 HMSCirce | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | Circe |
| Namesake | Circe |
| Ordered | 15 November 1940 |
| Builder | Harland & Wolff,Belfast |
| Laid down | 21 July 1941 |
| Launched | 27 June 1942 |
| Commissioned | 16 October 1942 |
| Decommissioned | 1946 |
| Identification | Pennant number: J214 |
| Fate | Scrapped, 1956 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Algerine-classminesweeper |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 225 ft (69 m)o/a |
| Beam | 35 ft 6 in (10.82 m) |
| Draught | 11 ft 6 in (3.51 m) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 16.5knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph) |
| Range | 5,000 nmi (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
| Complement | 85 |
| Armament | |
HMSCirce (J214) was asteam turbine-poweredAlgerine-classminesweeper during the Second World War.
The turbine-powered ships displaced 850 long tons (860 t) atstandard load and 1,125 long tons (1,143 t) atdeep load. The ships measured 225 feet (68.6 m)long overall with abeam of 35 feet 6 inches (10.8 m). The turbine group had adraught of 11 feet (3.4 m). The ships' complement consisted of 85 officers andratings.[1]
The ships had twoParsons gearedsteam turbines, each driving one shaft, using steam provided by twoAdmiralty three-drum boilers. The engines produced a total of 2,000indicated horsepower (1,500 kW) and gave a maximum speed of 16.5knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph). They carried a maximum of 660 long tons (671 t) offuel oil that gave them a range of 5,000nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).[1]
TheAlgerine class was armed with aQF 4 in (102 mm) Mk Vanti-aircraft gun[2] and four twin-gun mounts forOerlikon 20 mm cannon. The latter guns were in short supply when the first ships were being completed and they often got a proportion of single mounts. By 1944, single-barrelBofors 40 mm mounts began replacing the twin 20 mm mounts on a one for one basis. All of the ships were fitted for four throwers and two rails fordepth charges.[1]
The ship was ordered on 15 November 1940 at theHarland & Wolff atBelfast,Ireland. She waslaid down on 21 July 1941 andlaunched on 22 May 1944. The ship wascommissioned on 16 October 1942.[3]
In April 1943, she was selected for duty with her Minesweeping Flotilla for clearance of passage throughGalita andSicilian channels toTripoli to ensure safe passage for allied ships, also known as Operation Antidote. In July, the ship together withAcute andAlbacore took part in minesweeping missions prior toOperation Husky. In September, she was deployed to sweep the area in preparation forOperation Avalanche.
On 21 January 1944, she was deployed with Acute,Espiegle andSpanker to conduct minesweeping mission North West ofAnzio in preparation forOperation Shingle.
From January to February 1945, she swept the waters in theKinaros andDoro Channels.
In April 1946, the ship and her sisters were sent back to the UK to be decommissioned on arrival. The ship was put into the reserve fleet and laid up atHarwich until the ship was transferred to be used as aRNVR Drill Ship atDundee.
In 1956, she was put on the disposal list and sold to BISCO for scrap by the Arnott Young & Co. atGlasgow,Scotland in which she arrived in March 1957.
