Hunt-class minesweeper (1916)

Template:Infobox ship imageTemplate:Infobox ship class overviewTemplate:Infobox ship characteristics

The Hunt-class minesweeper was a class of minesweeping sloop built between 1916 and 1919 for the Royal Navy. They were built in two discrete groups, the earlier Belvoir group designed by the Ailsa Shipbuilding Company and the subsequent (and slightly larger) Aberdare group designed by the Admiralty. They were classed as Fleet Minesweeping Sloops, that is ships intended to clear open water. The Belvoir group were named after British fox hunts. Those of the Aberdare group were originally named after coastal towns, watering places and fishing ports, some of which happened to be hunts by coincidence. However, all were soon renamed after inland locations to prevent confusion caused by the misunderstanding of signals and orders.

Design

These ships had twin screws and had forced-draught coal burning boilers; that is they burned pulverised coal in an artificially augmented airstream. One consequence of this was that they produced a lot of smoke, so much so that they were more usually referred to as Smokey Joes. Another was that if they were fed anything other than the Welsh Steam Coal they were designed for then the fuel consumption was enormous—one ship was bunkered with soft brown Natal coal and burnt 20 tons in a day. The ships had a shallow draught (Template:Convert). Armament was one QF Template:Convert gun forward and a QF 12 pounder aft, plus two twin 0.303 inch machine guns. Their counter-mine equipment consisted of Oropesa floats to cut the cables of moored mines.

Service

Six ships were completed as survey vessels, and the majority of the Aberdare group arrived too late to see service during the First World War. Thirty-five were cancelled after the armistice. Interwar, eight were sold out of service, one was sold to Siam, one was converted to an RNVR drillship and 52 were scrapped. The majority of the remainder spent the period from 1919 to 1939 in reserve around the world, with Malta and Singapore having most of them, so that on the outbreak of World War II there were still 27 available for service, to which a further two were added by requisition from mercantile service.

The 5th Minesweeping Flotilla, comprising Pangourne, Ross, Lydd, Kellet and Albury as well as the newer Halcyon-class Gossamer and Leda sailed from North Shields for Harwich late on 26 May 1940, reaching Harwich nearly 24 hours later. After coaling, the flotilla sailed for Dunkirk in the afternoon of 28 May, and was off the beach by about 21:30 hours the same day. At least two ships from the Flotilla (Ross and Lydd) were detailed to collect troops from the harbour mole. Ross alone took on board 353 men and one dog on this first night. The ships of the flotilla made a further three trips to Dunkirk in the following days, working at battle-stations virtually round the clock and returning to Margate for the last time from Dunkirk on Saturday, 1 June 1940. Sutton was also present at Dunkirk.

Five ships were lost during the war, and a further vessel, Widnes was beached in Suda Bay, Crete in May 1941 after being bombed by German aircraft. The Germans recovered and repaired the hull, pressing her into service as 12.V4. In October 1943, now known as Uj.2109, she was sunk by the destroyers Template:HMS, Template:HMS and the .

Ships

The first group of twenty ships were ordered in 1916 and were part of the Belvoir group. One hundred and twenty-nine further ships were ordered to this Admiralty design between 1916 and November 1918 as the Aberdare group. Six of this group were completed as survey ships, while thirty-four of them were cancelled at the end of World War I. Among the cancelled ships, Battle and Bloxham had already been launched. Two more were projected to be ordered from Fleming & Ferguson, but these two were never actually ordered.

Many ships were originally assigned different names which were changed while building to avoid use of coastal locations as ship names.

Original Royal Navy service

Name	Pennant	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned	Disposed	Status	Ref
Belvoir group (20 ships ordered in 1916)
Template:HMS		Ailsa Shipbuilding Company, Troon		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold for scrap
Template:HMS		Ailsa Shipbuilding Company, Troon		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold for scrap
Template:HMS		Ardrossan Dry Dock, Ardrossan		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sunk by a mine off Montrose, Angus
Template:HMS		Clyde Shipbuilding Company, Port Glasgow		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold for scrap
Template:HMS		Bow, McLachlan and Company, Paisley		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting
Template:HMS		Bow, McLachlan and Company, Paisley		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold for scrap
Template:HMS		Clyde Shipbuilding Company, Port Glasgow		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting
Template:HMS		Dunlop Bremner & Company, Port Glasgow		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold for scrap
Template:HMS		Dunlop Bremner & Company, Port Glasgow		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold for scrap
Template:HMS		Fleming & Ferguson, Paisley		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold for scrap
Template:HMS		Fleming & Ferguson, Paisley		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting
Template:HMS		D. & W. Henderson and Company, Glasgow		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold for scrap
Template:HMS		D. & W. Henderson and Company, Glasgow		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold for scrap
Template:HMS		Lobnitz and Company, Renfrew		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold for scrap
Template:HMS		Lobnitz and Company, Renfrew		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold for scrap
Template:HMS		Napier and Miller, Old Kilpatrick		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold for scrap
Template:HMS		Napier and Miller, Old Kilpatrick		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold for scrap
Template:HMS		William Simons and Company, Renfrew		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold for scrap
Template:HMS		William Simons and Company, Renfrew		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Became a diving tender in August 1923; Sold for scrap
Template:HMS		Murdoch and Murray, Port Glasgow		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold for scrap
Aberdare group (129 ships ordered between 1916 and 1918)
Template:HMS		Ailsa Shipbuilding Company, Troon	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Sold for mercantile use
Template:HMS	J23 / N23	Ailsa Shipbuilding Company, Troon	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Beached after bombing; broken up
Template:HMS	J41	Ailsa Shipbuilding Company, Troon		Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Sold for mercantile use
Template:HMS	J06 / N06	Ailsa Shipbuilding Company, Troon		Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Sold for scrap
Template:HMS		Ailsa Shipbuilding Company, Troon		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold for civilian use as Kamlawti
Template:HMS		Ardrossan Dry Dock & Shipbuilding, Ardrossan		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold for scrap
Template:HMS	J57 / N57	Ardrossan Dry Dock & Shipbuilding, Ardrossan		Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Converted to depot ship Medway II; sold 1947
Template:HMS		Ayrshire Shipbuilding Company, Irvine		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold
Template:HMS		Ardrossan Dry Dock & Shipbuilding, Ardrossan		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold for mercantile use as Lady Cynthia
Template:HMS		Dundee Shipbuilding Company, Dundee		Template:Date table sorting	Not taken up	Template:Date table sorting	Sold incomplete
Template:HMS (ex-Burnham)		Bow, McLachlan and Company, Paisley		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold
Template:HMS (ex-Brixham)		Ayrshire Shipbuilding Company, Irvine		Template:Date table sorting	Not taken up	Template:Date table sorting	Sold incomplete
Template:HMS (ex-Buckie)		Bow, McLachlan and Company, Paisley		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold for scrap
Template:HMS		Ayrshire Shipbuilding Company, Irvine		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold for use as Champavati
Template:HMS (ex-Blakeney)		Ayrshire Shipbuilding Company, Irvine		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold
Template:HMS		Joseph R. Eltringham, South Shields		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold
Template:HMS		Bow, McLachlan and Company, Paisley		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold
Template:HMS		Bow, McLachlan and Company, Paisley		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold
Template:HMS (ex-Cawsand, Dryad)		Bow, McLachlan and Company, Paisley		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold
Template:HMS		Bow, McLachlan and Company, Paisley		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold
Template:HMS		Joseph R. Eltringham, South Shields		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold
Template:HMS (ex-Stranraer)		William Simons and Company		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold
Template:HMS		Clyde Shipbuilding		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold
Template:HMS (ex-Rosslare)		A. McMillan & Son, Dumbarton		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sunk by mine
Template:HMS (ex-Dawlish)	J90 / N90	Clyde Shipbuilding		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold for scrap
Template:HMS				Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Broken up
Template:HMS	J60	Clyde Shipbuilding		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Foundered under tow after mined
Template:HMS	J52	Clyde Shipbuilding		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sunk by mine
Template:HMS	J39	William Simons & Company, Renfrew		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold for scrap
Template:HMS		Clyde Shipbuilding		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold for civilian use in Brazil
Template:HMS	J89 / N89	Dunlop Bremner & Company, Port Glasgow		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold for scrap
Template:HMS	J40 / N40	Dundee Shipbuilding Company		Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Damaged beyond repair by air attack; broken up
Template:HMS		Dunlop Bremner & Company, Port Glasgow		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold for scrap
Template:HMS (ex-Fleetwood)		Dunlop Bremner & Company, Port Glasgow		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold and renamed Forde
Template:HMS		Dundee Shipbuilding		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold
Template:HMS (ex-Fowey)		Clyde Shipbuilding		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold
Template:HMS				Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold
Template:HMS (ex-Gorleston)		Joseph R. Eltringham, South Shields		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold
Template:HMS (ex-Bridlington)		Ayrshire Shipbuilding Company, Irvine		Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Broken up
Template:HMS		Joseph R. Eltringham, South Shields		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold for scrap
Template:HMS		Joseph R. Eltringham, South Shields		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold for scrap
Template:HMS		Joseph R. Eltringham, South Shields		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold to Royal Thai Navy as Chao Phraya
Template:HMS (ex-Helmsdale)		Joseph R. Eltringham, South Shields		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sunk by German aircraft off Mersa Matruh
Template:HMS (ex-Ilfracombe)		Joseph R. Eltringham, South Shields		Template:Date table sorting		Inter-war
Template:HMS		Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Govan		Template:Date table sorting		Inter-war
Template:HMS		Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Govan		Template:Date table sorting		Inter-war
Template:HMS		Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Govan		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sunk by mine
Template:HMS (ex-Aldborough)		Ardrossan Dry Dock, Ardrossan		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold for scrap
Template:HMS (ex-Minehead)		John Harkness and Sons, Middlesbrough		Template:Date table sorting		Inter-war
Template:HMS (ex-Lydney)		Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Govan		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold for scrap
Template:HMS		Fleming & Ferguson, Paisley		Template:Date table sorting		Inter-war
Template:HMS		Fleming & Ferguson, Paisley		Template:Date table sorting		Inter-war
Template:HMS		Fleming & Ferguson, Paisley		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold in Hong Kong
Template:HMS		Harkness		Template:Date table sorting		Inter-war
Template:HMS (ex-Maryport)		Harkness		Template:Date table sorting		Inter-war
Template:HMS (ex-Mullion)		Harkness		Template:Date table sorting		Inter-war
Template:HMS (ex-Macduff)		Fleming & Ferguson, Paisley		Template:Date table sorting		Inter-war
Template:HMS		A and J Inglis, Pointhouse		Template:Date table sorting		Inter-war
Template:HMS (ex-Newlyn)		Inglis		Template:Date table sorting		Inter-war
Template:HMS		Joseph R. Eltringham, South Shields		Template:Date table sorting		Inter-war
Template:HMS (ex-Padstow)		Lobnitz and Company, Renfrew		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold for scrap
Template:HMS		Lobnitz and Company, Renfrew				Template:Date table sorting	Lost
Template:HMS (ex-Portmadoc)	T8 / T21	Lobnitz and Company, Renfrew		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Wrecked
Template:HMS (ex-Polperro)		Lobnitz and Company, Renfrew		Template:Date table sorting		Inter-war
Template:HMS (ex-Porlock)		Lobnitz and Company, Renfrew		Template:Date table sorting		Inter-war
Template:HMS (ex-Wicklow)		Inglis		Template:Date table sorting		Inter-war
Template:HMS (ex-Ramsey)	J45	Lobnitz and Company, Renfrew		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold for scrap
Template:HMS (ex-Filey)		Dunlop Bremner & Company, Port Glasgow		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold
Template:HMS (ex-Shoreham)		Murdoch and Murray, Port Glasgow		Template:Date table sorting
Template:HMS		Murdoch and Murray, Port Glasgow	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold for scrap
Template:HMS		Murdoch and Murray, Port Glasgow	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Sold for scrap and wrecked
Template:HMS	J18	Murdoch and Murray, Port Glasgow	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Sold for scrap
Template:HMS (ex-Tarbert)		William Simons and Company, Renfrew		Template:Date table sorting		Inter-war
Template:HMS		Napier and Miller		Template:Date table sorting		Inter-war
Template:HMS		Napier and Miller		Template:Date table sorting		Inter-war
Template:HMS (ex-Staithes)		Charles Rennoldson, South Shields		Template:Date table sorting		Inter-war
Template:HMS (ex-Southwold)		Charles Rennoldson, South Shields		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sunk by German aircraft off Tobruk
Template:HMS (ex-Salcombe)		Archibald McMillan and Son, Dumbarton		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold
Template:HMS		Ardrossan Dry Dock, Ardrossan		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold for civilian use as Lady Cecille
Template:HMS		William Simons and Company, Renfrew		Template:Date table sorting		Inter-war
Template:HMS		William Simons and Company, Renfrew		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold
Template:HMS		William Simons and Company, Renfrew		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold
Template:HMS (ex-Teignmouth)		William Simons and Company, Renfrew		Template:Date table sorting		Inter-war
Template:HMS		William Simons and Company, Renfrew		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold
Template:HMS (ex-Walmer)		William Simons and Company, Renfrew		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold for civilian use as Deshalpur
Wexford		William Simons and Company, Renfrew		Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Sold for mercatile use as Doomba
Template:HMS		Inglis		Template:Date table sorting		Inter-war
Template:HMS (ex-Withernsea)		Napier and Miller		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Bombed by German aircraft in Suda Bay, beached, captured as Uj.2109
Template:HMS		Napier and Miller		Template:Date table sorting		Inter-war
Aberdare group completed as survey ships
Template:HMS (ex-Ambleside)				Template:Date table sorting		Inter-war
Template:HMS (ex-Amersham)		Ailsa Shipbuilding Company		Template:Date table sorting		Inter-war
Template:HMS (ex-Verwood, ex-Ventnor)		William Simons and Company, Renfrew		Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Transferred to South Africa as HMSAS Protea
Template:HMS (ex-Pinner, ex-Portreath)		Lobnitz and Company, Renfrew		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sunk by mine off Great Yarmouth
Template:HMS (ex-Radley)		Lobnitz and Company, Renfrew		Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Converted to accommodation ship 1940; Sold for scrap
Template:HMS (ex-Uppingham)				Template:Date table sorting		Template:Date table sorting	Sold for scrap

Follow-on service

Several examples passed on from Royal Navy service for use by other civil and military operators.

Name	Previous name	Operator	In service	Disposed	Status	Ref
Champavati	ex-Template:HMS		Template:Date table sorting
Chao Phraya	ex-Template:HMS	Royal Thai Navy	Template:Date table sorting
Deshalpur	ex-Template:HMS	The Cutch SN Company	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Scrapped
Template:HMAS	ex-Wexford	Royal Australian Navy	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Converted to an oil lighter; scuttled
Doomba	ex-Wexford	Doomba Shipping Company	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Requisitioned by the Royal Australian Navy
Forde	ex-Template:HMS	Townsend Brothers	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Scrapped
Kamlawti	ex-Template:HMS	Civilian	Template:Date table sorting
Lady Cecile	ex-Template:HMS	Union Steamship Company, British Columbia	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Scrapped
Lady Cynthia	ex-Template:HMS	Merchant	Template:Date table sorting
Lieutenant Captain Remigio Verdia	ex-Queen of the Bay	Spanish Republican Navy	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Grounded, captured by Spanish Nationalist forces as
Medway II	ex-Template:HMS	Depot ship	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Sold
Template:HMS	ex-Crozier	Royal Navy	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Sold for merchant service as Queen of the Bay
Template:HMSAS	ex-Crozier	South African Naval Service	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Returned to Royal Navy as HMS Protea
Template:SS	ex-Protea	Blackpool Steam Navigation Company	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Sold to Spanish Republican Navy as Lieutenant Captain Remigio Verdia
Uj.2109	ex-Template:HMS	Kriegsmarine	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Sunk by destroyers
Virgen de la Caridad	ex-Lieutenant Captain Remigio Verdia	Spanish Nationalist forces	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting

References

• British and Empire Warships of the Second World War, H T Lenton, 1998, Greenhill Books, Template:ISBN
• Jane's Fighting Ships of World War I, Janes Publishing, 1919
• The Grand Fleet, Warship Design and Development 1906-1922, D. K. Brown, Chatham Publishing, 1999, Template:ISBN
• Out Sweeps! The Story of the Minesweepers in World War II Paul Lund & Harry Ludlam, W Foulsham & Co, 1978, Template:ISBN