BYMS 2172
British Yard Mine Sweeper
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.
MINE SWEEPING FLOTILLA: 153rd MFS, Mediterranean: 2009, 2019, 2022, 2026, 2027, 2037, 2077, 2171, 2172.
Built by: Henry C. Grebe and Co., Chicago, Illinois, United States (On Lake Michigan).
Laid down: 22 May 1942.
Launched: 26 November 1942.
Handed over to Royal Navy: 26 April 1943.
Returned to USA: 15 April 1946. Hand over to Greece and re-named Kerkyra.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Wooden hull. Length, 130 feet. Beam, 25 feet 6 inches. Depth, 12 feet I inch. Draft, 8 foot 10.5 inches. Displacement 207-215 tons.
Engine: Two 800 bhp General Motors diesel engines.
Speed: 14.6 knots. 10 knots while sweeping. (Eight knots with double Oropesa sweeps)
Range: 2,500 at ten knots.
Compliment: 3 officers and 27 men.
Armament: One 3-inch HA/LA gun and two Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns.
BYMS’s were fitted with a drum on the stern with LL (double L) cables for sweeping magnetic mines, an acustic hammer on the bow for sweeping acustic mines and Oropesa floats for sweeping tethered mines.
All YMS and BYMS were built to the same design, the only variation was in the number of exhaust stacks. Minesweepers 1 to 134 had two sacks, 135 to 480 had one stack, 466 to 479 had no stacks.
OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, June 1943.
Tempy. Lieut., H. Evenson, 29 Apr 43. (In Command.)
Tempy. Lieut., A. A. White, 29 Apr 43.
Tempy. Sub-Lieut., R. A. Latrielle, 29 Apr 43.
OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, June 1944.
Tempy. Lieut., E. Hall, Nov 43
Tempy. Lieut., R. A. Latrielle, Sept 43
Tempy. Sub-Lieut., J. N. Jordan, 20 Nov 43.
OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, July 1945.
Tempy. Lieut.-Com., M. F. Beaver (act) May 45. R.A.N.V.R
Tempy. Lieut., E. Hall, Nov 43.
Tempy. Sub-Lieut., J. K. L. Hooton, Mar 45. R.A.N.V.R.
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BYMS 2172 just before she was handed over to GB.
MOVEMENTS.
26 April 1943, completed.
18 July 1943, Charleston, South Carolina, United States.
25 July, 1943, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
32 July 1943, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
1 to 8 Aug 1943, St John’s Newfoundland, Canada.
15 Aug 1943, Londonderry, Northern Ireland.
23 Aug to 9 Oct 1943, Great Yarmouth.
10 to 18 Oct 1943 Portsmouth.
19 to 23 Oct Falmouth.
9 Nov 1943, Gibraltar.
1 Aug 1944, Gibraltar.
6 Aug 1944, Naples, Italy.
2 and 3 Sep 1944, Naples, Italy.
6 Sep 1944, Taranto, Italy.
20 April 1945, Taranto, Italy.
26 April, Ancona, Italy, Adriatic.
3 to 5 May 1945, Ancona, Italy, Adriatic.
10 May to 6 June 1945, Ancona, Italy, Adriatic.
10 June 1945, Ancona, Italy, Adriatic.
12 June 1945, Trieste.
30 June 1945, Venice, Italy.
13 Sep 1945, Leghorn, Italy (Near Pisa)
15 April 1946, returned to USA.
BYMS 2172 still flying the American flag before she was handed over the Britain under the lend-lease programme.