Jack Williams served as an able-seaman in the Algerine class minesweeper `SPANKER` during 1943-44. He is the founder of the Algerine Association.

On Monday 10 June 1940 Italy declared war on the allies and Malta found herself a prime target in the conflict. At 0655 the next morning the Maltese people were alerted to the sound of their first Air Raid warning, and for more than three years no month would pass without an air raid over the island.
The ordeal of the people of Malta under constant bombing attacks has been well documented. The deprivations they suffered, the death and injury to so many were indeed devastating but their faith and courage carried them through. If the Axis Air Forces failed to defeat them through bombing the mine nearly succeeded. If supplies could be prevented from reaching the island and if warships based there could be prevented from leaving then Malta would be defeated.
On the night of 5-6 September Italian torpedo boats, ALTAIR, ALCIONE, ARIEL and ARCTUSA, under the command of Commander Del Cima, laid the first mine barrage in positions north-west and southe-east of the island. These minefields, designated M1 and M2, consisted of 112 mines and were followed by the laying of a further barrage, M3, on the night of 9-10 October by the Italian 14th Destroyer Flotilla (Captain Galati) consisting of the destroyers VIVALDI, DA NOLI and TARIGO. M3 contained 174 mines and was laid to the south of Malta.

Map of the Malta harbours

At this time the Malta Minesweeping Force consisted of the to Hunt class minesweepers ABINGDON and FERMOY. Both had been built 20 years before in 1918 and had, more recently, lain in reserve in the Far east. With the outbreak of war, along with others of the class, they had been sent to the Mediterranean. The class was known as `Smokey Joes` since they were coal burning and emitted copious amounts of thick, acrid black smoke. None the less they were efficient ships, although limited to sweeping contact mines, and they carried out the main brunt of minesweeping in the Mediterranean. Fortunately a number of destroyers had been fitted with TSDS (Twin Speed Destroyer Sweep), particularly the ships of the `F` class including FAULKNOR, FURY and FORTUNE of the 8th Destroyer flotilla. These were part of Force H operating in the western Mediterranean, and were able to sweep ahead of the battleships and cruisers entering Malta.

A `Smokey Joe` Minesweeper

For Abingdon and Fury the remainder of 1940 was relatively quiet and fairly routine. By 23 October 10 mines had been swept in an area south of Malta. In November eight more mines, in two groups of four, were accounted for in the same area. Most of their time was spent in ensuring that the channel into Grand harbour was kept clear.
In December, because of bad weather, a number of mines worked up on the coasts of Malta and Gozo; probably they were from the Italian minefield off Pantellaria. Several of these exploded on contact with the rocks, others were rendered safe by the mine disposal officers. Two types were dealt with; a standard 7-horn mine and one with a 500 lb charge and a safety swith operating off the moving spindle and with lead horns.
1940 ended with the minesweepers capable of ensuring the safety of ships entering and leaving harbour and with no vessels having been lost. (There is some confusion over the fate of HMS HYPERION ..... She was sunk by British forces off Pantellaria in the area of M1 after being either mined or torpedoed by the Italian submarine SERPENTE. The weight of later evidence suggests the latter being correct.)
1941 found the Mediterranean fleet at sea under Ad. Cunningham in WARSPITE, the task being to ensure the passage of a supply and ammunition convoy to Malta. On 10 January, as the fleet was just off Pantellaria, there was a heavy explosion under the bows of the destroyer GALLANT. She had been mined and she was left drifting helplessly with her boes blown clean away. With the destroyer MOHAWK taking the stern portion in tow she was taken into Malta under the escort of three cruisers. She was beached in Grand harbour below Floriana and on 5 April 1942 she was heavily bombed and badly damaged. She was finally sunk as a blockship at St. Paul`s Bay in September 1943.
The relative peace and quiet for the Malta Minesweeping Force was soon to be shattered. On the bright moonlight night of 15-16 February 1941 the Luftwaffe made their first raid of many to lay magnetic and acoustic mines by parachute in Grand Harbour and Marsamxett. Three of thes mines exploded on impact on shore doing considerable damage. Others landed in the harbour waters and, as a result, both harbours had to be closed. The problem now for the force was `which ships would clear the harbour?` since the two Smokey joes was not equipped to deal with this type of mine. The answer was to use the drifter PLOUGHBOY which, up to that time had been used as a Boom Defence Vessel, and fit her with a magnetic skid sweep, the only equipment available.
On the morning of 17 April, towing the the skid astern to cope with the magnetic mines and firing her Lewis gun into the water in the fairly forlorn hope of neutralising any acoustic mines, PLOUGHBOY started a sweep of the entrance of Grand Harbour. Her endeavours were not without success for she lifted one ground mine just outside the entrance, and the following day a further four exploded themselves because of rough weather. Twice more during February the harbours had to be closed because of mines and on 27 February a Gozo boat was sunk by a mine off St. Julian`s Bay. She was the first vessel to be sunk by a mine at Malta but this loss did not stop the Gozo boats from making their journeys to and from Valetta. Early next day ten enemy aircraft dropped more mines in Grand Harbour, some of which exploded spontaneously during the next few days.
The same day PLOUGHBOY was engaged in sweeping in the submarine REGENT as she returned from patrol. After lifting three mines in the entrance to Grand Harbour the minesweeper was so damaged by one explosion that she had to be beached. Fortunately she was able to get herself off and resumed sweeping the very next day. By this time a number of vessels, including PLOUGHBOY, had been fitted with a SA Hammer on the bows which detonated acoustic mines ahead of the ship, and this greatly increased the efficiency of the minesweeping force. On 1 March Ploughboy, using her new equipment, was able to raise three acoustic mines. Other vessels using the SA Hammer and the magnet skid were the drifters GIRL MARGARET and JUSTIFIED, the latter ship detonating two magnetic mines on 8 March and an acoustic mine on 15 March.
Meanwhile ABINGDON and FERMOY were kept busy keeping the outer channels clear of contact mines. Together with the makeshift sweepers they were able to keep the harbours open. At one time there was concern over the shortage of coal but fortunately enough was found to enable them to continue.

On 8 April the Admiralty mooring vessel MOOR was sunk by a mine as she was returning to the dockyard after completing maintainance work on the boom defence nets at the entrance to Grand Harbour. It subsequently emerged that MOOR was taking an unauthorised short cut through the harbour in an area which had not been swept. Only one of the crew of 29 Maltese was saved and, in addition some of the mooring party were also lost. The following day the first drifter at Malta to be fitted with the proper equipment for sweeping magnetic mines, the LL cable towed behind the ship and supplied with electrical pulses, began operating and had her first success two days later. This vessel was the TRUSTY STAR and she was invaluable during April, helping to keep the harbour open in spite of heavy minelaying operations by the Luftwaffe. These took place on three nights running, 20-23 April and TRUSTY STAR put up seven mines during this period.
Late in April more LL (Mark V) and SA gear became available as much that was earmarked for vessels in the UK was shipped to Malta where it was so desperately needed and the small force was being kept at full stretch. Nor was it just routine sweeping, unless it is considered routine to be regularly and heavily attacked by enemy aircraft whilst trying to maintain a steady course for sweeping. Such was the routine for ABINGDON and FERMOY, both being attacked by JU88s and JU88s whenever they ventured out. Fortunately neither ship was hit when at sea.
April 30 1941 was a day of tragedy for the sweepers. ABINGDON was slightly damaged when she put up an acoustic mine, TRUSTY STAR was mined and sunk in Grand Harbour, although she was later raised and used again, but the worst was the loss of FERMOY. While in No. 5 Dock she received a direct hit on her bridge, the bomb going right through her hull and causing serious damage. After inspection it was decided that she was beyond repair and on 4 May she was officially listed for scrapping. This left ABINGDON as the only fleet sweeper at Malta and the only vessel capable of sweeping contact mines.
A further tragedy occured on 2 May when the 5th Destroyer flotilla, led by Capt. Lord Louis Mountbatten in KELLY, returned to Malta after an abortive sortie. KELLY, JACKY and KELVIN safely entered Grand Harbour but the next ship in line, JERSEY, hit a mine right beside the breakwater and quickly sank. Many of her crew were rescued by the bravery of the men of the Royal Malta Artillery from Port Ricasoli who dived in the sea to assist them. But JERSEY had sunk in a vital spot and resulted in the harbour being blocked to any further ships. The remainder of the flotilla, KIPLING and KASHMIRE, with the cruiser GLOUCESTER were forced to make for Gibraltar which nearly led to further disaster. Luckily the bomb which hit GLOUCESTER during a German air attack failed to explode.
A few days later, on the night of 6-7 May yet another minelaying air attack was carried out and several mines were dropped at the entrance to the valetta harbours and Grand Harbour. The ships fitted with LL seeps were able to account for three of the mines but again the harbours had to be closed for a short time. Luckily the submarine UNION had arrived a couple of days before although she was greeted by an acoustic mine exploding very close by. She was able to enter Lazaretto Creek and join the 10th Submarine Flotilla.

Submarines at Malta

To be continued in part2 ........