HMS Pickle (J293)

	HMS Pickle c1943 (IWM)
History
United Kingdom
Name	Pickle
Builder	Harland and Wolff, Belfast
Laid down	11 January 1943
Launched	3 August 1943
Completed	15 October 1943
History
Ceylon
Name	Parakrama
Acquired	1958
Commissioned	1959
Out of service	1964
Homeport	Trincomalee
Fate	broken up, 1964
General characteristics
Class and type	Algerine-class minesweeper
Displacement	850 long tons (864 t) (standard); 1,125 long tons (1,143 t) (deep);
Length	225 ft (69 m) o/a
Beam	35 ft 6 in (10.82 m)
Draught	11 ft (3.4 m)
Installed power	2 × Admiralty 3-drum boilers; 2,000 shp (1,500 kW);
Propulsion	2 shafts; 2 Parsons geared steam turbines;
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;

HMCyS Parakrama, was a

Royal Ceylon Navy, originally built as HMS Pickle (J293) for the Royal Navy during World War II, and transferred to Ceylon by the United Kingdom

in 1958. She was scrapped in 1964.

Design and description

The turbine-powered group displaced 850 long tons (860 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 11 feet (3.4 m). The ships' complement consisted of 85 officers and ratings.^[1]

The ships had two

Admiralty three-drum boilers. The engines produced a total of 2,000 shaft horsepower (1,500 kW) and gave a maximum speed of 16.5 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

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]

Royal Navy service

During construction Pickle was adopted by the civil community of Lunedale in Lancashire during Warship Week in 1942. On commissioning she was based at Tobermory.^[3]

In January 1944 she joined the 7th Minesweeping Flotilla and was allocated for minesweeping duties as part of Operation Neptune, the naval component of the Normandy Landings in June 1944.

In 1945 she travelled to the Far East to undertake minesweeping duties to support landings at Rangoon. She returned to the UK in September 1945 for paying off. She did attend the Coronation Review at Spithead in 1953.^[4] She was placed in reserve and remained there until earmarked for disposal in 1957.

Ceylon Navy service

In 1958 she was transferred to Ceylon with a formal transfer taking place in Devonport on 6 April 1959.^[5]

She remained in service until 1964, after which she was scrapped.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Lenton, p. 261
^ Chesneau, p. 65
^ Mason, Geoffrey B. (2004). Gordon Smith (ed.). "HMS Pickle (J 293) - Algerine Class Minesweeper". naval-history.net. Retrieved 4 May 2015.
^ Souvenir Programme, Coronation Review of the Fleet, Spithead, 15th June 1953, HMSO, Gale and Polden
^ Raymond V B Blackman (ed.). Jane's Fighting Ships 1963-4. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co. Ltd. p. 45.

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
.

ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8
.

ISBN 1-55750-048-7
.

External links

[l3-1] Lenton, p. 261

[c1-2] Chesneau, p. 65

[nh-3] Mason, Geoffrey B. (2004). Gordon Smith (ed.). "HMS Pickle (J 293) - Algerine Class Minesweeper". naval-history.net. Retrieved 4 May 2015.

[4] Souvenir Programme, Coronation Review of the Fleet, Spithead, 15th June 1953, HMSO, Gale and Polden

[5] Raymond V B Blackman (ed.). Jane's Fighting Ships 1963-4. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co. Ltd. p. 45.

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