HMS Cadmus (J230) explained

HMS Cadmus (J230) was a steam turbine-powered during the Second World War. Launched in 1942 the ship survived the war and was sold to Belgium in 1950 as Georges Lecointe (M901).

Design and description

See main article: Algerine-class minesweeper. The turbine-powered ships displaced 850LT at standard load and 1125LT at deep load. The ships measured 225feet long overall with a beam of 35feet. The turbine group had a draught of 11feet. The ships' complement consisted of 85 officers and ratings.[1]

The ships had two Parsons geared steam turbines, each driving one shaft, using steam provided by two Admiralty three-drum boilers. The engines produced a total of 2000ihp and gave a maximum speed of 16.5kn. They carried a maximum of 660LT of fuel oil that gave them a range of 5000nmi at .[1]

The Algerine class was armed with a QF 4abbr=onNaNabbr=on 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 21 July 1941 and launched on 27 May 1942. She was commissioned on 9 September 1942.[3]

Service in the Belgian Navy

Cadmus was renamed Georges Lecointe (after Belgian polar explorer Georges Lecointe) and was commissioned on 31 January 1950.[4]

In 1959, she was decommissioned by the Navy and on 24 April 1960, she was sold to J. Desmedt Burcht Belgium. Her scrapping process started on 19 May.

Bibliography

External links

Notes and References

  1. Lenton, p. 261
  2. Chesneau, p. 65
  3. Web site: HMS Cadmus (J 230) of the Royal Navy - British Minesweeper of the Algerine class - Allied Warships of WWII - uboat.net. 2021-09-07. uboat.net.
  4. Web site: Lecointe. 2021-09-07. www.marinebelge.be.