MOVEMENTS.
21 October 1943, completed.
21 to 29 Dec 1943, Charleston, South Carolina, United States.
3 to 6 Jan 1944, Bermuda.
16 to 21 Jan 1944, Horta, Azores.
27 and 28 Jan 1944, Falmouth.
29 Jan 1944, Portsmouth.
10 Sep to 21 Nov 1944, Portsmouth.
BYMS 2155’s movements at this time would shows she was involved in the D-day landings.
1 to 16 Dec 1944, Portsmouth.
17 Dec 1944, Le Havre, France. Just off the D-day beaches.
29 Dec 1944, Portsmouth.
9 to 13 Jan 1945, Portsmouth.
18 Jan to 3 Sep 1943, Ostend, Belgium.
Clearing the Belgium and Dutch coasts, opening up the Port of Antwerp, opening up the Dutch ports.
5 May 1948, returned to USA.
BYMS 2253, photograph from the collection of Robert J. Barnes.
BYMS 2253 (she still has her American number) crossing the Atlantic, in winter, in company with BYMS 2279.
Photograph from Roy Cafferty.
OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, June 1943.
Not on Navy Lists.
OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, June 1944.
Tempy. Lieut., G. H. Law, 22 Oct 43 (In Command)
Tempy. Sub-Lieut., A. J. Wyatt, 11 Nov 43.
OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, July 1945.
Tempy. Lieut-Com., G. H. Law. (In Command)
Tempy. Lieut., A. J. Wyatt. Nov 43.
Tempy. Sub-Lieut., E. L. Fox, 21 Jan 45
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BYMS 2253
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: 168th MSF: 2042, 2062, 2063, 2234 2253, 2254, 2279, 2280.
Based at: Portsmouth/ANCXF 1944. East Indies. (ANCXF is the Allied Naval Commander Expeditionary Force, leading up to D-day and beyond.)
Built by: Weaver Shipyard, Orange, Texas, USA.
Laid down: 30 May 1942.
Launched: 3 July 1943.
Handed over to Royal Navy: 21 October 1943.
Returned to USA: 5 May 1948.
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.