OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, June 1943.
Not on Navy Lists.
OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, June 1944.
Skipper Lieut., J. J. McKenzie(act) 1 Apr 43. (In Command.)
Skipper J. Forbes, 1 Apr 43.
OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, July 1945.
Skipper Lieut., J. J. McKenzie (act) 1 Apr 43. (In Command.)
Skipper, J. Forbes, 1 Apr 43.
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MOVEMENTS.
26 March 1943, completed.
1 July 1943, Charleston, South Carolina, United States.
10 July 1943, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
12 to 29 July 1943, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
27 July 1943, St John’s Newfoundland, Canada.
5 to 19 Fen 1944, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
27 Feb to 3 March 1944, Horta, Azores.
9 and 10 March 1944, Falmouth.
11 March to 25 April 1944, Liverpool.
27 April 1044, Plymouth.
8 to 19 May 1944, Liverpool.
13 June 1944, Portsmouth.
BYMS 2155’s movements at this time would suggest she was involved in the D-day landings.
13 to 16 June 1944, Portland.
26 June to 23 July 1944, Portland.
24 July 1944, Cherbourg, France. Opening up the Port of Cherbourg after it was taken by US forces.
11 to 18 Aug 1944, Portland.
18 Aug 1944, Cherbourg, France.
1 to 5 Sep 1944, Portland.
14 to 17 Sep 1944, Portland.
17 Sep to 5 Nov 1944, Dover.
5 Oct to 12 Nov 1944. Great Yarmouth.
21 June 1945. Ostend, Belgium.
10 April 1946, returned to USA.
BYMS 2156
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: 167th MSF: 2047, 2051, 2061, 2069,2155, 2156, 2182, 2210.
Based at: Androssan and Liverpool 1943. ANCFX 1944. Humber 1945. NW Europe 1946.
Built by: Burger Boat Co., Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States, (On Lake Michigan)
Laid down: 29 June 1942.
Launched: 12 November 1942.
Handed over to Royal Navy: 26 March 1943.
Returned to USA: 10 April 1946. Lent to Holland and re-amed HNLMS Texelstroom (M 836) Transferred to Holland 16 September 1947. Operated as a Diving vessel in 1957 and assigned the number MV39.
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.
BYMS 2156 after being transferred to the Netherlands and re-named HNLMS Texelstroom (M 836)
BYMS 2156 with her original number. The Acustic hammer for sweeping acustic mines can be seen on the bow in the up position.