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.
BYMS 2194, Flotilla, 166 in 43, 163 in 44, and 45.
Built by: Greenport Basin and Construction Co., Greenport, Long Island, New York, USA.
Laid down: 18 Nov 1942.
Launched: 30 January 1943.
Completed and transferred to Royal Navy: 12 July 1943.
Reclassified: HMS J-994 later HMS BYMS-2194.
Assigned to the Nore Command, Flotilla 163 in 1944.
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MOVEMENTS.
12 July 43, Completed.
29 Aug 43, New York.
2 and 3 Sep 43 Halifax.
5 to 10 Sep 43 St Johns. Crossed Atlantic Ocean from Canada to the U.K.
17 Sep 20 Sep 43, Londonderry
21 Sep 43, Fort William.
23 Sep 43, Inverness.
25 and 26 Sep 43, Humber.
26 Sep 43 Lowestoft.
21 May 44, Lowestoft.
21 to 25 May 44, Harwich.
25 May to 9 June 44Lowestoft.
6th June 1944 onwards. BYMS 2194 was off the D-day beaches where she swept 42 mines.
9 June to 18 July 44, Harwich.
24 to 31 July 44, Lowestoft.
31 July and 1 Aug 44, Harwich.
1 Aug 44, Southend.
23 Aug 44, Portsmouth.
10 the September 1944. Minesweepers of the BYMS 163 Flotillas swept the Royal Navy towards La Havre in preparation for the bombardment proceeding the attack by land. The 2194 swept in the Erebus, a Monitor with two 15 inch guns, and was there when the Garrison at La Havre finally flew the white flag of surrender.
18 Sep 44, Le Ha Havre. As the army advance overland taking the ports, the minesweepers cleared the mines from them.
19 Sep 44, Portsmouth.
21 Sep 44, Southend.
21 Sep to 23 Oct 44, Harwich.
23 Oct 44, Dover.
20 to 23 Nov 44, Lowestoft.
23 Nov 44, Humber.
13 June 45 Humber.
20 Aug 45, Cuxhaven, (Hamburg Germany.) Although the War in Europe is over, mines still need clearing from German harbours and ports. It was necessary to ensure the Elba was cleared as quickly as possibly as considerable quantities of food would be required if Germany was to avoid starvation.
21 to 23 Aug 45, Lowestoft.
23 Aug 45, Dover.
27 Aug 45, Grimsby.
7 Sep 45 Lowestoft.
29 Dec 46, Returned to USA.
May 47, Sold to Italy.
OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, June 1944
Temp. Sub-Lieut, R. N. V. R., E. W. J. Popham, 19 Nov 43
OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, July 1945
Temp. Sub-Lieut, R. N. V. R., E. W. J. Popham, 19 Nov 43
Temp. Sub-Lieut, R. N. V. R., L. E. Riches, 27 July 44.
BYMS 2194
British Yard Mine Sweeper 2194
Nore Command, World War Two 1939 to 1945.
Watch these short videos about the Wildfire III Minesweepers.
Minesweepers: https://youtu.be/aTsYiZFzv5M
D-day minesweepers: https://youtu.be/ZjlA5LxCAsg
Clearing the Scheldt: https://youtu.be/8ELsc9T3Lbw
The Relief of Holland: https://youtu.be/GghYEFHmOfY
BYMS, 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 to sweep magnetic mines.