HMS Jewel (J390)

{{Main|Algerine-class minesweeper}}

The turbine-powered ships displaced {{convert|850|LT|t}} at standard load and {{convert|1125|LT|t}} at deep load. The ships measured {{convert|225|ft|m|1}} long overall with a beam of {{convert|35|ft|6|in|m|1}}. The turbine group had a draught of {{convert|11|ft|m|1}}. The ships' complement consisted of 85 officers and ratings.Lenton, p. 261

The ships had two Parsons geared steam turbines, each driving one shaft, using steam provided by two Admiralty three-drum boilers. The engines produced a total of {{convert|2000|ihp|lk=in}} and gave a maximum speed of {{convert|16.5|kn|lk=in}}. They carried a maximum of {{convert|660|LT|t|0}} of fuel oil that gave them a range of {{convert|5000|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|10|kn}}.

The Algerine class was armed with a QF 4 inch Mk V naval gun anti-aircraft gunChesneau, p. 65 and four twin-gun mounts for Oerlikon 20 mm cannon. The latter guns were in short supply when the first ships were being completed and they often got a proportion of single mounts. By 1944, single-barrel Bofors 40 mm mounts began replacing the twin 20 mm mounts on a one for one basis. All of the ships were fitted for four throwers and two rails for depth charges.

The ship was ordered on 30 April 1942 at the Harland & Wolff at Belfast, Ireland. She was laid down on 27 November 1943 and launched on 20 July 1944. The ship was commissioned on 9 December 1944.{{Cite web|title=HMS Jewel (J 390) of the Royal Navy - British Minesweeper of the Algerine class - Allied Warships of WWII - uboat.net|url=https://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/3763.html|access-date=2021-12-10|website=uboat.net}}

On 21 February 1945, she was deployed to Scapa Flow during Operation Shred. Two days later, she swept the Norwegian waters during Operation Groundsheet. In October, she was stationed in Singapore as part of the 10th Flotilla.

In September 1946, the ship was sent back to the UK to be decommissioned on arrival. The ship was put into the reserve fleet and laid up at Harwich until the ship was transferred to be used as a RNVR Drill Ship at Dundee in January 1948.

On 28 December 1955, she was recommissioned into the Dartmouth Training Squadron in which she trained Cadets from the Royal Naval College at Dartmouth until 1961.

In 1956 she was the starting vessel for the Torbay to Lisbon yacht race - now considered to be the first modern Tall Ship Race.{{cite AV media

| date =12 July 1956

| title = Torbay Lisbon Yacht Race

| language = English

| format = Newsreel

| location = Dartmouth

| publisher = Gaumont British News

| id = 2350

| url = http://bufvc.ac.uk/newsonscreen/search/index.php/story/73489

| ref = Item 9

}}

In 1966, she was put on the disposal list and sold to BISCO for scrap at Inverkeithing, Scotland in which she arrived on 7 April 1967.

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{cite book|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946|editor1-last=Chesneau|editor1-first=Roger|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=Greenwich, UK|year=1980|isbn=0-85177-146-7}}
• {{Cite Colledge2006}}
• {{cite book |last=Elliott |first=Peter |title=Allied Escort Ships of World War II: A complete survey |year=1977 |publisher=Macdonald and Jane's|location=London |isbn=0-356-08401-9 }}
• {{cite book|last=Lenton|first=H. T.|authorlink=Henry Trevor Lenton|title=British & Empire Warships of the Second World War|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=1998|isbn=1-55750-048-7}}

• [https://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/3763.html HMS Jewel (J 390)] at uboat.net

{{Algerine class minesweepers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jewel (J390)}}

Category:Algerine-class minesweepers of the Royal Navy

Category:Ships built in Belfast

Category:1944 ships

Category:World War II minesweepers of the United Kingdom