# Hunt-class minesweeper (1916)

The Hunt-class minesweeper was a class of minesweeping sloop built between 1916 and 1919 for the Royal Navy. They were built in two discrete groups, the earlier Belvoir group designed by the Ailsa Shipbuilding Company and the subsequent (and slightly larger) Aberdare group designed by the Admiralty. They were classed as Fleet Minesweeping Sloops, that is ships intended to clear open water. The Belvoir group were named after British fox hunts. Those of the Aberdare group were originally named after coastal towns, watering places and fishing ports, some of which happened to be hunts by coincidence. However, all were soon renamed after inland locations to prevent confusion caused by the misunderstanding of signals and orders.

## Design

These ships had twin screws and had forced-draught coal burning boilers; that is they burned pulverised coal in an artificially augmented airstream. One consequence of this was that they produced a lot of smoke, so much so that they were more usually referred to as Smokey Joes. Another was that if they were fed anything other than the Welsh Steam Coal they were designed for then the fuel consumption was enormous—one ship was bunkered with soft brown Natal coal and burnt 20 tons in a single day.
They had a shallow draught (8 ft (2.4 m)). Armament was one QF 4 in (100 mm) gun forward and a QF 12 pounder aft, plus two twin 0.303 inch machine guns. Their counter-mine equipment consisted of Oropesa floats to cut the cables of moored mines.

## Service

Six ships were completed as survey vessels, and the majority of the Aberdare group arrived too late to see service during the First World War. Thirty-five were cancelled after the armistice. Interwar, eight were sold out of service, one was sold to Siam, one was converted to an RNVR drillship and 52 were scrapped. The majority of the remainder spent the period from 1919 to 1939 in reserve around the world, with Malta and Singapore having most of them, so that on the outbreak of World War II there were still 27 available for service, to which a further two were added by requisition from mercantile service.
The 5th Minesweeping Flotilla, comprising Pangourne, Ross, Lydd, Kellet and Albury as well as the newer Halcyon-class Gossamer and Leda sailed from North Shields for Harwich late on 26 May 1940, reaching Harwich nearly 24 hours later. After coaling, the flotilla sailed for Dunkirk in the afternoon of 28 May, and was off the beach by about 21:30 hours the same day. At least two ships from the Flotilla (Ross and Lydd) were detailed to collect troops from the harbour mole. Ross alone took on board 353 men and one dog on this first night. The ships of the flotilla made a further three trips to Dunkirk in the following days, working at battle-stations virtually round the clock and returning to Margate for the last time from Dunkirk on Saturday, 1 June 1940. Sutton was also present at Dunkirk.
Five ships were lost during the war, and a further vessel, Widnes was beached in Suda Bay, Crete in May 1941 after being bombed by German aircraft. The Germans recovered and repaired the hull, pressing her into service as 12.V4. In October 1943, now known as Uj.2109, she was sunk by the destroyers HMS Eclipse, HMS Faulknor and the Greek destroyer Vasilissa Olga.

## Ships

The first group of twenty ships were ordered in 1916 and were part of the Belvoir group. One hundred and twenty-nine further ships were ordered to this Admiralty design between 1916 and November 1918 as the Aberdare group. Six of this group were completed as survey ships, while thirty-four of them were cancelled at the end of World War I. Among the cancelled ships, Battle and Bloxham had already been launched. Two more were projected to be ordered from Fleming & Ferguson, but these two were never actually ordered.
Many ships were originally assigned different names which were changed while building to avoid use of coastal locations as ship names.

### Original Royal Navy service

| Name | Pennant | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Disposed | Status |
| Belvoir group (20 ships ordered in 1916) |||||||||
| Belvoir | | Ailsa Shipbuilding Company, Troon | | 8 March 1917 | | July 1922 | Sold for scrap |
| Bichester | | Ailsa Shipbuilding Company, Troon | | 8 June 1917 | | 8 January 1923 | Sold for scrap |
| Blackmorevale | | Ardrossan Dry Dock, Ardrossan | | 23 March 1917 | | 1 May 1918 | Sunk by a mine off Montrose, Angus |
| Cattistock | | Clyde Shipbuilding Company, Port Glasgow | | 21 February 1917 | | 22 February 1923 | Sold for scrap |
| Cotswold | | Bow, McLachlan and Company, Paisley | | 28 November 1916 | | 18 January 1923 | |
| Cottesmore | | Bow, McLachlan and Company, Paisley | | 9 February 1917 | | 18 January 1923 | Sold for scrap |
| Croome | | Clyde Shipbuilding Company, Port Glasgow | | 22 May 1917 | | July 1922 | |
| Dartmoor | | Dunlop Bremner & Company, Port Glasgow | | 30 March 1917 | | 21 February 1923 | Sold for scrap |
| Garth | | Dunlop Bremner & Company, Port Glasgow | | 9 May 1917 | | 21 February 1923 | Sold for scrap |
| Hambledon | | Fleming & Ferguson, Paisley | | 9 March 1917 | | July 1922 | Sold for scrap |
| Heythrop | | Fleming & Ferguson, Paisley | | 4 June 1917 | | July 1922 | |
| Holderness | | D. & W. Henderson and Company, Glasgow | | 9 November 1916 | | August 1924 | Sold for scrap |
| Meynell | | D. & W. Henderson and Company, Glasgow | | 7 February 1917 | | 4 November 1922 | Sold for scrap |
| Muskerry | | Lobnitz and Company, Renfrew | | 28 November 1916 | | 22 January 1923 | Sold for scrap |
| Oakley | | Lobnitz and Company, Renfrew | | 10 January 1917 | | 18 January 1923 | Sold for scrap |
| Pytchley | | Napier and Miller, Old Kilpatrick | | 24 March 1917 | | July 1922 | Sold for scrap |
| Quorn | | Napier and Miller, Old Kilpatrick | | 4 June 1917 | | 18 September 1922 | Sold for scrap |
| Southdown | | William Simons and Company, Renfrew | | 7 July 1917 | | 16 December 1926 | Sold for scrap |
| Tedworth | | William Simons and Company, Renfrew | | 20 June 1917 | | November 1946 | Became a diving tender in August 1923; Sold for scrap |
| Zetland | | Murdoch and Murray, Port Glasgow | | 1917 | | 18 January 1923 | Sold for scrap |
| Aberdare group (129 ships ordered between 1916 and 1918) |||||||||
| Aberdare | | Ailsa Shipbuilding Company, Troon | 1 January 1917 | 29 April 1918 | 3 October 1918 | 13 March 1947 | Sold for mercantile use |
| Abingdon | J23 / N23 | Ailsa Shipbuilding Company, Troon | 30 November 1917 | 11 June 1918 | 6 November 1918 | 5 April 1942 | Beached after bombing; broken up |
| Albury | J41 | Ailsa Shipbuilding Company, Troon | | 21 November 1918 | 17 February 1919 | 13 March 1947 | Sold for mercantile use |
| Alresford | J06 / N06 | Ailsa Shipbuilding Company, Troon | | 17 January 1919 | 25 May 1919 | 13 March 1947 | Sold for scrap |
| Appledore | | Ailsa Shipbuilding Company, Troon | | 15 August 1919 | | 15 August 1920 | Sold for civilian use as Kamlawti |
| Badminton | | Ardrossan Dry Dock & Shipbuilding, Ardrossan | | 18 March 1918 | | 19 May 1928 | Sold for scrap |
| Bagshot | J57 / N57 | Ardrossan Dry Dock & Shipbuilding, Ardrossan | | 23 May 1918 | 1 May 1919 | 1 April 1942 | Converted to depot ship Medway II; sold 1947 |
| Banchory | | Ayrshire Shipbuilding Company, Irvine | | 15 May 1918 | | 18 May 1922 | Sold |
| Barnstaple | | Ardrossan Dry Dock & Shipbuilding, Ardrossan | | 20 March 1919 | | 1 December 1921 | Sold for mercantile use as Lady Cynthia |
| Battle | | Dundee Shipbuilding Company, Dundee | | October 1919 | Not taken up | March 1922 | Sold incomplete |
| Blackburn (ex-Burnham) | | Bow, McLachlan and Company, Paisley | | 13 August 1918 | | 17 October 1922 | Sold |
| Bloxham (ex-Brixham) | | Ayrshire Shipbuilding Company, Irvine | | 11 September 1919 | Not taken up | 23 October 1923 | Sold incomplete |
| Bootle (ex-Buckie) | | Bow, McLachlan and Company, Paisley | | 11 June 1918 | | 21 February 1923 | Sold for scrap |
| Bradfield | | Ayrshire Shipbuilding Company, Irvine | | 14 May 1919 | | October 1920 | Sold for use as Champavati |
| Burslem (ex-Blakeney) | | Ayrshire Shipbuilding Company, Irvine | | 5 March 1918 | | 19 May 1928 | Sold |
| Bury | | Joseph R. Eltringham, South Shields | | 17 May 1919 | | 20 January 1923 | Sold |
| Caerleon | | Bow, McLachlan and Company, Paisley | | 6 December 1918 | | April 1922 | Sold |
| Camberley | | Bow, McLachlan and Company, Paisley | | 28 December 1918 | | July 1923 | Sold |
| Carstairs (ex-Cawsand, Dryad) | | Bow, McLachlan and Company, Paisley | | 19 April 1919 | | 26 April 1935 | Sold |
| Caterham | | Bow, McLachlan and Company, Paisley | | 6 March 1919 | | 26 April 1935 | Sold |
| Cheam | | Joseph R. Eltringham, South Shields | | 2 July 1919 | | 18 March 1922 | Sold |
| Clonmel (ex-Stranraer) | | William Simons and Company | | 14 May 1918 | | July 1922 | Sold |
| Craigie | | Clyde Shipbuilding | | 29 May 1918 | | 18 May 1922 | Sold |
| Cupar (ex-Rosslare) | | A. McMillan & Son, Dumbarton | | 27 March 1918 | | 5 May 1919 | Sunk by mine |
| Derby (ex-Dawlish) | J90 / N90 | Clyde Shipbuilding | | 9 August 1918 | | 4 July 1945 | Sold for scrap |
| Dorking | | | | 25 September 1918 | | 26 April 1928 | Broken up |
| Dundalk | J60 | Clyde Shipbuilding | | 31 January 1919 | | 17 October 1940 | Foundered under tow after mined |
| Dunoon | J52 | Clyde Shipbuilding | | 21 March 1919 | | 30 April 1940 | Sunk by mine |
| Elgin | J39 | William Simons & Company, Renfrew | | 3 March 1919 | | 20 March 1945 | Sold for scrap |
| Fairfield | | Clyde Shipbuilding | | 30 May 1919 | | 3 March 1920 | Sold for civilian use in Brazil |
| Fareham | J89 / N89 | Dunlop Bremner & Company, Port Glasgow | | 7 June 1919 | | 24 August 1948 | Sold for scrap |
| Fermoy | J40 / N40 | Dundee Shipbuilding Company | | 3 February 1919 | July 1919 | 30 April 1941 | Damaged beyond repair by air attack; broken up |
| Faversham | | Dunlop Bremner & Company, Port Glasgow | | 19 July 1918 | | 25 November 1927 | Sold for scrap |
| Ford (ex-Fleetwood) | | Dunlop Bremner & Company, Port Glasgow | | 19 October 1918 | | October 1928 | Sold and renamed Forde |
| Forfar | | Dundee Shipbuilding | | 20 August 1918 | | March 1922 | Sold |
| Forres (ex-Fowey) | | Clyde Shipbuilding | | 22 November 1918 | | 26 April 1935 | Sold |
| Gaddesden | | | | 30 November 1917 | | 4 November 1922 | Sold |
| Gainsborough (ex-Gorleston) | | Joseph R. Eltringham, South Shields | | 12 February 1918 | | June 1928 | Sold |
| Goole (ex-Bridlington) | | Ayrshire Shipbuilding Company, Irvine | | 12 August 1919 | April 1926 | 27 November 1962 | Broken up |
| Gretna | | Joseph R. Eltringham, South Shields | | 11 April 1918 | | 3 October 1928 | Sold for scrap |
| Harrow | | Joseph R. Eltringham, South Shields | | July 1918 | | 1947 | Sold for scrap |
| Havant | | Joseph R. Eltringham, South Shields | | 24 March 1919 | | 1922 | Sold to Royal Thai Navy as Chao Phraya |
| Huntley (ex-Helmsdale) | | Joseph R. Eltringham, South Shields | | January 1919 | | 31 January 1941 | Sunk by German aircraft off Mersa Matruh |
| Instow (ex-Ilfracombe) | | Joseph R. Eltringham, South Shields | | April 1919 | | Inter-war | |
| Irvine | | Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Govan | | December 1917 | | Inter-war | |
| Kendal | | Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Govan | | February 1918 | | Inter-war | |
| Kinross | | Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Govan | | 4 July 1918 | | 18 June 1919 | Sunk by mine |
| Leamington (ex-Aldborough) | | Ardrossan Dry Dock, Ardrossan | | 26 August 1918 | | 19 May 1928 | Sold for scrap |
| Longford (ex-Minehead) | | John Harkness and Sons, Middlesbrough | | March 1919 | | Inter-war | |
| Lydd (ex-Lydney) | | Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Govan | | December 1918 | | 1947 | Sold for scrap |
| Mallaig | | Fleming & Ferguson, Paisley | | October 1918 | | Inter-war | |
| Malvern | | Fleming & Ferguson, Paisley | | February 1919 | | Inter-war | |
| Marazion | | Fleming & Ferguson, Paisley | | 15 April 1919 | | March 1933 | Sold in Hong Kong |
| Marlow | | Harkness | | August 1918 | | Inter-war | |
| Mistley (ex-Maryport) | | Harkness | | October 1918 | | Inter-war | |
| Monaghan (ex-Mullion) | | Harkness | | May 1919 | | Inter-war | |
| Munlochy (ex-Macduff) | | Fleming & Ferguson, Paisley | | June 1918 | | Inter-war | |
| Nailsea | | A and J Inglis, Pointhouse | | August 1918 | | Inter-war | |
| Newark (ex-Newlyn) | | Inglis | | June 1919 | | Inter-war | |
| Northolt | | Joseph R. Eltringham, South Shields | | June 1918 | | Inter-war | |
| Pangbourne (ex-Padstow) | | Lobnitz and Company, Renfrew | | March 1918 | | 1947 | Sold for scrap |
| Penarth | | Lobnitz and Company, Renfrew | | | | 1919 | Lost |
| Petersfield (ex-Portmadoc) | T8 / T21 | Lobnitz and Company, Renfrew | | 3 March 1919 | | 11 November 1931 | Wrecked |
| Pontypool (ex-Polperro) | | Lobnitz and Company, Renfrew | | June 1918 | | Inter-war | |
| Prestatyn (ex-Porlock) | | Lobnitz and Company, Renfrew | | November 1918 | | Inter-war | |
| Repton (ex-Wicklow) | | Inglis | | 1919 | | Inter-war | |
| Ross (ex-Ramsey) | J45 | Lobnitz and Company, Renfrew | | 12 June 1919 | | 13 March 1947 | Sold for scrap |
| Rugby (ex-Filey) | | Dunlop Bremner & Company, Port Glasgow | | September 1919 | | 25 November 1927 | Sold |
| Salford (ex-Shoreham) | | Murdoch and Murray, Port Glasgow | | April 1919 | | | |
| Saltash | | Murdoch and Murray, Port Glasgow | 5 September 1917 | 25 June 1918 | | January 1945 | Sold for scrap |
| Saltburn | | Murdoch and Murray, Port Glasgow | 29 January 1918 | 9 October 1918 | 31 December 1918 | 16 November 1946 | Sold for scrap and wrecked |
| Selkirk | J18 | Murdoch and Murray, Port Glasgow | 5 March 1918 | 2 December 1918 | 17 March 1919 | 17 May 1947 | Sold for scrap |
| Sherborne (ex-Tarbert) | | William Simons and Company, Renfrew | | June 1918 | | Inter-war | |
| Shrewsbury | | Napier and Miller | | February 1918 | | Inter-war | |
| Sligo | | Napier and Miller | | March 1918 | | Inter-war | |
| Stafford (ex-Staithes) | | Charles Rennoldson, South Shields | | February 1918 | | Inter-war | |
| Stoke (ex-Southwold) | | Charles Rennoldson, South Shields | | June 1918 | | 7 May 1941 | Sunk by German aircraft off Tobruk |
| Sutton (ex-Salcombe) | | Archibald McMillan and Son, Dumbarton | | March 1918 | | 1947 | Sold |
| Swindon | | Ardrossan Dry Dock, Ardrossan | | 25 December 1918 | | 1 December 1921 | Sold for civilian use as Lady Cecille |
| Tiverton | | William Simons and Company, Renfrew | | September 1918 | | Inter-war | |
| Tonbridge | | William Simons and Company, Renfrew | | November 1918 | | 19 May 1928 | Sold |
| Tralee | | William Simons and Company, Renfrew | | 17 December 1918 | | 2 July 1929 | Sold |
| Tring (ex-Teignmouth) | | William Simons and Company, Renfrew | | August 1919 | | Inter-war | |
| Truro | | William Simons and Company, Renfrew | | April 1919 | | 19 May 1928 | Sold |
| Wem (ex-Walmer) | | William Simons and Company, Renfrew | | 12 September 1919 | | 22 April 1922 | Sold for civilian use as Deshalpur |
| Wexford | | William Simons and Company, Renfrew | | 10 October 1919 | 1919 | 1921 | Sold for mercatile use as Doomba |
| Weybourne | | Inglis | | February 1919 | | Inter-war | |
| Widnes (ex-Withernsea) | | Napier and Miller | | June 1918 | | May 1941 | Bombed by German aircraft in Suda Bay, beached, captured as Uj.2109 |
| Yeovil | | Napier and Miller | | August 1918 | | Inter-war | |
| Aberdare group completed as survey ships |||||||||
| Beaufort (ex-Ambleside) | | | | 1919 | | Inter-war | |
| Collinson (ex-Amersham) | | Ailsa Shipbuilding Company | | 1919 | | Inter-war | |
| Crozier (ex-Verwood, ex-Ventnor) | | William Simons and Company, Renfrew | | 1 July 1919 | 1 July 1919 | 28 November 1921 | Transferred to South Africa as HMSAS Protea |
| Fitzroy (ex-Pinner, ex-Portreath) | | Lobnitz and Company, Renfrew | | 1919 | | 27 May 1942 | Sunk by mine off Great Yarmouth |
| Flinders (ex-Radley) | | Lobnitz and Company, Renfrew | | 1919 | | 1945 | Converted to accommodation ship 1940; Sold for scrap |
| Kellet (ex-Uppingham) | | | | 1919 | | 1945 | Sold for scrap |

### Follow-on service

Several examples passed on from Royal Navy service for use by other civil and military operators.
| Name | Previous name | Operator | In service | Disposed | Status |
| Champavati | ex-Bradfield | | October 1920 | | |
| Chao Phraya | ex-Havant | Royal Thai Navy | 1922 | | |
| Deshalpur | ex-Wem | The Cutch SN Company | 22 April 1922 | 1927 | Scrapped |
| Doomba | ex-Wexford | Royal Australian Navy | 25 September 1939 | 13 March 1946 | Converted to an oil lighter; scuttled |
| Doomba | ex-Wexford | Doomba Shipping Company | 1921 | 4 September 1939 | Requisitioned by the Royal Australian Navy |
| Forde | ex-Ford | Townsend Brothers | 8 December 1928 | 1 May 1954 | Scrapped |
| Kamlawti | ex-Appledore | Civilian | 15 August 1920 | | |
| Lady Cecile | ex-Swindon | Union Steamship Company, British Columbia | 1 December 1921 | 1951 | Scrapped |
| Lady Cynthia | ex-Barnstaple | Merchant | 1 December 1921 | | |
| Lieutenant Captain Remigio Verdia | ex-Queen of the Bay | Spanish Republican Navy | 1938 | 1939 | Grounded, captured by Spanish Nationalist forces as |
| Medway II | ex-Bagshot | Depot ship | 1 April 1942 | 1947 | Sold |
| Protea | ex-Crozier | Royal Navy | 30 April 1933 | 1935 | Sold for merchant service as Queen of the Bay |
| Protea | ex-Crozier | South African Naval Service | 1 April 1922 | 30 April 1933 | Returned to Royal Navy as HMS Protea |
| Queen of the Bay | ex-Protea | Blackpool Steam Navigation Company | 1935 | 1938 | Sold to Spanish Republican Navy as Lieutenant Captain Remigio Verdia |
| Uj.2109 | ex-Widnes | Kriegsmarine | May 1941 | 17 October 1943 | Sunk by destroyers |
| Virgen de la Caridad | ex-Lieutenant Captain Remigio Verdia | Spanish Nationalist forces | 1945 | 1960 | |

## Citations

* ↑ uboat.net HMS Aberdare
* ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "HMS Albury (J 41): Minesweeper of the Hunt Class". uboat.net. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
* ↑ Admiralty Estimates for 1919 Archived 10 November 2016 at the Wayback Machine (appendix) accessed 25 October 2016
* ↑ Admiralty Estimates for 1919 Archived 10 November 2016 at the Wayback Machine (appendix) accessed 25 October 2016