HMS Spanker (J226)

De Brouwer (M904)
History
United Kingdom
Name	Spanker
Namesake	Spanker
Ordered	15 November 1940
Builder	Harland & Wolff, Belfast
Laid down	22 September 1942
Launched	20 April 1943
Commissioned	20 August 1943
Decommissioned	December 1947
Identification	Pennant number: J226
Fate	Sold to the Belgium, 1953
Belgium
Name	De Brouwer
Namesake	De Brouwer
Acquired	1953
Commissioned	25 February 1953
Decommissioned	1966
Stricken	1966
Identification	Pennant number: M904
Fate	Scrapped, 1967
General characteristics
Class and type	Algerine-class minesweeper
Displacement	1,030 long tons (1,047 t) (standard) 1,325 long tons (1,346 t) (deep)
Length	225 ft (69 m) o/a
Beam	35 ft 6 in (10.82 m)
Draught	12.25 ft 6 in (3.89 m)
Installed power	2 × Admiralty 3-drum boilers 2,400 ihp (1,800 kW)
Propulsion	2 shafts 2 vertical triple-expansion steam engines
Speed	16.5 knots (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	1 × QF 4 in (102 mm) Mk V anti-aircraft gun 4 × twin Oerlikon 20 mm cannon

HMS Spanker (J226) was a turbine engine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper during the Second World War. She survived the war and was sold to Belgium in 1953 as De Brouwer (M904).

Design and description[]

The reciprocating group displaced 1,010–1,030 long tons (1,030–1,050 t) at standard load and 1,305–1,325 long tons (1,326–1,346 t) at deep load The ships measured 225 feet (68.6 m) long overall with a beam of 35 feet 6 inches (10.8 m). They had a draught of 12 feet 3 inches (3.7 m). The ships' complement consisted of 85 officers and ratings.^[1]

The reciprocating ships had two vertical triple-expansion steam engines, each driving one shaft, using steam provided by two Admiralty three-drum boilers. The engines produced a total of 2,400 indicated horsepower (1,800 kW) and gave a maximum speed of 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph). They carried a maximum of 660 long tons (671 t) of fuel oil that gave them a range of 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).^[1]

The Algerine class was armed with a QF 4 in (102 mm) Mk V anti-aircraft gun^[2] and four twin-gun mounts for Oerlikon 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-barrel Bofors 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 for depth charges.^[1]

Construction and career[]

Service in the Royal Navy[]

The ship was ordered on 15 November 1940 at the Harland & Wolff at Belfast, Ireland. She was laid down on 22 September 1942 and launched on 20 April 1943. She was commissioned on 20 August 1943.^[3] She joined the 19th Minesweeper Flotilla.^[4]

Spanker in the 1940s

In October 1943, HMS Rosario conducted minesweeping exercise together with her flotilla which consists of , HMS Brave, and HMS Spanker.^[5] The next month of November, she was sent for escort service with ships of her Flotilla and took passage from Clyde to Milford Haven. She was again part of the escort with ships of her Flotilla, for Convoy KX12 during passage from Milford Haven to Gibraltar.^[4]

After her repair work on 17 January 1944, she took passage to Malta to rejoin her Flotilla. She was involved in collision with a trawler during her arrival in Malta and sustained damage. Due to the collision, this prevented the ship taking part in minesweeping support of the landings at Anzio code named Operation Shingle with other ships of the her Flotilla.^[4]

On 16 June 1944, she was deployed with her Flotilla to carry out minesweeping operations in advance of ships on passage to carry out landings on island of Elba code named Operation Brassard.^[4]

On 18 July 1944, she was again deployed with her Flotilla in joint minesweeping operations off Civitavecchia to clear a channel north of Cape Corso in preparation for Operation Lobster.^[4]

In August 1944, she returned to Naples with ships of her Flotilla to prepare for planned allied landings in South France code named Operation Dragoon. On the 14th, she sailed with a convoy from Ajaccio as escort to St Tropez for landings and on the 22nd, she entered the harbour at Porquello Island and accepted surrender of German garrison after which the island was taken over by forces from USS Omaha.^[4]

From January to March 1945, she took part in Operation Antagonize III for mine clearance in southern Adriatic. On 2 June, she was sent to the Northern Adriatic with , , HMS Fancy, HMS Waterwitch and HMS Rosario to widen existing swept channel into Porto Malamocca.^[4]

In return back to United Kingdom in May 1946 but not long after she was transferred to Cuxhaven for minesweeping until December when she went Port Edgar, near Rosyth for minesweeping training.^[4]

Spanker was decommissioned in December 1947 at South Queensferry.^[4]

She was then sold to Belgium in 1952. The ship underwent refit from June 1952 and February 1953.^[4]

Service in the Belgian Navy[]

Spanker was renamed De Brouwer and was commissioned on 25 February 1953.

On 3 May 1961, she visited Brest and later on the 14th, she left for Portsmouth.^[6]

De Brouwer was decommissioned in 1963 and the ship was sold for scrap to Firma Heyghen, Ghent in 1967. Only until 1968, she was towed to the scrap yard.^[6]

References[]

Bibliography[]

• Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
• Peter Elliott (1977) Allied Escort Ships of World War II. MacDonald & Janes, ISBN 0 356 08401 9
• Lenton, H. T. (1998). British & Empire Warships of the Second World War. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-048-7.

External links[]

• [1]