Editing Template:HMS Apollo (M01)

{{Short description|Abdiel-class minelayer of the British Royal Navy}}
{{other ships|HMS Apollo}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2015}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=HMS Apollo Aug 1945 SLV.jpg
|Ship caption=''Apollo'' in August, 1945
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=United Kingdom
|Ship flag= {{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|naval}}
|Ship name=''Apollo''
|Ship namesake=[[Apollo]]
|Ship ordered=1940
|Ship awarded=
|Ship builder=[[Hawthorn Leslie and Company|Hawthorn Leslie]], [[Hebburn]]
|Ship original cost=
|Ship yard number=
|Ship way number=
|Ship laid down=10 October 1941
|Ship launched=5 April 1943
|Ship sponsor=
|Ship christened=
|Ship completed=12 February 1944
|Ship acquired=
|Ship commissioned=1944
|Ship decommissioned=1946
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=yes
|Ship recommissioned=1951
|Ship decommissioned=1961
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship renamed=
|Ship reclassified=
|Ship refit=
|Ship struck=
|Ship reinstated=
|Ship homeport=
|Ship identification=[[Pennant number]] M01/N01
|Ship motto=*''Fortis et benignus''
*("Strong and kindly (or merciful)")
|Ship nickname=
|Ship honours=NORMANDY 1944
|Ship captured=
|Ship fate= Sold for scrapping, 1962
|Ship notes=
|Ship badge=On a field Blue, a sun in splendour Gold
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class={{sclass|Abdiel|minelayer}}
|Ship tonnage=
|Ship displacement=*{{convert|2650|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} standard
*{{convert|4000|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} full load
|Ship length={{convert|418|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|40|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship height=
|Ship draught={{convert|16|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship depth=
|Ship hold depth=
|Ship decks=
|Ship deck clearance=
|Ship power=
|Ship propulsion=*4 × Admiralty 3-drum boilers
*Geared turbines
*2 shafts
*{{convert|72000|shp|0|abbr=on}}
|Ship speed= {{convert|40|kn|lk=in}}
|Ship range={{convert|1000|nmi|km|abbr=on}} at {{convert|38|kn|abbr=on}}
|Ship endurance=
|Ship boats=
|Ship complement=242
|Ship time to activate=
|Ship sensors=
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=*4 × [[QF 4 inch Mk XVI naval gun|{{convert|4|in|mm|adj=on|sigfig=1}}]] AA guns (2×2)
*4 × [[Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun L/60|Bofors 40 mm]] guns (2×2)
*12 × [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon]]s (6×2)
*160 × [[Naval mine]]s
|Ship armour=
|Ship notes=
}}
|}
'''HMS ''Apollo''''' was an {{sclass|Abdiel|minelayer}} of the [[Royal Navy]], the eighth RN ship to carry the name. She served with the [[Home Fleet]] during [[World War II]], taking part in the [[Normandy Landings]] before being transferred to the [[British Pacific Fleet]]. Put into [[Reserve Fleet (United Kingdom)|reserve]] in 1946, she was recommissioned in 1951, serving until 1961, and was sold for scrapping in 1962.<ref name="naval-history.net">{{Cite web |url= http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-07ML-Apollo.htm|last=Mason|first=Geoffery B. |title=HMS Apollo - Abdiel-class Fast Cruiser Minelayer |work=Service Histories of Royal Navy Warships in World War 2|publisher=Naval-history.net |date=5 June 2011 |accessdate=24 August 2018}}</ref>

==Service history==

===1944===
Commissioned after [[sea trials]] in February 1944 ''Apollo'' joined the Home Fleet at [[Scapa Flow]] before setting out for [[Plymouth]] for minelaying operations in support of the planned invasion of France. Loading mines at [[Milford Haven]] she commenced a series of operations off the French coast of [[Brittany]] between [[Ushant]] and [[Île Vierge]].<ref name="naval-history.net"/>

She was detached for duty in "Operation Neptune" and on 7 June (''D-Day+1'') she embarked [[Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force|Allied Supreme Commander]] General [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], Naval Commander in Chief Admiral [[Bertram Ramsay]], General [[Bernard Law Montgomery]] and staff officers from [[SHAEF]], to visit the assault areas.<ref>{{Cite web |url= http://www.kansasheritage.org/abilene/ikedday.html |title=D-Day Fact Sheet, 6 June 1944 |work=kansasheritage.org |accessdate=27 March 2010}}</ref> Unfortunately the minelayer grounded while underway, damaging her propellers, and her passengers were transferred to the [[destroyer]] {{HMS|Undaunted|R53|2}}.<ref name="naval-history.net"/>

''Apollo'' took passage to [[Sheerness]] and then to the [[Tyneside|Tyne]] for repairs, which were completed in September. The ship was then transferred to [[Western Approaches Command]], and deployed in the South-Western Approaches laying deep trap minefields as a countermeasure to [[U-boat]] activities in inshore waters.<ref name="naval-history.net"/> With minelayer {{HMS|Plover|M26|2}} she laid more than 1200 Mk&nbsp;XVII moored mines across the coastal convoy route along the north coast of Cornwall. She started on 29 November 1944 with minefield "HW A1" – this minefield was later fatal to the submarine {{GS|U-325||2}}. On 3 December she laid minefield "HW A3" east of "HW A1". This minefield was later fatal to the submarine {{GS|U-1021||2}}.<ref name="uboat.minefield">{{Cite web
|url= http://www.uboat.net/articles/index.html?article=69
|title=The loss of U 325, U 400 and U 1021: Re-assessment of German U-boat losses in World War II
|last=Helgason
|first=Guðmundur
|website=German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net
|accessdate=31 May 2010
}}</ref>

On 24 December she was transferred to the Home Fleet for minelaying duty off Norway, operating off [[Utsira]] in January, accompanied by the destroyers {{HMS|Zealous|R39|2}} and {{HMS|Carron|R30|2}}.<ref name="naval-history.net"/>

===1945===
[[File:HMS Apollo laying mines WWII IWM A 27056.jpg|thumb|left|{{center|''Apollo'' laying mines off Norway}}]]
On 15 January 1945 she returned to the Western Approaches for minelaying in the [[Irish Sea]]. On 13 April ''Apollo'' rejoined the Home Fleet for a minelaying operation in the Russian [[Kola Inlet]] ("Operation Trammel") as part of "Force 5" with [[O and P-class destroyer|destroyers]] {{HMS|Opportune|G80|2}}, {{HMS|Orwell|G98|2}} and {{HMS|Obedient|G48|2}}, rejoining the Home Fleet in May.<ref name="naval-history.net"/>

After the [[Victory in Europe Day|end of the war in Europe]] ''Apollo'' sailed to [[Oslo]] in company with [[sister ship]] {{HMS|Ariadne|M65|2}} and [[heavy cruiser]] {{HMS|Devonshire|39|2}}, returning the [[Nygaardsvold's Cabinet|Norwegian Government-in-Exile]] and [[Crown Prince]] [[Olav V of Norway|Olav]].<ref name="naval-history.net"/>

On her return ''Apollo'' prepared for service with the [[British Pacific Fleet]], departing from Portsmouth at the end of June. After exercises with the [[Mediterranean Fleet (United Kingdom)|Mediterranean Fleet]] at [[Malta]] in July, she finally arrived at [[Melbourne]] on 1 August, by which time her services were no longer required, as the [[Victory over Japan Day|Japanese surrendered]] on the 15th.<ref name="naval-history.net"/>

===1948&ndash;1961===
In 1948 her [[pennant number]] was changed from M01 to N01.

''Apollo'' was recommissioned in 1951 after the outbreak of the [[Korean War]],<ref name="naval-history.net"/> joining the 2nd Cruiser Squadron of the [[Home Fleet]]. After [[Hurricane Charlie (1951)|Hurricane Charlie]] struck [[Jamaica]] on 17 August 1951, ''Apollo'' made a high speed run to deliver relief supplies to the island.<ref name="nn757">{{cite news|title=Ships of the Royal Navy: No. 22. H.M.S. Apollo |newspaper=[[Navy News]] |date=July 1957| page=3 |url=https://issuu.com/navynews/docs/195707 |accessdate=14 September 2018}}</ref> In 1953 she took part in the [[Fleet Review]] to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II,<ref>Souvenir Programme, ''Coronation Review of the Fleet, Spithead, 15th June 1953'', HMSO, Gale and Polden</ref> while in November 1954 she became the Flagship of the Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet.<ref name="nn757"/> On 25 August 1960, the destroyer {{HMS|Battleaxe|D118|2}} was carrying out steam trials while moored alongside ''Apollo'' at [[HMNB Portsmouth|Portsmouth]], when steam was let into ''Battleaxe''{{'}}s turbines, driving the ship forward and breaking ''Apollo''{{'}}s mooring lines. ''Apollo'' then collided with the frigate {{HMS|Wakeful|1943|2}}, which also broke free  from her moorings and struck the [[Caisson (lock gate)|caisson]] at the entrance to a dock. ''Apollo''{{'}}s [[Stem (ship)|stem]] was damaged, while ''Wakeful'' suffered buckled plates from the impact by ''Apollo'' and a badly damaged bow from the collision with the caisson.<ref>{{cite news|title=Apollo, Torn From Wall by Battleaxe, Rams Wakeful |newspaper=Navy News|date= September 1960 |page=1 |url= https://issuu.com/navynews/docs/196009 |accessdate=24 August 2018}}</ref>

She was paid off and returned to the Reserve in 1961, was put on the Disposal List the next year, and sold for [[ship breaking|breaking-up]] by [[Hughes Bolckow]] at [[Blyth, Northumberland]], where she arrived in November 1962.<ref name="naval-history.net"/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Publications==
{{Commons category|HMS Apollo (M01)}}
*{{Cite Colledge2006}}
* {{Cite book|last=Nicholson|first=Arthur|title=Very Special Ships: ''Abdiel''-Class Fast Minelayers of World War Two|publisher=Seaforth Publishing|location=Barnsley, UK|year=2015|isbn=978-1-84832-235-6}}

{{Abdiel class minelayer}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Apollo (M01)}}
[[Category:Abdiel-class minelayers]]
[[Category:Ships built on the River Tyne]]
[[Category:1943 ships]]
[[Category:World War II minelayers of the United Kingdom]]