E Coast R.N. Named Ships

[E28]

Taikoo Dockyard & Engineering Co of Hong Kong Ltd was developed by Swire being completed in 1907 with the whole having to be approved by the British Admiralty with the intention of serving the C N Co fleet amongst other expansionist interests. All credits in attachment as stated.

With the T E Bangors they were contracted to build a pair with 2 more by H K & Whampoa, needless to say with the fall of the Colony in december 1941 all 4 fell into Japanese hands whilst still on the stocks, were duly completed much modified and saw service under the flag of the rising sun.

10 years previously Taikoo yno 260 was launched 20 feb 1932 as a steel single screw tug for the Commissioners for the port of Rangoon in British Burma for towing services on the Rangoon river, of 147.5' length x 32.87' breadth x 15.56' depth her engines were also constructed by Taikoo contract 194 from Scottish forgings, the s.s. Chinthe was 432 tonnage with confusing grt's of between 550 and 667, registered on 154066 in her home port.

[E28]

Christmas day 1942, friday 25 december the situation in the European theatre, Mediterranean and North Africa is amply illustrated here, full credits to c holder ...

where Seaham and other 14th minesweeper flotilla ships having conducted hasty trials and work up in northern waters had left the UK in early 1942 heading down the west African coast, round the Cape of Good Hope, up the east African coast, Red sea, all the time being called upon to keep assorted channels clear, through Suez and then heavy involvement in the Med with assault and channel sweeping, convoy escort and relief becoming indispensible in these still hostile waters where most RN Bangors would serve, 5 being lost in total, all in the med.

This month would see the new 600 ton Italian sommergibilie Bronzo conducting trials, at home coastal U class P49 having completed trials commenced her first patrol off Norway on the 23rd, same date as sister P48 left Malta never to be heard from again becoming a rare Christmas day statistic with all 34 men. 6 unnamed RN U class submarines, the same size as the Italian 600 tonners, were sunk, like the 5 Bangors all in the deceptively calm but taxing Med waters. The RN's P222 and P311 were also sunk close to the date P48 disappeared, the only unnamed S and T class boats respectively lost again taking all their men down.

[Hornbeam]

Looking back at the Bangor Class Minesweepers the Diesel powered HMS Bridlington Post War was laid up for a short time at West Hartlepool but re-enlisted very quickly into the RAF dropping the HMS and any Armament along with any other “bits and bobs “ not required for her new Role as a HMAFV to take up her duties replacing the War weary Wooden built RAF Rescue Craft and being “Cost Effective “ ( lost count of this terminology in todays world) the Crew being reduced from RN 6 Officers, 77 Men Warloading to 4 Officers, 48Men Cold Warloading their first job being Rescue Craft under the stream of Aircraft during the Berlin Airlift.

[E28]

The 14 MSF by july '43 comprised Seaham and 3 turbine Bangors, Boston, Cromarty and Poole, all actively employed in the mid Med region as the tide turned against the Axis forces, sweeping and escort duties continued apace, anti submarine duties and the capture of Italian submarines were not,strictly speaking, part of their operational orders.

Through the inter war years the Italians built an impressive fleet of assorted sommergibilie (submarines), which on 10 june 1940 when they joined the conflict numbered 115 in total, only the Russians had more. The largest group was the Bernardis 600 ton type, the final class comprising 13 Acciaio boats including Bronzo.

The RN submarine P49 was renamed Unruly in feb 1943, Winston was most insistent all British subs had a monocle rather than a number, and having completed 1 patrol in home waters was sent to join the fray in the agreeably warmer Med waters where during her 5th patrol on 11 july sighted Bronzo sufaced, carried out an attack loosing 4 fish, which alas, all missed.

Bronzo had scarcely 24 hours remaining under the Regias flag when off Syracuse she surfaced amongst the 14 MSF ships to be warmly greeted by hot lead from the accommodating sweepers. This was never going to end well, Seaham fired 4 x 3" with 3 hits, 40 x 2 pdr, 650 x 0.5" and 12 x 20mm oerlikon, Boston loosed 7 x 3", 50 x 2pdr and 120 x 20mm with numerous hits between them.

Bronzo lowered her ensign to be secured alongside Seaham...

The capture of enemy warships in WW2 was uncommon, your adversary would invariably sink unlike the wooden walls days, the aggressor always worth capturing for the bounty.

Bronzo was the 3rd Italian submarine captured in action by the RN, none proved of operational value under the white ensign.

[E28]

Seaham and her capture of Bronzo leads me to divert this tale as for decades the British submarine Unruly has been credited with sinking the italian Acciaio the day prior to Bronzo's misfortune.

Unruly, previously named P49 but retaining that moniker as her pendant, was identical to her lost sister P48, an image of which shows the latter as built running trials 6 months prior to her loss, those men visible almost certainly going down with her... V A Barrow from october 1940 were constructing 2 U class boats per slip, P49 with P47 which became the Dutch Dolfijn while P48 paired with P51, Unseen, in each case one of the pair was laid down a few days prior to the second then once the first was launched all the paraphernalia needed had to be re set for the second boat to take to the water. Some days later the next pair would occupy the vacant slip.

whilst Unruly did attack an unidentified Italian surfaced, loosed a 4 fish salvo all which missed, it was long believed this was Acciaio, however, subsequent post war analysis proved the claim false, her fate was far more uncertain but by diligent analysis an outcome has been determined with the cause of Acciaio sinking being assaulted from the air.

Meanwhile, Seaham and the other sweepers continued with their tasks, her company undoubtedly earning a few tots ashore regaling her action.

[E28]

The British RP-3, Rocket Projectile 3" became an aircraft launched unguided weapon seeing extensive successful use through the second half of WW2, many types of plane could deploy it against numerous land and seaborne targets, fixed or moving. The Mk VIII was fitted to an underwing tray usually in a quad package with the option of a 60lb HE warhead suited for land attack or the 25lb AP warhead effectively used for all shipping strikes.

RAF 608 County of York ( North Riding ) Squadron by mid '43 was equipped with the Lockheed Hudson operating from fields in North Africa tasked with shipping strikes, their success against U755 on 28 may illustrated here, by their Hudson 'M' was the first such submarine sinking with a deployed RP-3...

and it was a 608 squadron Hudson 'Q' which also attacked, subsequently sinking, the Italian Acciaio on 12 july, there was no evidence at the time, much post war research now confirms her fate, lost with all hands in an unknown location.

8th september 1943 saw the signing of the Italian armistice with the Med war slowly declining but with continued German resistance with seaborne landings by the allies at numerous strategic locations, the sweepers continuing their now reduced tasks. After a few months the need for many Med deployed ships shifted to UK and Atlantic waters. A big plan was being hatched, Seaham with numerous other sweepers would be essential, their men bringing extensive experience learnt at the sharp end.

[E28]

The departure of most Bangor's back to blighty would leave 5 of their number, Cromer, Hythe, Cromarty, Felixstowe and Clacton in Neptune's embrace with 150 of their souls, the only theatre where any and all RN Bangor class would succumb to enemy action. Seaham and her flotilla left late '43 with an interesting return full of action employed in the convoy escort role, invariably with different weapons and equipment fit and considerably increased complements making for uncomfortable and cramped conditions.

The seaborne northern invasion of France 6th june 1944 off Normandy needed a vast array of assorted support ships with numerous sweepers and their accompanying dan layers being in the vanguard of the action, which despite being hot at times proved a huge success. Prior to this in the week before the invasion the entire English Channel was swept in case of any recent mining with sonic underwater buoys laid to assist with access to the fully swept channels. 245 vessels were involved ensuring all preparations were conducted and concluded in a timely manner.

By mid 1943 the Germans introduced a new pressure mine deployed in shallow waters referred to as the oyster mine as it became active on the sea bed, a means of defeating this needed to be devised and 3 Bangor class were selected, landing their traditional sweeping equipment and looking more like a tug would towing a weird and cumbersome contraption which was referred to as crate sweeping...

https://www.clydeships.co.uk/view.php?y ... EASTBOURNE

the lower photo of Eastbourne amply shows her considerably altered appearance for her revised role which together with the Canadian Fort York and the senior officers ship Seaham this trio serving as the 50th mine sweeping flotilla. This method of sweeping proved a failure and it was as tugs these 3 remained...

where here, as with Eastbourne, Seaham clearly shows her post war configuration.

Unlike the majority of RN Bangor class sweepers which became redundant post war with many sailing to brief reserve duties, sale through BISCo and scrap, Seaham was sold 11th august 1947 to find further service half way round the World. This photo of Seaham may be as such, it is more likely after her brief refit and preparations before departure in april 1948 to replace Taikoo yno 260 in Burma and inherit her name.

[E28]

This new T.S.S. Chinthe was found wanting once the appropriate surveys were conducted whilst she was refitting in the yard of Geo Marvin, arctic rd, Cowes on the isle of Wight with some certificates only issued pursuant to certain modifications, and some of those temporary, bearing in mind she would sail to Burma on only one boiler and her freeboard was deemed inadequate. With the same Rangoon port owners her 668 gross tons would enable her employ for Burmese coasting service, in addition to her tug and survey duties.

When the Japanese invaded British Burma the countries reliance on river traffic became apparent, a great benefit to the country since British rule in 1824, now a liability so duly much of the river vessels were scuttled to avoid capture, including the entire Irrawaddy flotilla and the earlier Taikoo built Chinthe.
On 4 january 1948 Burma gained independence, Chinthe ex Seaham was steaming east, the 1932 Chinthe had been raised, towed to India where a refit in Bombay was needed before her new tasks serving the Indian navy as Hathi.

The Rangoon river from that city flows south at a mean 5 knots, is fully navigable to the knowledgeable, all merchant shipping picks up the pilot 25 miles out. As a ship heads north - north westerly extensive shoals and moving banks are to starboard, the most notorious being the three middle banks (Alle Thoung), frequently buoys and other navigation aids being swept away, the channel needing constant dredging by the Clyde built pair Hastings and Cormorant.

19 november 1948. Whilst off middle bank an explosion rips into Chinthe, she is run aground in a sinking condition with the loss of 8 men, 42 were rescued by other vessels, the cause possibly an errant Japanese mine from the recent conflict. Within days a survey is conducted, the outcome is as detailed...with all and full credits

Chinthe, Burmese for lion and for which the Chindit soldiers acquired their monocle, was duly dismantled, a few plates and frames remained consumed by the ever moving and enlarging middle banks as they are today. Chinthe sank in position 96.20 East longitude, 16.30 North latitude

Meanwhile, Hathi would perform adequately in Indian service, her reciprocating machinery needing frequent refits by Allcock & Ashdown in Bombay, with no experienced chief mech or ERA's wanting to serve in her antiquated spaces, based in Cochin target towing, she remained in the Indian navy list until well into the late 1970's.