2 × depth charge rails and 4 depth charge throwers
HMS Algerine was the lead ship of her namesake class of minesweepers built for the Royal Navy during World War II, the Algerine-classminesweepers. Initially assigned to the North Sea, she was transferred to lead the 12th Minesweeping Flotilla. The Flotilla were posted to the Mediterranean to assist with Operation Torch. In 1942, after a successful mine clearing operation off Bougie, she was torpedoed by the Italian submarine Ascianghi, causing Algerine to sink, leaving only eight survivors.
Description
Algerine displaced 850 long tons (860 t) at standard load and 1,125 long tons (1,143 t) at deep load. The ship had an overall length of 225 feet (68.6 m), a beam of 35 feet 6 inches (10.8 m) and a draught of 8 feet 6 inches (2.6 m). She was powered by Parsons geared steam turbines, driving two shafts, which gave a maximum speed of 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph).[2]
Algerine joined the 9th Minesweeping Flotilla in May 1942 and began action in minesweeping, escorting, and patrolling duties on the east side of England.[4] She was proposed as leader for the 12th Minesweeping Flotilla, which would participate in action abroad.[4] Her sister ships from the 9th Flotilla, Alarm and Albacore, joined her, as did Acute, and Cadmus.[4] In October, she was put forward to go to the Mediterranean to assist Operation Torch, but her departure was delayed due to repair work. The other four ships in her flotilla left for Gibraltar as escorts to a convoy.[4] Four days after the other ships left, Algerine escorted convoy KMF1 to Oran.[4]
Fate
In early November, she helped recover the escort destroyerCowdray off Algiers after Cowdray was damaged by an aerial attack.[4] On 15 November,[3][4]Algerine and Alarm were positioned off Bougie, clearing mines.[3] The mission had been successful, with 46 mines cleared;[3] but, Algerine was torpedoed by the Italian Adua-classsubmarineAscianghi,[4] commanded by Lieutenant commander Rino Erler.[5] The submarine had first fired two torpedoes at the middle ship in the trio, then fired another two torpedoes at the last ship, Algerine:[3]Algerine suffered heavy casualties and sank.[6] The auxiliary anti-aircraft ship Pozarica rescued 32 men, of whom only 8 survived, internal wounds killing 24.[3] The survivors had been on a Carley raft.[3] The final death toll was 84.[7]
Algerine's wreck lies at 1,100 ft (340 m)[8] on the northern coast of Algeria.[3]
References
^ abMcCluskie, Tom (2013). The Rise and Fall of Harland and Wolff. Stroud: The History Press. p. 151. ISBN9780752488615.
Lenton, H. T. (1998). British & Empire Warships of the Second World War. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN1-55750-048-7.
Rohwer, Jürgen (1992). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Second Revised ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN1-59114-119-2.
Walsh, Ronald (2004). In the Company of Heroes (First ed.). Leicester: Troubador Publishing. ISBN1-904744-47-8.
United Kingdom
