BYMS 2257
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”.
Little is known about BYMS 2257 other than she was based at Trinidad with her sister minesweeper BYMS 2258. It is thought she was manned by men of the Trinidad Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve.
MINE SWEEPING FLOTILLA: WEST INDIES. 2257, 2258. Both at Trinidad.
Built by: Weaver Shipyard, Orange, Texas, USA.
Laid down: 15 October 1942.
Launched: 30 September 1943.
Handed over to Royal Navy: 20 January 1944.
Returned to USA: 29 August 1947. Transferred to Poland and re-named T-32, later ORP Foka.
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 2257
MOVEMENTS.
No movements know to this date.
20 January 1944, completed.
To Trinidad. Possibly manned by crew from Trinidad.
29 August 1947, returned to USA.
BYMS 2257.
OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, June 1943.
Not on Navy Lists.
OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, June 1944.
Tempy. Lieut., R. K. Todd, 20 Jan 44. (In Command)
Lieutenant W A. Simpkins, 21 Mar 45. T.R.N.V.R.
OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, July 1945.
No on Navy List.
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