BYMS 2030
British Yard Mine Sweeper 2030.
Nore Command, World War Two 1939 to 1945.
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.
29 July 1942, Completed.
No records yet found for movements between 29 July 42 and 6 June 44.
Took part in the D-day landings, Gold Beach.
June 6th, D-Day BYMS 20 was sweeping off Gold Beach.
D Day, 6 June 44. BYMS (British Yard Mine Sweepers) Nore Command Flotillas 150 and 165 were given the task of sweeping the inshore areas off the D-day landing beaches, especially the boat lanes between the transport areas and the beaches. Closer to the D-day beaches than any other warships apart for the Landing craft, the BYMS supported the landing troops with gun fire.
8 Oct 44, Mined.
Sunk by mine 8 October 1944 off Le Havre, France at 49° 27' N., 00° 02' W. Close to the D-day beaches which she swept.
Distinguished Service Cross awarded toSkipper Lieutenant S. H. Duffield.
OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, June 1943,
Skipper Lieut, R. N. R., S. H. Duffield, DSC (act). 7 Apr 42.
Temp. Skipper, R. N. R., A. Baxter, 16 May 42.
OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, June 1944
Skipper Lieut, R. N. R., S. H. Duffield, DSC (act). 7 Apr 42.
Temp. Skipper C. Harding, 20 May 44
BYMS 2030. British Yard Mine Sweeper were all built to the same design. The only variation was one of appearance in the number of exhaust stacks. They were fitted with an Acoustic “hammer” on the bow to sweep for acoustic mines and a drum on the stern for the LL cables used to detonate magnetic mines.
Watch these short videos about the Wildfire III Minesweepers.
Minesweepers: https://youtu.be/aTsYiZFzv5M
D-day minesweepers: https://youtu.be/ZjlA5LxCAsg
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Contact: johntenthousand@yahoo.co.uk
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BYMS 2030. Flotilla 150
Built by: Barbour Boat Works, New Bern, North Carolina, USA.
Laid down: 11 August 1941.
Launched: 12 March 1942.
Completed and transferred to Royal Navy: 29 July 1943.
Reclassified: HMS J-830 later HMS BYMS-2030.
Assigned to the Nore Command, Flotilla 150