Bracklyn was a British steam fishing trawler. Completed in 1914, it was almost immediately requisitioned as a minesweeper by the Royal Navy to take part in the First World War. It ran aground at Great Yarmouth in 1916, but was towed off and re-floated by a tug. In May 1917, the ship was mined by a U-boat and sank, killing the crew.
| History | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name | Bracklyn |
| Owner | The Brooklyn Fishing Company Ltd., Fleetwood |
| Port of registry | Fleetwood, England |
| Builder | J. Duthie Torry Shipbuilding Co., Aberdeen |
| Yard number | 401[1] |
| Launched | 22 April 1914 |
| Completed | May 1914 |
| In service | 1914 |
| Identification | FD2[1] |
| Fate | Requisitioned by Royal Navy as a minesweeper, December 1914 |
| History | |
 Royal Navy | |
| Name | HMT Bracklyn |
| Operator | Royal Navy |
| Acquired | December 1914 |
| In service | 1914–1917 |
| Identification | No.1978[1] |
| Fate | Sunk by mine off Great Yarmouth, 11 May 1917 |
| General characteristics [1][2] | |
| Tonnage |
|
| Length | 125.8 ft (38.3 m) |
| Beam | 23.4 ft (7.1 m) |
| Height | 13.2 ft (4.0 m) |
| Propulsion | T.3-cylinder by J. Abernethy and Co., Aberdeen |
| Crew | 10 (1917) |
Construction and design
editBracklyn (Official Number 13688), a steel fishing trawler, was constructed in Aberdeen by J. Duthie Torry Shipbuilding Co. for The Brooklyn Fishing Company Ltd., Fleetwood.[1][3] The trawler measured 303 gross register tons (GRT) and 122 net register tons (NRT) and featured a length of 125.8 ft (38.3 m), a beam of 23.4 ft (7.1 m), and a height of 13.2 ft (4.0 m).[1] Bracklyn was launched on 22 April 1914 and was completed a month later in May, being registered by her owners in Fleetwood on 28 May 1914.[1]
History
editFirst World War service
editIn December 1914, seven months after her registration, Bracklyn was requisitioned by the Royal Navy for service in the First World War, becoming a minesweeper.[1] On 28 March 1916, the warship and four other civilian ships ran aground on Corton Beach, Great Yarmouth during a period of bad weather.[1] When the weather cleared, Bracklyn was towed off the beach by the tug Lowestoft, assisted by the lifeboat Kentwell.[1] The following year, on 11 May 1917, Bracklyn sank at 52°42′00″N 2°10′00″E / 52.7°N 2.166667°E after striking a mine laid by SM UC-1 three days earlier.[1][2][4] The entire crew of ten were killed in action.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "S.T. Bracklyn FD2". The Bosun's Watch. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
- ^ a b "Bracklyn". uboat.net. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
- ^ "Aberdeen Ships | Bracklyn". Aberdeen Built Ships. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
- ^ "Bracklyn (1136888)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 1 September 2020.