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Allied Warships

HMS Speedwell (J 87)

Minesweeper of the Halcyon class

NavyThe Royal Navy
TypeMinesweeper
ClassHalcyon 
PennantJ 87 
Built byWilliam Hamilton & Co. (Port Glasgow, Scotland): William Beardmore & Co. (Dalmuir, Scotland) 
Ordered 
Laid down20 Jun, 1934 
Launched21 Mar, 1935 
Commissioned30 Sep, 1935 
End service 
Loss position
 
History

During the war HMS Speedwell took part in the Dunkirk evacuations, convoy duties in the North Atlantic, a raid on the Norwegian Lofoten Islands in December 1941. From early 1942 she operated from Murmansk, Russia. In December 1942 she participated in the North Africa landings. Later she returned to Russia. She returned home to prepare for the Normandy landings. When the war in Europe was over she participated in minesweeping operations in the North Sea.

Sold on 5 December 1946.

Commanding Officers:
Lt.Cdr. Frederick Richard Guy Maunsell, RN (retired)
15 June 1939 – 26 February 1941

Lt.Cdr. Joseph John Youngs, OBE, RNR
26 February 1941 – 10 July 1942

Lt.Cdr. T.E. Williams, DSC, RD, RNR
10 July 1942 – 13 December 1944

T/Lt.Cdr. Herman Arnold Ledeboer, DSC, RNR
13 December 1944 – 20 June 1945

A/Lt.Cdr. R.C. Oliver, RN
20 June 1945 – still in command in October 1945 according to the Navy List 


Noteable events involving Speedwell include:

29 Jun, 1941
The German submarine U-651 was sunk south of Iceland, in position 59º52'N, 18º36'W, by depth charges from the British destroyers HMS Malcolm )(Cdr. C.D. Howard-Johnston, DSC, RN), HMS Scimitar (Lt. R.D. Franks, RN), the corvettes HMS Arabis (Lt.Cdr. J.P. Stewart, RNR) and HMS Violet (Lt.Cdr. K.M. Nicholson, RNR) and the minesweeper HMS Speedwell (Lt.Cdr. J.J. Youngs, OBE, RNR). (see map)

13 Apr, 1942
HMS Speedwell (Lt.Cdr. J.J. Youngs, OBE, RNR) picks up 21 survivors from the Panamanian merchant El Occidente that was torpedoed and sunk in the Arctic in position 73º28'N, 28º30'E by the German submarine U-435.


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