HMS Dundalk (J60)

History

United Kingdom
Builder:	Clyde Shipbuilding Co
Launched:	31 January 1919
Fate:	Mined 16 October 1940, foundered under tow 17 October 1940 off Harwich at South Cutler Buoy
Notes:	Pennant # J60
General characteristics
Class and type:	Hunt-class minesweeper, Aberdare sub-class
Displacement:	800 long tons (813 t)
Length:	213 ft (65 m) o/a
Beam:	28 ft 6 in (8.69 m)
Draught:	7 ft 6 in (2.29 m)
Installed power:	2 × Yarrow boilers 2,200 ihp (1,600 kW)
Propulsion:	2 shafts 2 vertical triple-expansion steam engines
Speed:	16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Range:	1,500 nmi (2,800 km; 1,700 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement:	74
Armament:	1 × QF 4-inch (102 mm) gun 1 × QF 12-pounder (76.2 mm) anti-aircraft gun

HMS Dundalk was a Hunt-class minesweeper of the Aberdare sub-class built for the Royal Navy during World War I. She was not finished in time to participate in the First World War and sank after striking a mine in 1940.

Design and description

The Aberdare sub-class were enlarged versions of the original Hunt-class ships with a more powerful armament. The ships displaced 800 long tons (810 t) at normal load. They had a length between perpendiculars of 220 feet (67.1 m)^[1] and measured 231 feet (70.4 m) long overall. The Aberdares had a beam of 26 feet 6 inches (8.1 m) and a draught of 7 feet 6 inches (2.3 m). The ships' complement consisted of 74 officers and ratings.^[2]

The ships had two vertical triple-expansion steam engines, each driving one shaft, using steam provided by two Yarrow boilers. The engines produced a total of 2,200 indicated horsepower (1,600 kW) and gave a maximum speed of 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph). They carried a maximum of 185 long tons (188 t) of coal^[2] which gave them a range of 1,500 nautical miles (2,800 km; 1,700 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph).^[1]

The Aberdare sub-class was armed with a quick-firing (QF) four-inch (102 mm) gun forward of the bridge and a QF twelve-pounder (76.2 mm) anti-aircraft gun aft.^[2] Some ships were fitted with six- or three-pounder guns in lieu of the twelve-pounder.^[1]

Construction and career

HMS Dundalk was built by the Clyde Shipbuilding Company. In July 1937, Dundalk was recommissioned for the 3rd Minesweeping Flotilla in Malta. On arrival she was placed in Reserve and recommissioned in 1939, returning to England to work on the East Coast.

On 31 May 1940, Dundalk took part in the Dunkirk evacuation to Margate with 500 British troops. She sailed back to Dunkirk and on 1 June was attacked by 12 Messerschmitt aircraft. Dundalk then sailed back to Margate giving assistance to the Havant en route. She arrived at Margate at 12.15 on 1 June and disembarked 280 troops. She returned to Dunkirk, embarked about 450 French troops and arrived back at Folkestone on 3 June. The ship was mined on 16 October 1940 and foundered under tow the following day off Harwich at South Cutler Buoy.

Notes

1 2 3 Cocker, p. 76
1 2 3 Gardiner & Gray, p. 98

References

Cocker, M. P. (1993). Mine Warfare Vessels of the Royal Navy: 1908 to Date. Shrewsbury, England: Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-85310-328-4.
Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8. OCLC 67375475.
Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal, eds. (1984). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships: 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.

Hunt-class minesweeper (1916)

Belvoir group	Belvoir Bicester Blackmorevale Cattistock Cotswold Cottesmore Croome Dartmoor Garth Hambledon Heythrop Holderness Meynell Muskerry Oakley Pytchley Quorn Southdown Tedworth Zetland

Aberdare group	Aberdare Abingdon Albury Alresford Appledore Badminton Bagshot Banchory Barnstaple Battle Blackburn Bloxham Bootle Bradfield Burslem Bury Caerleon Camberley Carstairs Caterham Cheam Clonmel Craigie Cupar Derby Dorking Dundalk Dunoon Elgin Fairfield Fareham Fermoy Faversham Ford Forfar Forres Gaddesden Gainsborough Goole Gretna Harrow Havant Huntley Instow Irvine Kendal Kinross Leamington Longford Lydd Mallaig Malvern Marazion Marlow Mistley Monaghan Munlochy Nailsea Newark Northolt Pangbourne Penarth Petersfield Pontypool Prestatyn Repton Ross Rugby Salford Saltash Saltburn Selkirk Sherborne Shrewsbury Sligo Stafford Stoke Sutton Swindon Tiverton Tonbridge Tralee Tring Truro Wem Wexford Weybourne Widnes Yeovil

Survey ships	Beaufort Collinson Crozier Fitzroy Flinders Kellet

List of mine countermeasure vessels of the Royal Navy

Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in October 1940

Shipwrecks	2 Oct: Berillo 3 Oct: HMS Lady of the Isles 4 Oct: HMS Rainbow 11 Oct: HMT Warwick Deeping 15 Oct: HMS Triad 17 Oct: Aenos, HMS Dundalk, Languedoc, Scoresby 18 Oct: Beatus, Creekirk, Durbo, Empire Miniver, Fiscus, HMS H49 19 Oct: Assyrian, HMCS Bras d'Or, Empire Brigade, Snefjeld, Soesterberg, HMS Venetia 20 Oct: Lafolè 22 Oct: HMCS Margaree 24 Oct: Adolf Vinnen 25 Oct: Blairspey 28 Oct: Empress of Britain, Malygin 30 Oct: U-32

Other incidents	5 Oct: Melbourne Star 16 Oct: HMS Ashanti, HMS Fame 17 Oct: Gasfire 18 Oct: Blairspey, Carsbreck 19 Oct: Blairspey 22 Oct: Port Fairy 27 Oct: Conister

1939 1940 1941 September 1940 November 1940

Coordinates: 52°3′N 1°48′E / 52.050°N 1.800°E / 52.050; 1.800

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