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
Motor Minesweeper MMS 40 would have looked the same as her sister ship, MMS 192. Note, the Acoustic “hammer” on the bow in the up position used to sweep for acoustic mines and the drum on the stern for the LL cables used to detonate magnetic mines.
MMS.40, J 540. Built by Richards Ironworks Ltd., Lowestoft, England. Commissioned 10 Jun 1941.
1st 0ctober 1941. Damaged by a mine and out of action for 3 weeks.
5 June 1944, (And rest of June) MMS 40 swept inshore off the Normandy (D-day) beaches.
27th June, 1944. Detonated a mine and sunk but was later re-floated. Out of action for four and a half months.
OFFICERS from Navy List December 1942
(Rank. Name, Date joined ship.)
Temp. Lieutenant RNVR. N. B. Lewis. 27 Aug 42.
OFFICERS from Navy List June 1943
Temp. Lieutenant RNVR. N. B. Lewis. 27 Aug 42.
OFFICERS from Navy List June 1944
Temp. Lieutenant RNVR. N. B. Lewis. 27 Aug 42
Temp. Sub Lieutenant. RNVR. J. W. C. Cleland. 1 Oct 43.
MMS 40
If you, your father or your grandfather have any additional information about this ship, crew lists, stories, photographs, please send copies of them to be added to our records and this website.
Thank you.
Contact: johntenthousand@yahoo.co.uk
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Motor Minesweeper's were purpose built, wooden, shallow draft, minesweepers with both SA and LL sweeping capabilities. SA is Sweep Acoustic, a device similar to a Kanga Hammer which makes a loud thumping noise which exploded the acoustic mine. LL (double L) is a pair of electric cables which are towed parallel to each other on floats and emit a strong electric pulse which generates a magnetic field which detonated the magnetic mine.
Four Hundred and two Motor Minesweeper were built for the Royal Navy between 1940 and 1945.
Admiralty type; 1 to 118 and 123 to 313
Displacement 165 Tons
Length: 105 Feet (32 metres)
Beam: 23 Feet (7 metres)
Draft: 9 feet 6 inches. (2.9 Metres)
Engine: Diesel. 500 BHP.
Speed: 12.65 Miles per hour. (11 knots)
Complement: 20 Officers and men.
Armament: Two 20 mm Anti-aircraft guns
Two machine guns.