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 explodes acoustic mines. 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 detonates magnetic mines.
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.
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
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Contact: johntenthousand@yahoo.co.uk
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MMS 82, J 582. Built by Wivenhoe Shipyard Ltd., Wivenhoe, England. Commissioned 21 Nov 1941.
15 June 41. Detonated a mine causing slight damage to MMS 82.
Like many of the Wildfire III, Queenborough minesweepers, MMS 82 took part in the D-day landings and “Operation Calendar Two” clearing the vital waterway of the Scheldt Estuary of mines and opening up the port of Antwerp to resupply Allied troops.
OFFICERS from Navy List December 1942
(Rank. Name, Date joined ship.)
Temp. Lieutenant. RNVR. C. C. Aplin, 7 Oct 1941
Temp. Lieutenant. RNVR. H. F. Harvey. 14 August 42.
OFFICERS from Navy List June 1943
Temp. Lieutenant. RNVR. C. C. Aplin, 7 Oct 1941
Temp. Sub Lieutenant. RNVR. S. F. Fowler. 15 Oct 41.
OFFICERS from Navy List June 1944
Temp. Lieutenant-Com. RNVR. C. C. Aplin, 7 Oct 1941
Temp. Sub Lieutenant. RNVR. H. R. Harrison. 17 Sept 43.
Motor Minesweeper MMS 25 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 82