Peter2 wrote:saber964 wrote:
[snip]
Offensive mining wasn't very popular in the first place. IIRC the U.S. only built one the USS Argonaut a mod of the Narwhal class and like I posted earlier the KM only built 6 mine laying U-boats the RN mostly used regular subs with mines deployed by torpedo tube.
The RN had a substantial surface fleet minelaying capability during WW2. There were 6 very fast Abdiel-class minelayers:– HMSs Abdiel, Latona, Manxman, Welshman, Ariadne, and Apollo. I've seen claims that HMS Manxman was capable of speeds in excess of 35 knots, and HMS Apollo was reputedly capable of 40 knots. That's a tremendous speed for a ship described as a cruiser.
There were also HMS Adventure (about the same size but rather slower – ca. 27 knots), 11 auxiliary minelayers (converted merchantmen), and a number of smaller craft, typically trawler size.
The fast minelayers laid 54% of the offensive mines set by the RN in WW2, and coastal forces set another 30%. Only 16% were set by submarines. See
http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Ops-Minelaying.htm
.
That's surface mine layers, I was referring to submarine mine layers. The USN had several surface mine layers also. IIRC one was even sunk at Pearl Harbor by IIRC the explosion of a couple of torpedoes that struck either USS Boise or Helena. Also that ship was a WWI relic that was in such poor condition that her engines hadn't been lit off in so long that their was birds nest in the stack.