HMIS Punjab (J239) was a Bathurst-class minesweeper which served in the Royal Indian Navy (RIN) during World War II.[1]
| History | |
|---|---|
 India | |
| Name | Punjab |
| Ordered | 24 January 1941 |
| Builder | Mort's Dock |
| Laid down | 26 May 1941 |
| Launched | 10 October 1941 |
| Commissioned | 20 March 1942 |
| Out of service | 1949 |
| Fate | Scrapped |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Bathurst-class minesweeper |
| Displacement | 1,025 tons (full war load) |
| Length | 186 ft (57 m) |
| Beam | 31 ft (9.4 m) |
| Draught | 8.5 ft (2.6 m) |
| Propulsion | Triple expansion, 2 shafts. 2,000 hp (1,500 kW) |
| Speed | 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
| Complement | 85 |
| Sensors and processing systems | Type 128 asdic |
| Armament | 1 × 12-pounder gun or 1 × 4 inchgun, 1 × 40 mm Bofors gun, 2-3 × 20 mm Oerlikon guns, up to 40 depth charges |
History
editHMIS Punjab was ordered in 1941, and built by Mort's Dock. She was commissioned in 1942, into the Eastern Fleet. She escorted a number of convoys until the end of the war.[2][3][4][5]
In July 1945, in support of the planned Allied amphibious landings in Malaya, Punjab with other RIN and Royal Navy vessels conducted minesweeping operations off Phuket.[6]
After the independence of India and the subsequent partition, she was among the vessels transferred to Pakistan.
Notes
edit- ^ "HMIS Punjab (J 239) of the Royal Indian Navy - Indian Minesweeper of the Bathurst class - Allied Warships of WWII - uboat.net".
- ^ "Eastern Fleet, Admiralty War Diary 1942".
- ^ "Eastern Fleet War Diary 1943".
- ^ "East Indies Fleet War Diary 1944".
- ^ "East Indies Fleet War Diary 1945".
- ^ "HMS Squirrel, minesweeper".