| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | HMSRye |
| Builder | Ailsa Shipbuilding Co. Ltd.,Troon,Scotland |
| Laid down | 27 November 1939 |
| Launched | 19 August 1940 |
| Commissioned | 20 November 1941 |
| Fate |
|
| Badge | On a Field per Pale Red and Blue, a demi-lion passant, Gold langued and armed Blue conjoined to the hulk of a ship White. |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Bangor-classminesweeper |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 174 ft (53 m)o/a |
| Beam | 28 ft 6 in (8.69 m) |
| Draught | 10 ft 3 in (3.12 m) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 16knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) |
| Range | 2,800 nmi (5,200 km; 3,200 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
| Complement | 60 |
| Armament |
|
HMSRye (J76) was aBangor-classminesweeper built for theRoyal Navy during the Second World War.
TheBangor class was designed as a small minesweeper that could be easily built in large numbers by civilian shipyards; assteam turbines were difficult to manufacture, the ships were designed to accept a wide variety of engines.Rye displaced 656 long tons (667 t) atstandard load and 820 long tons (830 t) atdeep load. The ship had anoverall length of 174 feet (53.0 m), abeam of 28 feet 6 inches (8.7 m) and adraught of 10 feet 3 inches (3.1 m).[1] The ship's complement consisted of 60 officers andratings.[2]
She was powered by twoParsons geared steam turbines, each driving one shaft, using steam provided by twoAdmiralty three-drum boilers. The engines produced a total of 2,000shaft horsepower (1,500 kW) and gave a maximum speed of 16knots (30 km/h; 18 mph).Rye carried a maximum of 160 long tons (163 t) offuel oil that gave her a range of 2,800nautical miles (5,200 km; 3,200 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).[3]
The turbine-poweredBangors were armed with a12-pounder 3-inch (76 mm)anti-aircraft gun and a singleQF 2-pounder (4 cm) AA gun. In some ships the 2-pounder was replaced a single or twin20 mm Oerlikon AA gun, while most ships were fitted with four additional single Oerlikon mounts over the course of the war.[3] For escort work, her minesweeping gear could be exchanged for around 40depth charges.[2]
Rye was built by theAilsa Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. inTroon, Scotland and commissioned in 1941. Herpennant number was J 76.Rye served in theMediterranean Sea based inMalta as part of the14th/17th Minesweeper Flotilla. She took part in theMalta Convoys, notablyOperation Harpoon during which she rescued 84 survivors from the SSChant, and inOperation Pedestal during which she was one of the ships that rescued theSSOhio. TheRye's captain,Iain Pearson, was awarded a bar to hisDSC for service during the Malta Convoys.
After the Mediterranean,Rye returned to Home waters and served with the 14th M/S Flotilla based in Plymouth. She was part ofOperation Neptune, the naval component ofOperation Overlord (D-Day). The flotilla participated in minesweeping operations from 5–30 June, initially clearing paths through the German minefields to the invasion beaches, and subsequently clearing wider areas to allow transport and supply vessels to operate in safety.
Rye was decommissioned on 24 August 1948. She was scrapped atPurfleet in Essex in September 1948. Herensign is laid up in St Mary's parish church in the town ofRye,East Sussex.
The Rye and DistrictSea Cadets maintain the traditions of HMSRye.
