HMS Apollo N01
At Portsmouth, the Abdiel-class minelayer HMS Apollo is tied up outboard of HMS Tyne, a destroyer tender. Taken by my father in 1961 just before Abdiel was laid up for the final time.
The Royal Navy ordered the first four of six ships in 1938, with a further two acquired as part of the War Emergency Programme. They were specifically designed for rapidly laying minefields in enemy waters, close to harbours or sea lanes. As such they were required to be very fast and to possess sufficient anti-aircraft weaponry to defend themselves if discovered by enemy aircraft. A large mineload of up to 150 mines was required to be carried under cover, necessitating a long, flush-decked hull with high freeboard. The resulting ship was laid out much like a large destroyer. However, the three straight funnels were an instant identifying feature.
Top speed was specified as 40 kt. To achieve this they were given a full cruiser set of machinery, and with an installed output of 72,000 shp on two shafts they made 39¾ kt light and 38 kt deep load.
Commissioned after sea trials in February 1944, Apollo joined the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow before setting out for minelaying operations in support of the planned invasion of France. Loading mines at Milford Haven she commenced operations off Brittany. She was detached for duty in Operation Neptune and on 7 June (D-Day+1) she embarked Allied Supreme Commander General Eisenhower, naval C-in-C Admiral Bertram Ramsay, and staff officers from SHAEF, to visit the assault areas. Unfortunately she grounded while underway, damaging her propellers, and her passengers were transferred to the destroyer Undaunted. Repairs were completed in September and she deployed in the South-Western Approaches, laying deep trap minefields as a countermeasure to U-boat activities in inshore waters. Her minefields proved fatal for U-325 and U-1021.
On 24 December she joined the Home Fleet for minelaying duty off Norway, operating off Utsira in January, accompanied by the destroyers Zealous and Carron. On 15 January 1945 she began minelaying in the Irish Sea. In April she commenced a minelaying operation in the Russian Kola Inlet (Operation Trammel) as part of Force 5 with destroyers Opportune, Orwell and Obedient.
After VE Day she sailed to Oslo in company with sister ship Ariadne and heavy cruiser Devonshire, returning the Norwegian Government-in-Exile and Crown Prince Olav. She subsequently prepared for, and sailed to, the British Pacific Fleet, but arrived in Melbourne, Australia, two weeks before the Japanese surrender. Apollo was then employed in repatriation work carrying former British PoWs to Shanghai for passage back to the UK, and then carried mail and stores to ships and establishments in Manus, Shanghai, various Japanese ports and Hong Kong.
In mid-1946 she returned to Chatham and was paid off into Reserve. In 1948 her pennant number was changed from M01 to N01. She was recommissioned in 1951 after the outbreak of the Korean War and remained in commission for 10 years. She was paid off and returned to the Reserve in 1961, was put on the Disposal List the next year, and sold for breaking-up by Hughes Bolckow at Blyth, Northumberland in November 1962. - From Wikipedia.
HMS Apollo N01
At Portsmouth, the Abdiel-class minelayer HMS Apollo is tied up outboard of HMS Tyne, a destroyer tender. Taken by my father in 1961 just before Abdiel was laid up for the final time.
The Royal Navy ordered the first four of six ships in 1938, with a further two acquired as part of the War Emergency Programme. They were specifically designed for rapidly laying minefields in enemy waters, close to harbours or sea lanes. As such they were required to be very fast and to possess sufficient anti-aircraft weaponry to defend themselves if discovered by enemy aircraft. A large mineload of up to 150 mines was required to be carried under cover, necessitating a long, flush-decked hull with high freeboard. The resulting ship was laid out much like a large destroyer. However, the three straight funnels were an instant identifying feature.
Top speed was specified as 40 kt. To achieve this they were given a full cruiser set of machinery, and with an installed output of 72,000 shp on two shafts they made 39¾ kt light and 38 kt deep load.
Commissioned after sea trials in February 1944, Apollo joined the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow before setting out for minelaying operations in support of the planned invasion of France. Loading mines at Milford Haven she commenced operations off Brittany. She was detached for duty in Operation Neptune and on 7 June (D-Day+1) she embarked Allied Supreme Commander General Eisenhower, naval C-in-C Admiral Bertram Ramsay, and staff officers from SHAEF, to visit the assault areas. Unfortunately she grounded while underway, damaging her propellers, and her passengers were transferred to the destroyer Undaunted. Repairs were completed in September and she deployed in the South-Western Approaches, laying deep trap minefields as a countermeasure to U-boat activities in inshore waters. Her minefields proved fatal for U-325 and U-1021.
On 24 December she joined the Home Fleet for minelaying duty off Norway, operating off Utsira in January, accompanied by the destroyers Zealous and Carron. On 15 January 1945 she began minelaying in the Irish Sea. In April she commenced a minelaying operation in the Russian Kola Inlet (Operation Trammel) as part of Force 5 with destroyers Opportune, Orwell and Obedient.
After VE Day she sailed to Oslo in company with sister ship Ariadne and heavy cruiser Devonshire, returning the Norwegian Government-in-Exile and Crown Prince Olav. She subsequently prepared for, and sailed to, the British Pacific Fleet, but arrived in Melbourne, Australia, two weeks before the Japanese surrender. Apollo was then employed in repatriation work carrying former British PoWs to Shanghai for passage back to the UK, and then carried mail and stores to ships and establishments in Manus, Shanghai, various Japanese ports and Hong Kong.
In mid-1946 she returned to Chatham and was paid off into Reserve. In 1948 her pennant number was changed from M01 to N01. She was recommissioned in 1951 after the outbreak of the Korean War and remained in commission for 10 years. She was paid off and returned to the Reserve in 1961, was put on the Disposal List the next year, and sold for breaking-up by Hughes Bolckow at Blyth, Northumberland in November 1962. - From Wikipedia.