MMS-class minesweeper: Difference between revisions

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The British [[Royal Navy]] operated large numbers of small Motor Minesweepers (MMS) during the [[Second World War]], in two major classes, the first with {{convert|105|ft|m|abbr=on}} hulls (of which 294 were built) and the second with {{convert|126|ft|m|abbr=on}} hulls (of which 102 were built). Intended to counter [[Naval mine#Influence mines|magnetic influence mines]] in coastal waters, they had wooden hulls.

==105 ft MMS==

In the early months of the [[Second World War]], Germany made extensive use of magnetic mines, which led to a requirement for a wooden minesweeper, less vulnerable than steel [[Naval trawler|trawlers]].<ref name="bwnp141">{{Harvnb|Brown|2000|p=141}}</ref> The resultant design, the 105 &nbsp;ft-class<ref name="wrp56">{{harvnb|Worth|1984|p=56}}</ref> (also known as the ''MMS 1'' series<ref name="jfsww2">{{harvnb|Preston|1989|p=76}}</ref> and later the Type 1501 series<ref name="jfs53p67">{{harvnb|Blackman|1953|p=67}}</ref>) was built between 1940 and 1944.<ref name="wrp56"/>

They were {{convert|105|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} [[length between perpendiculars|long between perpendiculars]],<ref name="wrp56"/> with an [[length overall|overall length]] of {{convert|119|ft|4|in|abbr=on}}, a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|23|ft|5|in|abbr=on}} and a [[Draft (ship)|draught]] of {{convert|8|ft|9|in|abbr=on}}.<ref name="conways22p72">{{harvnb|Gardiner|Chesneau|1980|p=72}}</ref> [[Displacement (ship)|Displacement]] was {{convert|240–255|LT|t|abbr=on}}.<ref name="jfsww2"/><ref name="jfs53p67"/> They were powered by a {{convert|500|bhp|kW|abbr=on}} [[diesel engine]], giving a speed of {{convert|11|kn|mph km/h|abbr=on}}.<ref name="wrp56"/><ref name="lcp583">{{harvnb|Lenton|Colledge|1973|p=583}}</ref> Their major minesweeping equipment was the LL sweep,<ref name="bwnp141"/> where two minesweepers operating side-by-side each trailed two buoyant cables with electrodes at the end of the cables. Pulsing a high current through the cables generated a magnetic field sufficient to set off mines over an area of about {{convert|1|acre}}.<ref>{{harvnb|Cowie|1949|pp=128–129}}</ref> They were later fitted with an SA sweep to deal with acoustic mines, which consisted of a hammer box mounted on an A-frame on the ship's bow, which could be lowered into the water when required.<ref name="bwnp141"/> The ships did not have enough towing power to use conventional contact sweeps for dealing with moored contact mines.<ref name="bwnp141"/> Defensive armament consisted of two 0.5 inch machine guns and/or one or two [[Oerlikon 20mm cannon]]s. The ships had a complement of 20 men.<ref name="conways22p72"/>

The coastal minesweepers had [[pennant number]]s MMS1 to MMS312 and MMS1001 to MMS1090. They were nicknamed "Mickey Mouse".