Halcyon-class minesweeper
HMS Britomart secured to a buoy in Plymouth Sound
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Operators: |
 Royal Navy
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| Preceded by: | Racecourse class |
| Succeeded by: | Bangor class |
| Subclasses: | reciprocating / turbine-engined |
| Planned: | 22 |
| Completed: | 21 |
| Lost: | 9 (+1 constructive total loss) |
| Retired: | 12 |
| General characteristics for Reciprocating | |
| Type: | fleet minesweeper |
| Displacement: | 815 tons (828 tonnes) |
| Tons burthen: | 1,370 tons (1,391 tonnes) |
| Length: | 245 ft 9 in (74.90 m) o/aii |
| Beam: | 33 ft 6 in (10.21 m) |
| Draught: | 9 ft (2.7 m) |
| Propulsion: | 2 × Admiralty 3-drum water-tube boilers, vertical compound reciprocating steam engines on 2 shafts, 1,770 ihp |
| Speed: | 16.5 to 17 kn (31 km/h) |
| Range: | 7,200 nmi (13,330 km) at 10 knots (19 km/h) |
| Complement: | 80 |
| Armament: |
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| General characteristics (Niger, Salamander) | |
| Tons burthen: | 1,330 tons (1,351 tonnes) |
| Length: | 245 ft 3 in (74.75 m) |
| Propulsion: | Vertical triple-expansion, 2,000 ihp |
| Speed: | 17 knots (31 km/h) |
| Armament: |
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| Notes: | Other characteristics as per reciprocating ships |
| General characteristics (turbine) | |
| Displacement: |
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| Propulsion: | 2 × Admiralty 3-drum water-tube boilers, Parsons steam turbines, 1,750 shp (1,305 kW) on 2 shafts |
| Speed: | 16.5 knots (31 km/h) |
| Notes: | Other characteristics as per Niger / Salamander |
The Halcyon class was a class of 21 oil-fired minesweepers (officially, "fleet minesweeping sloops") built for the British Royal Navy between 1933 and 1939. They were given traditional small ship names used historically by the Royal Navy and served during World War II.
There were 21 ships in the Halcyon class, built in two groups; the first using reciprocating steam engines, with steam turbines in the latter. They were generally smaller versions of the Grimsby-class escort sloops. Niger and Salamander of the reciprocating group used vertical triple expansion engines, instead of the vertical compound engines of their sisters. As a result of the increased installed power they had a half knot speed advantage, even though they used slightly shorter hulls. The turbine ships used the same shorter hulls as Niger and Salamander, but with lower installed power, speed dropped back to 16.5 knots (31 km/h).
Gleaner, Franklin, Jason and Scott were completed as unarmed survey vessels, Sharpshooter and Seagull being converted to follow suit. They were all re-armed and deployed in their original role on the outbreak of war. Seagull had the first all-welded hull built for the Royal Navy.
Halcyons served in Home waters, at Dunkirk, on Arctic convoy duty, and in the Mediterranean Sea.
On 3 February 1940 Sphinx (Cdr. J. R. N. Taylor, RN) was sweeping an area 15 miles (24 km) north of Kinnaird Head when attacked by enemy aircraft. A bomb pierced the fo'c'sle deck and exploding destroying the fore part of the ship. She remained afloat and was taken in tow by Halcyon but steadily flooded and capsized and sank. The wreck was later washed ashore north of Lybster and was sold for scrap. The Commanding Officer and forty of the men were killed in the explosion.
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Wikipedia