HMS Vestal (J215)

Coordinates: 07°05′N 97°50′E / 7.083°N 97.833°E / 7.083; 97.833
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other ships with the same name, see HMS Vestal.

History
United Kingdom
NameHMS Vestal
Builder
Harland and Wolff, Belfast[3]
Yard number1147[2]
Laid down11 January 1943
Launched19 June 1943
Completed10 September 1943[2]
Commissioned11 February 1944
IdentificationPennant number: J299
FateHit by a Japanese
scuttled
BadgeA sacred flame which was brought to Rome by Aeneas, and was then tended to by Vesta, Goddess of the Hearth. The patch is blue; with a gold altar with a flame.[1]
General characteristics
Class and typeAlgerine-class minesweeper
Length255 ft (78 m)
Beam35.5 ft (10.8 m)
Draft3.50
PropulsionSteam Turbine[4]
Speed16.5 knots (30.6 km/h)
Crew104–135
Armament

HMS Vestal

scuttled
in waters close to Thailand.

Vestal was the only British ship to be sunk by kamikaze attack[7] and the last Royal Navy ship to be lost in the Second World War.[8] She was sunk whilst partaking in Operation Livery. Vestal was commanded by Lt. Charles William Porter, DSC, from 26 July 1943 until 26 July 1945, when the ship was sunk.[9] Her engine was provided by Paxman.[10]

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.[11]

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).[11]

The Algerine class was armed with a

anti-aircraft gun[12] 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 gun 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.[11]

Construction

The ship was laid down at the

Harland and Wolff yard in Belfast on 11 January 1943. She was launched on 19 June that year and commissioned on 10 September, a build time of just seven months and three days.[13]

Operations

1944

Vestal underwent trials until October 1944. She took part in a minesweeping exercise around Harwich with a flotilla, which was working in the Scheldt estuary. This was with the ships Pincher, Recruit, Rifleman, Plucky, Fancy, Squirrel, and Chameleon, all of which were Algerine-class minesweepers.[14]

1945

Vestal was deployed as a part of the East Indies Fleet, along with Pincher, Plucky, Recruit, Pickle, Rifleman, and Chameleon.[14] On 24 July, Squirrel hit a mine, which killed seven men. The ship was scuttled by Rotherham, and the survivors were rescued by Vestal, and taken to the battleship Nelson.[15]

Vestal was sunk on 26 July 1945 whilst participating in

scuttled[8] by the destroyer HMS Racehorse.[17]

Wreck

The wreck of Vestal currently lies off Phuket at 72 metres (236 ft) below sea level.[8]

References

  1. ^ "The 110 Ships, Their Fate & Their Badges RN(6)". Minesweepers.org. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  2. ^
    ISBN 9780752488615
    .
  3. ^ "HMS Vestal-World Naval Ships Directory". World Naval Ships. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  4. ^ "HMS Vestal (J-215)". Wreck Site. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  5. ^ "HMS Vestal (J215)". Warships of World War II. Archived from the original on 24 June 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  6. ^ "HMS Vestal (FL 21022)". Imperial War Museum. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  7. ^ "Saundersfoot War Memorial". WW1.Wales. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  8. ^ a b c d "HMS Vestal". thaiwreckdiver.com. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  9. ^ "HMS Vestal (J 215) of the Royal Navy". uboat.net. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  10. ^ "Paxman and the Royal Navy-Surface Ships". Paxman History. Archived from the original on 27 May 2011. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  11. ^ a b c Lenton, p. 261
  12. ^ Chesneau, p. 65
  13. ^ Elliott p.311
  14. ^ a b "HMS Chameleon (J 387) – Algerine-class Fleet Minesweeper". Naval History. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  15. ^ Mason, Geoffrey B., LCDR. "HMS Nelson – Nelson-class 16in gun Battleship". Naval History Homepage. Retrieved 7 July 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  16. ^ Donate, Andreas, "The Discovery of the HMS Vestal (Pdf)" (PDF), Happy Divers, retrieved 24 June 2013
  17. ^ "Dedicated to remembering person surname of Walker of Stretford that fought in WW2 for our freedom. Entry Number 128". traffordwardead.co.uk. Retrieved 29 January 2023.

07°05′N 97°50′E / 7.083°N 97.833°E / 7.083; 97.833

Publications

External links
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