HMS Manxman (M70)

History
Manxman in June 1945
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS Manxman
Ordered:	21 December 1938
Builder:	Alexander Stephen and Sons
Laid down:	24 March 1939
Launched:	5 September 1940
Commissioned:	20 June 1941
Motto:	Stabit quoconque jeceris (Latin: "It will stand, however you throw it")
Honours and awards:	Malta Convoys 1941-1942
Fate:	Scrapped October 1972
Badge:	On a Field Blue, Three legs conjoined in armour Proper, spurred and garnished Gold
General characteristics
Class and type:	Abdiel-class minelayer
Displacement:	2,650 long tons (2,693 t) standard 3,415 long tons (3,470 t) full (1938 group)
Length:	400 ft 6 in (122.07 m) p/p 418 ft (127 m) o/a
Beam:	40 ft (12 m)
Draught:	11 ft 3 in (3.43 m) 14 ft 9 in (4.50 m) full
Propulsion:	4 × Admiralty 3-drum water-tube boilers Parsons geared steam turbines 2 shafts 72,000 shp (54,000 kW)
Speed:	39¾ knots 38 knots (70 km/h; 44 mph) (full)
Range:	1,000 nmi (1,900 km) at 38 knots
Complement:	242
Armament:	(1938 group) 6 × QF 4 in (100 mm) L/45 Mark XVI guns on twin mounts HA/LA Mk.XIX 4 × QF 2 pdr L/39 Mk.VIII on quadruple mount Mk.VII 8 × Vickers .50 machine guns on quadruple mount Mk.I (later up to 12 × 20 mm Oerlikons on single mounts P Mk.III or twin mounts Mk.V) 156 mines

HMS Manxman (M70) was an Abdiel-class minelayer. The ship is named for an inhabitant of the Isle of Man.

Commissioned on 7 June 1941, her first mission was the delivery of mines to Murmansk. Manxman then transferred to the Mediterranean, where she was employed on relief runs to Malta. In August she took part in Operation Mincemeat, which involved mine-laying in the Gulf of Genoa while disguised as the French vessel Leopard. From October 1941 to February 1942, Manxman was returned to the Home Fleet and took part in a number of mine-laying operations in the North Sea and the English Channel. In March, she joined the Eastern Fleet at Kilindini the Indian Ocean. After escort and patrol duties, on 8 October she participated in the assault and capture of the island of Nosy Be on the north west coat of Madagascar, which was occupied by Vichy French forces.

Transferring to the Mediterranean again, Manxman was sent with supplies to Malta followed by mine-laying in the Sicilian Channel. On 1 December, whilst in transit from Algiers to Gibraltar, she was torpedoed by the German submarine U-375 and severely damaged on the position 36°39′N 0°15′E / 36.650°N 0.250°E / 36.650; 0.250. Following emergency repairs at Oran and Gibraltar, she returned to Newcastle-upon-Tyne for extensive repair work.

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