HMS Medusa (A353)
 HMS Medusa at Haslar Marina
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | Medusa |
| Builder | Newman, R A & Sons Ltd, Poole |
| Laid down | 27 July 1943 |
| Launched | 20 October 1943 |
| Commissioned | 29 December 1943 |
| Out of service | 1965 |
| Fate | Sold in 1968 |
| Status | Museum ship |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Harbour Defence Motor Launch |
| Displacement | 56.00 tons |
| Length | 72.06 ft (21.96 m) |
| Beam | 16.66 ft (5.08 m) |
| Propulsion | 2x Gardner 8L3 marine engines |
| Speed | 12.5 knots (23.2 km/h; 14.4 mph) |
| Range | 2,000 mi (1,700 nmi; 3,200 km) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)(1,650 gallons) |
| Complement | 2 officers, 2 petty officers and 8 ratings |
| Armament | 1x 2 pounder gun 1x 20mm Oerlikon 2x Vickers K machine guns |
HMS Medusa (A353) (formerly HDML 1387) is a Harbour Defence Motor Launch of the Royal Navy, constructed by Newman, R A & Sons Ltd, Poole in 1943.[1][2][3]
Service history
In May 1944, HDML 1387 was present at exercise Fabius 1, in which elements of the 1st Infantry Division and 29th Infantry Division practised amphibious landings at Slapton Sands, Devon.[1][4] After this, she served at D Day, as a Navigation Leader, marking cleared German minefields to direct parts of the invasion force.[1][5][3][6] By 1945, she was patrolling around the Netherlands near Scheveningen, and accepted the surrender of German forces at Ijmuiden.[1][4][3][6]
Postwar
After the war, she received a refit and was converted into a Fast Despatch Boat, being renamed FDB 76.[1][7] In 1946, she became a training ship at Cardiff University Naval Division. In 1947, she was transferred to Severn Division RNVR Unit, until she was again transferred in 1949 to London Division RNVR.[1][7] After her move to London Division RNVR, she was renamed SDML 3516. In 1961, she was converted into a hydrographic survey vessel and named HMS Medusa (A353).[1][7] She was paid off on 30 November 1965 at Devonport, sustaining damage because of a fire that started on the final day of her service in the Royal Navy.[1][7] She was sold in 1968, and was privately owned until 2003, when a charity called The Medusa Trust was created to preserve the ship.[1][7] She was also listed on the National Register of Historic Ships in 2003, and she has been present at many events since, such as the Fleet Review marking the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, and the Diamond Jubilee Pageant.[1][7]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Name HMS Medusa | National Historic Ships". www.nationalhistoricships.org.uk. Archived from the original on 2021-10-20. Retrieved 2022-02-19.
- ^ Yeoman. "Your most complete source for Museum Ships Worldwide!". museumships.us. Archived from the original on 2021-11-26. Retrieved 2022-02-19.
- ^ a b c Burnham, Nick (2010-03-02). "HMS Medusa returns to the water". Motor Boat & Yachting. Archived from the original on 2021-05-09. Retrieved 2022-02-19.
- ^ a b "Medusa History – The Medusa Trust". Archived from the original on 2022-02-19. Retrieved 2022-02-19.
- ^ "Medusa at D-Day – The Medusa Trust". Archived from the original on 2021-09-11. Retrieved 2022-02-19.
- ^ a b "Come aboard HMS Medusa (Event from 2021)". Gosport Heritage Open Days. 2021-06-10. Archived from the original on 2022-02-19. Retrieved 2022-02-19.
- ^ a b c d e f "Medusa Post War – The Medusa Trust". Archived from the original on 2022-02-19. Retrieved 2022-02-19.