BANGOR-Class
Minesweeper fitted with turbine propulsion
machinery, ordered on 28th August 1939
from Hamilton Shipbuilders and laid down
at Port Glasgow on
11th
October 1939. She was
launched on 29th January 1941 and
build was completed on 20th August that
year.
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. In
November 1941 she was
most appropriately adopted by
the civil community of Ilfracombe,
Devonshire after a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign.
B
a t t l
e H o n o u r s
DIEPPE 1941 -
NORTH AFRICA 1942-43 - NORMANDY 1944
H
e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Blue, a
lantern, 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 1
August Contractors
trials and
commissioned for service in 13th
Minesweeping Flotilla.
20th
On completion of build commenced
Acceptance Trials.
September Deployed
at Rosyth for minesweeping
trials and work-up for operational service
October
Joined HM Minesweepers CLACTON, FELIXSTOWE, STORNOWAY, EASTBOURNE
BLYTH
(Leader), EASTBOURNE and POLRUAN for
service in North Sea.
Took
part in joint
minesweeping operation with ships of 9th
and 13th Flotillas to
provide
gaps in East Coast Mine Barrier and a
known German minefield. These were
needed
to provide destroyers based at Harwich and
Sheerness with an assured clear
passage
through minefields for interception of
enemy warships in the North Sea or in
the
English Channel. (Operation QO)
(Note:
This was to counter any attempt by the
German warships SCHARNHORST and
GNEISENAU to return to
Germany
from Brest.)
November
On
completion of QO resumed Channel
minesweeping at Harwich
December
Harwich deployment in continuation.
1 9 4 2
January
East
Coast minesweeping in continuation
February
Transferred
with Flotilla for special duty at Belfast
(Operation MAGNET)
Deployed for minesweeping
in NW approaches to ensure clear passage
for military
convoys
bringing first US troops to the European
Theatre.
March
On
completion transferred to Falmouth for
minesweeping in Plymouth Command.
June
Nominated for special
duty in planned landing operation.
(Note: Some of
channel minesweeping was undertaken
in 9th Flotilla based
at Portland for
service in the eastern part of the English
Channel.)
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, POLRUAN, BLYTH, 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.
(Note:
For details of JUBILEE see the Naval Staff
History and THE WATERY
MAZE by B Fergusson.)
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
Nominated
with ships of Flotilla for support of
planned allied landings
in
North Africa (Operation TORCH)
Prepared for foreign
service.
14th
Took part in
exercises for planned landings in Irish Sea with
Flotilla..
Sustained
major structural damage in collision
with HMS EASTBOURNE.
Withdrawn from
exercises and took passage for repair.
November
Under repair.
to
December
Nominated
for transfer to 9th Minesweeping Flotilla
on completion.
1 9 4 3
Joined 13th
Minesweeping Flotilla deployed in English Channel
based at Portsmouth
for
minesweeping in English
Channel to ensure clear
passage for coastal convoys and also
to
provide gaps in British and enemy
minefields to allow clear passage for
allied
warships
(Note:
Interception operations were carried out
frequently by ships based at Plymouth
and
Portsmouth to attack merchant traffic,
commerce raiders and
blockade
runners
on passage to and from ports in France
(TUNNEL operations.).
See
HOLD THE NARROW SEA by P Smith and THE
BATTLE OF THE
NARROW
SEAS by P Scott.)
Other
ships in the Flotilla were HM Minesweepers
SIDMOUTH, BRIDPORT,
TENBY,
BRIDLINGTON, BANGOR, BLACKPOOL, EASTBOURNE
and BLYTH.)
1
9 4 4
**January
Channel
minesweeping in continuation with Flotilla
based at Portsmouth.
to
April
Nominated
for support of
planned allied landings in Normandy with
Flotilla.
(Operation
NEPTUNE)
**May
Transferred
to 16th Minesweeping Flotilla based at
Plymouth.
(Note: Other
ships in Flotilla were HM Minesweepers
BEAUMARIS, DORNOCH,
PARRSBOROUGH
(RCN), QUALICUM (RCN), SHIPPIGAN
(RCN)(Leader),
TADOUSSAC
(RCN) and WEDGEPORT (RCN). RCN Ships were
Canadian-
built
BANGORS built completed in 1942.)
Allocated for
duty with Flotilla in Force U under US
Command
(Note: An
experienced minesweeping officer was
appointed to serve in the American
HQ
Ships USS CHIMO to act as Commander
Minesweeping (West),)
Deployed at
Plymouth and took part in preparatory
exercises for NEPTUNE.
with
ships of Force U
(Note: Exercises
carried out included the ill-fated
Exercise TIGER that came under E-Boat
attacks
on passage to the landing area at Slapton
Sands.)
For
details of naval activities prior to and
during landings see LANDINGS
IN
NORMANDY, June 1944 (HMSO), OPERATION
NEPTUNE by K Edwards
and
Naval Staff History.)
Nominated for
clearance of Channel 1 to UTAH Beaches
with Flotilla.
June
Deployed with HM
Minesweepers Flotilla for final
preparation at Plymouth.
4th
Passage to
Solent to commence sweep of
Channel 1.
Operation delayed
by 24 hours
5th
Commenced clearance
of Channel 1 in The Spout.
6th
On completion of
clearance of Channel deployed for
clearance of anchorage areas.
7th
Minesweeping off US
Beaches in continuation
to
Experienced many
difficulties during the Great Gales on
19th to 21st.
25th
July
Reverted to RN command with
Flotilla on
completion of NEPTUNE.
Minesweeping
deployment in continuation off Normandy
with periodic return to
UK for
replenishment and maintenance.
August
Channel
deployment with Flotilla in
continuation.
to
September
(Note:
Flotilla were re-deployed eastward as
required to ensure safe
passage for ships
supporting
military operations including approaches
to ports in France.
October
After period for refit and
R&R in UK deployed with Flotilla for
minesweeping off
to
December
East
Coast.
(Note: This
work included mine clearance of passage to
ports in Belgium and off
coast
of UK because of extensive minelaying by
surface craft and
submarines
as
well by aircraft.)
1 9 4 5
January
East Coast deployment in
continuation with Flotilla.
to
April
May
6th
Despatched with
HMCS TADOUSSAC to for mine clearance of
entrance into
Kristiansund,
Norway
On completion
of work at Kristiansund rejoined Flotilla
for mine clearance to ensure
safe passage of
ships into Norway after liberation of the
country.)
12th
Deployed with
Flotilla to carry out minesweep ahead of
HM Cruisers DEVONSHIRE,
APOLLO,
ARIADNE, HM Destroyers IROQUOIS (RCN),
SAVAGE, SCOURGE and
Norwegian
destroyer ARENDAL
(Ex HMS BADSWORTH.)
during passage
in Oslo Fjord to bring Crown Prince Olaf
of Norway back to his country.
29th
Took passage from
Norway to Granton, near Edinburgh with
ships of Flotilla on release
from mine
clearance duties.
June
Deployed at Granton
for repairs and maintenance
Nominated for
mine clearance duties in North Sea based
at Harwich.
July
Harwich deployment in
continuation with Flotilla for clearance
of allied and German mines
to
August
for safety of North Sea
commercial traffic.
P
o s t W a
r N o t e s
HMS
ILFRACOMBE remained in commission after VJ
Day and
continued mine clearance duties in North
Sea. She was transferred for similar duty
in the Bristol
Channel in 1946 and on completion was
Paid-off. After de-storing the ship was
laid up in the Reserve Fleet until placed
on the Disposal List in 1947. Sold to
BISCO on 1st January 1948 she was towed to
Dunston, County Durham for
breaking-up by Messrs Clayton and Davie
later that year.