The Abdiel, first of the original batch of four to complete, was quickly caught up in a hectic tempo of operations generally experienced by the remainder. On 22 March 1941, while still carrying out acceptance trials on the Clyde, she received orders to leave at once for Milford Haven to embark a full outfit of mines and proceed thence to lay them off Brest, against a possible break-out by the newly-arrived German heavy ships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. As it turned out, these mines were laid in the vicinity of the Little Sole Bank on 23rd, as an anti-U-boat minefield; but five nights later the Abdiel successfully laid another field, as ordered, 40 miles WSW of Brest. This remarkable performance by a ship which had had no opportunity to work up for service was acknowledged by the Admiralty in a congratulatory signal. Subsequent attempts to complete Abdiel's trials programme were finally abandoned on 17 April, when she was once again sailed hurriedly from Greenock, this time carrying guns and other military equipment to Malta and continuing eastwards to join the Mediterranean Fleet at Alexandria on 30 April.
Название: Abdiel-class Fast Minelayer
Автор: Tom Burton
Издательство: Profile Publications Ltd.
Серия: Warship Profile 038
Язык: english
Страниц: 26 pages
Формат: pdf в rar
Размер: 10.2 MB
Скачать бесплатно / free download
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