Llewellyn-class minesweeper: Difference between revisions

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The '''''Llewellyn''-class minesweepers''' were a series of ten coastal [[minesweeper]]s constructed for the [[Royal Canadian Navy]] during the [[World War II|Second World War]]. Based on the Admiralty type {{sclass2-|MMS|minesweeper|2}}, the ''Llewellyn'' class were constructed of wood and used for the removal of [[Naval mine#Influence mines|magnetic influence mines]]. Two were built in [[Quebec]], with the eight constructed on the [[British Columbia Coast|Western Coast of Canada]]. Mostly used as [[guard ship]]s during the war, only three of the ten remained in Royal Canadian Navy service following the war, with the last being discarded in 1957. Following naval service, vessels of the class ended up in commercial service, with some becoming fishing vessels, cargo ships and one a floating restaurant. Six of the ten ships were lost in commercial service.

==Description==

Based on the Admiralty type {{sclass2-|MMS|minesweeper}}s, the ''Llewellyn'' class were built with wooden hulls for deployment against [[Naval mine#Influence mines|magnetic influence mines]] that would detect a steel hull passing nearby and detonate. The minesweepers had a [[Displacement (ship)|standard displacement]] of {{convert|228|LT|t}}.{{sfn|Macpherson|1997|p=102}} They were {{convert|119|ft|4|in|m|1|abbr=on}} [[Length overall|long overall]] and {{convert|105|ft|0|in|m|0|abbr=on}} [[Length between perpendiculars|between perpendiculars]] with a [[Beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|22|ft|0|in|m|1|abbr=on}} and a [[Draft (hull)|draught]] of {{convert|8|ft|8|in|m|1|abbr=on}}.{{sfn|Lenton|Colledge|1968|p=534}}{{sfn|Macpherson|Barrie|2002|p=201}} The ''Llewellyn'' class were powered by a [[diesel engine]] driving one [[propeller]] shaft, rated at {{convert|500|bhp|lk=in|0}}.{{sfn|Lenton|Colledge|1968|p=534}} This gave the minesweepers a maximum speed of {{convert|12|kn|lk=in|0}}.{{sfn|Macpherson|Barrie|2002|p=201}}

The ''Llewellyn'' class were armed with four {{convert|0.5|in|mm|abbr=on|1}} machine guns placed in two twin mounts.{{sfn|Macpherson|Barrie|2002|p=201}} At some point, their armament was changed to one 0.5-inch machine gun placed amidships and twin {{convert|.303|in|mm|1|adj=on}} machine guns on the [[Bridge (nautical)|bridge]] wings.{{sfn|Macpherson|1997|p=102}} The minesweepers were equipped with the "Double L" magnetic minesweeping gear and had a [[Ship's company|complement]] of 23 composed of 3 officers and 20 crew.{{sfn|Macpherson|Barrie|2002|p=201}}

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The British Columbia-built minesweepers all joined the fleet in 1944 and patrolled between [[Esquimalt, British Columbia|Esquimalt]] and [[Prince Rupert, British Columbia]], joining either escort force until the end of 1945. All eight were decommissioned and seven were sold to commercial interests.{{sfn|Macpherson|Barrie|2002|p=201}} The vast majority of them had eventful fates. ''Daerwood'' was sold for commercial use on 30 December 1946. The vessel caught fire and sank at [[Bridgetown, Barbados]] on 13 October 1973. ''Cranbrook'' was purchased by a Nanaimo towing firm in November 1947. In 1950 the vessel's registry disappeared from [[Lloyd's Registry]].{{sfn|Macpherson|1997|p=103}} ''Coquitlam'' was sold in October 1946 and renamed ''Wilcox''. The ship went [[Ship grounding|aground]] on 17 June 1954 on [[Anticosti Island]] and written off. ''Kalamalka'' was sold in 1946 for conversion to a fishing vessel. The ship burned and sank while fishing in [[Wallis Bay]], British Columbia on 18 March 1968. ''Lavallee'' was sold on 13 November 1947 to become fishing vessel of the same name. The ship burned and sank near [[Burgeo, Newfoundland and Labrador]] on 1 March 1967.{{sfn|Macpherson|1997|p=105}} ''Rossland'' was sold to Vancouver towing company in 1946 and renamed ''La Verne''. In 1971, the vessel was resold to a US buyer. ''St. Joseph'' was sold for commercial use and was a Mexican-flagged cargo vessel until the ship's registry was deleted in 1988.{{sfn|Macpherson|1997|p=106}}

''Revelstoke'' was the only British Columbia-built vessel to be kept following the war. ''Revelstoke'' sailed to Halifax and served as tender to [[CFB Halifax#HMCS Stadacona|HMCS ''Stadacona'']] and {{HMCS|Cabot}} before being decommissioned for the final time on 23 October 1953.{{sfn|Macpherson|1997|p=105}}<ref>{{cite magazine|title=HMCS Revelstoke |magazine=The Crowsnest |publisher=Queen's Printer |___location=Ottawa, Ontario |date=September 1952 |number=11 |volume=4 |pages=20}}</ref> The vessel was sold in 1957 and renamed ''Shirley Ann'' in 1959. ''Shirley Ann'' caught fire and sank off Newfoundland on 12 October 1979.{{sfn|Macpherson|1997|p=105}}

==Citations==

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* {{cite book |last=Macpherson |first=Ken |last2=Barrie |first2=Ron |name-list-style=amp |year=2002 |title=The Ships of Canada's Naval Forces 1910–2002 |edition=Third |publisher=Vanwell Publishing |___location=St. Catharines, Ontario |isbn=1-55125-072-1 }}

[[Category:Minesweepers of the Royal Canadian Navy| ]]

[[Category:World War II minesweepers of Canada]]

[[Category:1940s ships]]