OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, June 1943.
Not on Navy Lists.
OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, June 1944.
Tempy. Lieut., J. R. Dent, Dec 43. (In Command)
Tempy. Lieut., B. H. Seex, 8 June 43.
OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, July 1945.
Tempy. Lieut., J. R. Dent, Dec 43. (In Command)
Tempy. Lieut., B. H. Seex, 8 June 43.
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BYMS 2174
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: 162nd MSF, Levant, (Eastern Mediterranean): 2033, 2053, 2075, 2174, 2175, 2212, 2240.
Built by: Henry C. Grebe and Co., Chicago, Illinois, United States (On Lake Michigan).
Laid down: 23 June 1942.
Launched: 19 December 1942.
Handed over to Royal Navy: 7 June 1943.
Returned to USA: 10 June 1947. Sold and re-named several times, Sliema, Sidquisem, Carmay, and Capricorn.
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.
7 June 1943, completed.
8 Aug 1943, New York, USA.
31 Aug 1943, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
3 Sep 1943, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
5 to 10 Sep 1943, St John’s Newfoundland, Canada.
17 to 20 Sep 1943, Londonderry, Northern Ireland.
25 and 26 Sep 1943, Humber.
21 Sep to 20 Nov, 1943, Humber.
25 Nov 1943, Portsmouth.
15 Dec 1943, Gibraltar.
17 Jan 1944, Brindisi, Italy, Adriatic Coast.
19 Feb to 26 April 1944, Brindisi, Italy, Adriatic Coast.
27 April 1944, Bari,, Italy.
11 to 14 May 1944, Taranto, Italy.
15 and 16 May 1944, Messina, Sicily.
22 June 1944, Naples, Italy.
12 July 1944, Taranto, Italy.
21 Aug 1944, Ancona, Italy, Adriatic.
10 Sep to 19 Oct 1944, Ancona, Italy, Adriatic.
21 Nov 1944, Ancona, Italy, Adriatic.
27 Feb to 8 May 1945, Ancona, Italy, Adriatic.
17 to 22 May 1945, Trieste, Italy.
24 May 1945, Ancona, Italy, Adriatic.
29 May 1945, Venice, Italy.
30 May to 1 June 1945, Ancona, Italy, Adriatic.
1 to 5 June 1945, Venice, Italy.
19 June 1945, Trieste, Italy.
1 July 1945, Venice, Italy.
10 June 1947, returned to USA.
AWARDS FOR MINESWEEPING
DSC: Distinguished Service Cross. DSM: Distinguished Service Medal. MID: Mention in Dispatches.
Kenneth James GRISEDALE, LT/JX303050, Seaman, BYMS 2174, 15 May 45. MID awarded for gallantry, perseverance and devotion to duty in minesweeping operations under enemy fire in the Adriatic Aug - Oct 1944.
Herbert William LEEDS, Lieutenant, 15 May 45. Awarded for gallantry, perseverance and devotion to duty in minesweeping operations under enemy fire in the Adriatic.
14 Jun 45. MID awarded King's Birthday Honours 1945.
William Mitchell REID, LT/X19347A, Second Hand, BYMS 2174. 15 May 45. DSM awarded for gallantry, perseverance and devotion to duty in minesweeping operations under enemy fire in the Adriatic.
BYMS 2174 after World War Two and re-named Caramy.