned was in March 1941 but the final
acceptance was delayed until 17th June
1941. She was adopted, most appropriately,
by the civil
community of the town of Blyth,
Northumberland after a successful WARSHIP
WEEK
National Savings campaign in March 1942.
B
a t t l e
H o n o u r s
ENGLISH CHANNEL 1942 - NORTH
SEA
1942
H
e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge:
On a Field Blue,
a demi-lion rampant, erased Gold, holding
in the paw a pick-axe, Black.
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 1
March
Planned completion date and
commissioning.
April
Delayed completion
to
May
June
17th
Build completion and commenced
Acceptance Trials.
July
Minesweeping work-up at Port
Edgar prior to joining the newly formed
13th Minesweeping
to
August Flotilla.
Anti-submarine exercises at Tobermory.
September
Joined Flotilla at Harwich for mine
sweeping in North Sea to ensure clear
passage for East
Coast convoys. Deployed
as Flotilla Senior Officer’s ship
(Note: Flotilla
included HM Minesweepers FELIXSTOWE,
POLRUAN
and
EASTBOURNE.)
October
2nd
Sailed from Harwich with HMS
EASTBOURNE and HM Minesweeper
BRIDLINGTON for
minesweeping duties in English Channel.
(Note: HMS BRIDLINGTON
had been detached from MS9 and left
during
Channel service to rejoin her Flotilla
based at Portsmouth.)
7th
Deployed in Channel and also took
part in rescue of prisoners of war from
to
French coast
31st
November
Channel deployment in continuation.
December
Transferred
to Harwich for special mine clearance
off East Coast
(Note: In view of
possible attempt by the German battleships
SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU
to return
to Germany from Brest through the English
Channel instead of via NW Passage
two gaps
were to be made in minefields. These were
required to enable destroyers based
at Harwich
to have speedy passage into the North Sea
for interception of the German
warships
On arrival deployed with 9th Minesweeping
Flotilla and ships of own
Flotilla for clearance
of mines in both British Barrier and a
known German
minefield off the
Dutch and Belgian coasts (Operation QO).
(Note:
Minesweeping
operations were subject to air attack and
delayed
when
weather conditions made these inevitable.
9th
Minesweeping Flotilla were also deployed
in Channel.)
1 9 4 2
January
On
completion of QO resumed service with
Flotilla and based at Poole
to resume minesweeping
in English Channel for safe passage of
coastal
convoys.
February
Transferred
with Flotilla for special minesweeping
operation in North
Channel
and entry into
Belfast (Operation MAGNET).
(Note: Flotilla was required to
carry out minesweep
ahead of first incoming
US troop
convoy to ensure its safe passage into
Belfast.)
Operation
was carried out in extreme weather
conditions which
caused
structural damage in several ships.)
On completion
returned to Channel.
March
Transferred
to Plymouth Command and based at Falmouth
for clearance
to
of
coastal routes in SW
Approaches.
May
June
11th
Under low level air attack off
Dartmouth and hit by bomb from FW190
which exploded
alongside ship caused some damage and
reduction of
speed.
July
Transferred
with Flotilla to Harwich for further
service in North Sea
for
East Coast
minesweeping.
Nominated with
Flotilla for minesweeping in support of
planned landing
by British and
Canadian troops at Dieppe (Operation
JUBILEE)
August Passage
to Portsmouth to prepare for JUBILEE.
Took part in
preparatory exercises with ships of 9th
and 13th Minesweeping
Flotillas.
(Note: Other ships
in Flotilla then included HM Minesweepers
EASTBOURNE,
ILFRACOMBE. POLRUAN, STORNOWAY,
CLACTON and FELIXSTOWE.)
18th
Carried out joint
operations to ensure safe passage of
assault convoys.
19th
On completion of
sweep returned to Portsmouth.
24th
Transferred with
Flotilla to Portsmouth Command for Channel
coast
minesweeping.
September
Deployed
with Flotilla and took part in special
minesweeping operations
associated with
clearance of passages for destroyers
carrying out attacks
on German coast
convoys off French coast.
October
Transferred
to 9th Minesweeping Flotilla and joined HM
Minesweepers
SIDMOUTH, TENBY,
BRIDPORT, BRIDLINGTON, BANGOR,
BLACKPOOL,
EASTBOURNE
and ILFRACOMBE.
November
Channel
deployment in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 3
Operational
deployment of this ship is in doubt and it
is presumed
she was paid off
because of a machinery or other defect
which made
continuation of
minesweeping impossible.
(Note: Study of
Admiralty PINK LISTS which record intended
movements
of HM Ships is required to confirm this.)
The Flotilla was
deployed in Home waters.
See 1 9 4 4
1 9 4 4
Operational
minesweeping deployment before May is in
doubt.
(See Note for 1944)
The Naval Staff
History LANDINGS IN NORMANDY (HMSO)
records in Appendix
A(1) on Page 28 the deployment of HMS
BLYTH
as a Danlayer
attached to 16th Minesweeping Flotilla
which was
as Part of Force U
to carry out sweep of Swept Channel No 1
to
UTAH Beach on 5th
and 6th of June.
No Battle Honour
NORMANDY 1944 was awarded although all
other
ships of the 9th
Flotilla which were actively deployed for
minesweeping
did receive the
award.
As none of the 42
Danlayers except BLYTH was commanded by
a Lieutenant
Commander it would seem possible that this
ship was
brought into
service for use as a Danlayer during
Operation NEPTUNE.
Pending further
investigation it is presumed that on
release from this
danlaying this ship
returned to a Care and
Maintenance or Reserve category.
1 9 4 5
No record of
deployment for minesweeping has been found
and PINK List examination
is required to
confirm. Danlaying deployment may have
been continued until after VE Day.
P
o s t W a
r N o t e s
HMS
BLYTH was reduced to Reserve Status and
placed on
the Disposal List. Deployment for
Danlaying during the extensive post war
operations
seems possible as the ship was not sold
until 25th May 1948. She was then intended
to be
converted for mercantile use and renamed
RADBOURNE but this was not completed and
the ship was sold for demolition,
presumably by the new owner in
November 1952. This name has been
introduced for the 2nd time and given to a
Mine Countermeasures Vessel due to enter
service during 2000.