大象传媒

I have been following the anniversary WW2 memories with considerable interest. I was reminded of a colleague who had been in the Navy pre-war. One of the 'old sweats' that formed the foundation of the wartime armed forces. He said he had been a Petty Officer in Minesweepers and all his friends had been killed. He said "I put on an Royal Navy tie on Armistice Sunday and go to church and feel proud" as well he might.
Minesweeping - a deadly and monotonous job and absolutely vital. Without the channels being swept clear the convoys could not enter harbour. The Germans did their best with minelaying submarines and aircraft and, of course, many ships were mined in the estuaries. Not a very glamorous job - no cinema epics, no 'We sweep at Dawn' etc.
As every wartime schoolboy knew, some of the minesweepers were purpose built and many were converted trawlers. They trailed paravanes which cut the cable attached to the mine and when it reached the surface it was detonated by rifle fire. The Germans countered with magnetic mines and acoustic mines. The boffins installed degaussing gear. Wooden boats, electric boats were used. I also remember seeing a photo of a Wellington bomber fitted with a huge circular coil which generated a magnetic field which triggered off the magnetic mines. I dont know what height they had to fly at, pretty critical I should think.
All the while minesweepers were targets for planes and U-boats and E-boats with only the ubiquitoous twin Lewis gun to defend themselves.
Certainly deserve their own story told sometime.

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