HMS Lyme Regis was a Bangor-class minesweeper built for the Royal Navy during the Second World War.

History
United Kingdom
NameLyme Regis
Ordered20 December 1939
BuilderLobnitz & Co.
Laid down9 September 1941
Launched19 March 1942
Commissioned5 June 1942
Decommissioned1948
FateScrapped 1948
General characteristics
Class and typeBangor-class minesweeper
Displacement
  • 656 long tons (667 t) standard
  • 820 long tons (833 t) full
Length174 ft (53 m) o/a
Beam28 ft 6 in (8.69 m)
Draught10 ft 3 in (3.12 m)
Installed power
Propulsion
Speed16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Range2,800 nmi (5,200 km; 3,200 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement60
Armament

Design and description

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The Bangor class was designed as a small minesweeper that could be easily built in large numbers by civilian shipyards; as steam turbines were difficult to manufacture, the ships were designed to accept a wide variety of engines. Lyme Regis displaced 656 long tons (667 t) at standard load and 820 long tons (830 t) at deep load. The ship had an overall length of 174 feet (53.0 m), a beam of 28 feet 6 inches (8.7 m) and a draught of 10 feet 3 inches (3.1 m).[1] The ship's complement consisted of 60 officers and ratings.[2]

She was powered by two Parsons geared steam turbines, each driving one shaft, using steam provided by two Admiralty three-drum boilers. The engines produced a total of 2,000 shaft horsepower (1,500 kW) and gave a maximum speed of 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph). Lyme Regis carried a maximum of 160 long tons (163 t) of fuel oil that gave her a range of 2,800 nautical miles (5,200 km; 3,200 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).[3]

The turbine-powered Bangors were armed with a 12-pounder 3-inch (76 mm) anti-aircraft gun and a single QF 2-pounder (4 cm) AA gun. In some ships the 2-pounder was replaced a single or twin 20 mm Oerlikon AA gun, while most ships were fitted with four additional single Oerlikon mounts over the course of the war.[3] For escort work, her minesweeping gear could be exchanged for around 40 depth charges.[2]

Construction and career

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Ordered in late 1939, Lyme Regis was launched on 19 March 1942 and commissioned on 5 June 1942. Originally named HMS Sunderland, she was renamed after the original Lyme Regis, her sister ship, was transferred to the Royal Indian Navy and became HMIS Rajputana. Lyme Regis was sold for scrap on 24 August 1948 and was scrapped at Sunderland.[4]

References

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  1. ^ Lenton, pp. 253–54
  2. ^ a b Chesneau, p. 64
  3. ^ a b Lenton, p. 254
  4. ^ "HMS Lyme Regis (ii) (J 193)". Uboat.net.

Bibliography

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