HMS Loyalty (J217)

HMS "Loyalty" was an "Algerine" class minesweeper of the Royal Navy. She served during the Second World War.

ervice

"Loyalty" was laid down as HMS "Rattler" on 14 April 1941 at Harland and Wolff, Belfast, and launched on 9 December 1942. She was commissioned on 22 April 1943, and renamed HMS "Loyalty" in June 1943. She was adopted by the community of Ripley, North Yorkshire after a Warship Week national savings campaign in March 1942.

After commissioning she was assigned to the 18th Minesweeping Flotilla, joining them in June 1943. She and the other ships of the flotilla carried out sweeping operations in Lyme Bay and the English Channel. She and other ships of the flotilla were transferred to Harwich in August to sweep areas of the North Sea, but was soon transferred to the 9th Flotilla, at Dover. On 25 August "Loyalty" was part of Operation Starkey, an attempt to attract German aircraft to unusual minesweeping operations near the French coast. The ships of the flotilla came under fire from shore batteries, and HMS "Hydra" was damaged. They returned to Dover, but were mistakenly fired on by British shore batteries, causing further damage. "Loyalty" did not return to minesweeping duties until October.

In November "Loyalty" transferred to Scapa Flow to join the 15th Minesweeping Flotilla with the Home Fleet. She transferred again in December to the Orkney and Shetland Command, operating out of Seidisfjord on anti-submarine patrols and local convoy escort duties. She remained here until being nominated to return to the UK in March 1944 and in April underwent a refit at Portsmouth, after which she was assigned to Force G to give minesweeping support to the allied landings in Normandy. "Loyalty" spent May carrying out exercises and rehearsals, and also escorted HMS "Stormcloud" into Portsmouth after she had been damaged by a mine. "Loyalty" then took part in the assault operations of 6 June, clearing Channel 6, and then remaining deployed off Gold Beach to cover operations. She remained off Normandy after the landings and throughout July, carrying out sweeps of the anchorages.

inking

"Loyalty" was still off Normandy in August. She was returning to Portsmouth with the minesweepers HMS "Ready", "Hound", "Hydra" and "Rattlesnake" when the sweep wires parted. "Loyalty" and the minesweeping trawler "Doon" were dispatched to recover the sweep. As they were doing this "Loyalty" was attacked and sunk by the German U-boat "U-480" commanded by Hans-Joachim Förster at position coord|50|09|N|00|41|W in the English Channel. She capsized in less then seven minutes, with the loss of her captain and 18 ratings. There were 30 survivors. "Loyalty" was replaced in the flotilla by HMS "Tanganyika". The wrecksite is designated as a "protected place" under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986.

References

*Colledge

External links

* [http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-22MS-Algerine-Loyalty.htm HMS Loyalty's wartime career]
* [http://www.mod.uk/defenceinternet/defencenews/historyandhonour/tenmilitaryshipwrecksprotectedasfinalrestingplaces.htm MoD announcement of designation]
* [http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2008/uksi_20080950_en_1 SI 2008/950] Designation under Protection of Military Remains Act