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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 2001
British Yard Mine Sweeper 2001.
Nore Command, World War Two 1939 to 1945.
BYMS 2001. Flotilla 150 in 1943, 1944 and 1945.
Built by: at the American Car and Foundry Co., Wilmington, Delaware, USA.
Laid down: 24 July 1941
Launched: 17 March 1942
Completed: 30 May 1942 and transferred to Royal Navy.
Reclassified: HMS J-801 and later HMS BYMS-2001.
BYMS 2001 Copenhagen 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 2001 took part in the D-day landings at Gold Beach.
BYMS 2001 was the first BYMS to arrive at Britain. It was later paid off to reserve after fire damage.
MOVEMENTS.
30 May 42, Completed.
17 Sep 42, St John’s. Crossed Atlantic Ocean from Canada to the U.K.
25 Sep 42, Londonderry.
1943 No movements listed.
June 6th, D-Day BYMS 2001 was sweeping off Gold Beach.
D Day, 6 June 44. BYMS (British Yard Mine Sweepers) Nore Command Flotillas 150 and 165 were given the task of sweeping the inshore areas off the D-day landing beaches, especially the boat lanes between the transport areas and the beaches.
BYMS was sweeping off La Havre with LL gear (to detonate magnetic mines) for magnetic mines with delayed action fuses. An American ship passed her and detonated a magnetic mine blowing off her bow. One more sweep would have saved her.
15 Nov 44, Portsmouth.
10 Dec 44, Great Yarmouth.
12 May 45, Great Yarmouth.
13 May 45 Rosyth.
13 Aug 45 Kiel, Germany. Possible clearing the Skagerrack mine barrier.
5 Aug to 27 Aug 45, Humber.
27 Aug 45, Tees.
June 1948, Sold.
OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST,June 1943,
Temp. Lieut. R.N.V.R. C. H. Andrew (act) 25 Jan 43.
Skipper Lieut R.N.R., A. E. Warburton (act) 12 Mar 42.
Temp Skipper R.N.R., J. W. Bowie. 22 Apr 42.
Temp Skipper R.N.R., A. Clarke (act) 22 Apr 42.
OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, June 1944,
Skipper R.N.R. W. Geddes, 3 Dec 43.
OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, July 1945,
Skipper Lieut. R.N.R. F. Pitts (Act) In Command. 23 Oct 44.
Skipper R.N.R. W. Geddes, 3 Dec 43