BYMS 2020
British Yard Mine Sweeper
BRITISH YARD MINE SWEEPERS
BYMS’s were built in the United States and transferred the Royal Navy under the Lend-lease Programme. “British Yard Mine Sweepers” are so called because they were built to the same design as the US Navy’s “Yard Mine Sweepers”.
Crews for the BYMS’s would sail to the United States, often on the Queen Mary, which could sail unescorted because of her greater speed, to collect their vessel. They would then have the formidable task of sailing their small vessel back across the Atlantic Ocean, often in winter.
MINE SWEEPING FLOTILLA: 151st MSF, Mediterranean: 2011, 2012, 2020, 2023.
Built by: Bellingham Iron Works, Inc., Bellingham, Washington, USA (West Coast)
Laid down: 2 August 1941
Launched: 27 June 1942
Handed over to Royal Navy: 29 August 1942.
Returned to USA: 10 June 1947.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Wooden hull. Length, 130 feet. Beam, 25 feet 6 inches. Depth, 12 feet I inch. Draft, 8 foot 10.5 inches. Displacement 207-215 tons.
Engine: Two 800 bhp General Motors diesel engines.
Speed: 14.6 knots. 10 knots while sweeping. (Eight knots with double Oropesa sweeps)
Range: 2,500 at ten knots.
Compliment: 3 officers and 27 men.
Armament: One 3-inch HA/LA gun and two Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns.
BYMS’s were fitted with a drum on the stern with LL (double L) cables for sweeping magnetic mines, an acustic hammer on the bow for sweeping acustic mines and Oropesa floats for sweeping tethered mines.
All YMS and BYMS were built to the same design, the only variation was in the number of exhaust stacks. Minesweepers 1 to 134 had two sacks, 135 to 480 had one stack, 466 to 479 had no stacks.
MOVEMENTS.
Completed. 29 August 1942.
9 March 1943, San Francisco, USA.
8 April 1943, Balboa, Panama Canal.
13 April 1943, Cristobal, Panama Canal.
21 May 1943, Recife, Brazil.
29April to 8 June 1943, Freetown, Sierra Leone, West Africa.
11 July 1943, Gibraltar.
21 July 1943, Bizerte, Tunisia.
15 August 1943, Malta.
29 Nov to 6 Dec 1943, Brindisi, Italy, Adriatic.
2 June 1944, Taranto, Italy.
2 to 9 June 1944, Brindisi, Italy.
10 June 1944, Bari, Italy, Adriatic.
13 to 17 June 1944, Bari, Italy, Adriatic.
13 July 1944, Taranto, Italy.
23 August 1944, Ancona, Italy, Adriatic.
10 Sep. 1944, Ancona, Italy, Adriatic.
26 Oct. 1944, Bari, Italy, Adriatic.
2 Dec 1944, Bari, Italy, Adriatic.
11 Dec 1944, Ancona, Italy, Adriatic.
18 Jan 1945, Ancona, Italy, Adriatic.
10 Feb 1945, Ancona, Italy, Adriatic.
28 Feb 1945, Augusta, Sicily.
13 Narch 1945, Ancona, Italy, Adriatic.
13 April 1945, Malta.
17 April 1945, Ancona, Italy, Adriatic.
17 to 19 May 1945, Trieste, Italy.
20 to 25 May 1945, Ancona, Italy, Adriatic.
25 May 1945, Venice, Italy.
30 May to 6 June 1945, Ancona, Italy, Adriatic.
7 June 1945, Trieste, Italy.
25 to 27 June, Trieste, Italy.
Returned to USA. 10 June 1947.
AWARDS FOR MINESWEEPING
DSC: Distinguished Service Cross. DSM: Distinguished Service Medal. MID: Mention in Despatches.
Ernest James COURSE, C/MX92318, Leading Wireman, BYMS 2020, 12 Jun 45. MID awarded for gallantry, outstanding skill and devotion to duty in minesweeping operations over dense and shallow minefields in the opening up of Greek ports in the Gulf of Corinth.
Robert Foylon HODGSON, Lieutenant, BYMS 2020, 15 May 45.DSC awarded for gallantry, perseverance and devotion to duty in minesweeping operations under enemy fire in the Adriatic Aug - Oct 44.
Jack WILSON, LT/KX149100, Chief Engineman, BYMS 2020, 15 May 45. DSM awarded for gallantry, perseverance and devotion to duty in minesweeping operations under enemy fire in the Adriatic.
OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, June 1943.
Tempy. Lieut., H. G. Ashworth 2 May 42
Tempy. Lieut., J. M. D. Wood. Mar 42
Tempy. Sub-Lieut., P. B. Edwards 16 Apr 42
OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, June 1944.
Tempy. Lieut., H. G. Ashworth 2 May 42
Tempy. Lieut., P. B. Edwards.., 16 Apr 42.
Tempy. Lieut., J. M. D. Wood, RANVR, Mar 42
OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, July 1945.
Tempy. Lieut., S. W.Hills (In Command) 17 March 42.
Tempy. Lieut., H. G. Ashworth 2 May 42
Tempy. Lieut., J. M. D. Wood, RANVR, Mar 42.
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