View source for HMS Hebe (J24)

{{Short description|Royal Navy minesweeper}}
{{other ships|HMS Hebe}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2017}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image               = HMS Hebe 1940 IWM A 1434.jpg
| Ship caption             = ''Hebe'' photographed from HMS ''Rodney'', October 1940
}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Hide header              = 
| Ship country             = United Kingdom
| Ship flag                = {{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|naval}}
| Ship name                = HMS ''Hebe'' (J24)
| Ship owner               = 
| Ship namesake            = 
| Ship ordered             = 
| Ship builder             = [[HMNB Devonport|Devonport Dockyard]]
| Ship laid down           = 
| Ship launched            = 28 October 1936
| Ship acquired            = 
| Ship commissioned        = 1937
| Ship decommissioned      = 
| Ship in service          = 
| Ship out of service      = 
| Ship struck              = 
| Ship reinstated          = 
| Ship honours             = 
| Ship fate                = Mined 22 November 1943
| Ship notes               = 
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header              = 
| Header caption           = 
|Ship class={{sclass|Halcyon|minesweeper}}
|Ship displacement=*{{convert|875|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} standard
*{{convert|1330|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} full
|Ship length={{convert|245|ft|3|in|m|abbr=on}} [[Length overall|o/a]]
|Ship beam={{convert|33|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship draught={{convert|9|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship depth=
|Ship hold depth=
|Ship power=*{{convert|1750|ihp|abbr=on|lk=in}}
*2 × [[Admiralty 3-drum boiler]]s
|Ship propulsion=*2 shafts
*2 [[Marine steam engine#Compound engine|compound-expansion steam engine]]s
|Ship speed={{convert|16.5|kn|lk=in}}
|Ship range={{convert|6000|nmi|lk=in|abbr=on}} at {{convert|10|kn}}
|Ship complement=80
|Ship sensors=
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=*2 × single QF [[QF 4 inch Mk V naval gun|{{convert|4|in|mm|adj=on}}]] guns
*1 × quadruple [[Vickers .50 machine gun]] mount
|Ship notes=
}}
|}

'''HMS ''Hebe''''' was one of 21 {{sclass|Halcyon|minesweeper}}s built for the [[Royal Navy]] in the 1930s. Commissioned in 1936, ''Hebe'' served during World War II, notably taking part in the [[Dunkirk evacuation]] in 1940 and then serving in the Mediterranean, carrying out minesweeping operations from [[Malta]]. After taking part in several operations, including [[Operation Harpoon (1942)|Operations Harpoon]] and [[Operation Torch|Torch]], and the invasion of [[Pantelleria]], ''Hebe'' was sunk by a mine off [[Bari]] in November 1943, with the loss of 37 of the vessel's crew.

==Design and description==
The ''Halcyon'' class was designed as a replacement for the preceding [[Hunt-class minesweeper (1916)|Hunt class]] and varied in size and propulsion. ''Hebe'' displaced {{convert|875|LT|t}} at [[Displacement (ship)|standard]] load and {{convert|1330|LT|t}} at [[deep load]]. The ship had an [[length overall|overall length]] of {{convert|245|ft|3|in|m|1}}, a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|33|ft|6|in|m|1}} and a [[draft (hull)|draught]] of {{convert|9|ft|m|1}}.<ref>Lenton, pp. 251–52</ref> The ship's complement consisted of 80 officers and [[naval rating|ratings]].<ref name=c1>Chesneau, p. 63</ref>

She was powered by two [[Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company|Parsons]] geared [[steam turbine]]s, each driving one shaft, using steam provided by two [[Admiralty three-drum boiler]]s. The engines produced a total of {{convert|1750|shp|lk=in}} and gave a maximum speed of {{convert|16.5|kn|lk=in}}. ''Hebe'' carried a maximum of {{convert|252|LT|t|0}} of [[fuel oil]] that gave her a range of {{convert|6000|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|10|kn}}.<ref name=l3>Lenton, p. 252</ref>

''Hebe'' was armed with two QF 4-inch (10.2&nbsp;cm) [[anti-aircraft gun]]s. She was also equipped with eight {{convert|.303|in|adj=on}} [[machine gun]]s. Later in her career, the rear 4-inch gun mount was removed as were most of the .303 machine guns, while one quadruple mount for [[Vickers .50 machine gun]]s was added as were up to four single or twin mounts for [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|20 mm Oerlikon]] antiaircraft guns. For [[Anti-submarine warfare|anti-submarine]] escort, her minesweeping gear could be exchanged for around 40 [[depth charge]]s.<ref>Chesneau, p. 63; Lenton, p. 252</ref>

==Construction and career==
''Hebe'' was built at the [[HMNB Devonport|Devonport Dockyard]], being laid down on laid down on 27 April 1936. She was launched on 28 October 1936 and she was commissioned in 1937.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-22MS-Halc-HMS_Hebe.htm |author=Mason, Geoffrey |title=Service Histories of Royal Navy Warships in World War 2: HMS Hebe (N 24) – Halcyon-class Minesweeper |website=www.naval-history.net |accessdate=7 February 2021}}</ref> Her pennant number was N 24, later J 24. The ship served during the [[Dunkirk evacuation|evacuation of Dunkirk]], where she rescued 365 officers and men, and sent a [[Captain's gig|gig]] to rescue [[John Vereker, 6th Viscount Gort|Lord Gort]] on 29 May 1940.<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/military-obituaries/naval-obituaries/8433130/Harold-Biles.html Naval Obituaries - Harold Biles] The Telegraph, 6 April 2011</ref> She later saw service in the Mediterranean Sea based at [[Malta]] as part of [[14th/17th Minesweeper Flotilla]]. She participated in [[Operation Harpoon (1942)|Operation Harpoon]] (where she was hit and extensively damaged by a very long range 152&nbsp;mm shell shot fired by the Italian cruiser {{ship|Italian cruiser|Raimondo Montecuccoli||2}} <ref>{{Cite book|last=O'Hara|first=Vincent P.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=clT5gTn25l8C&dq=%22Hebe%22+Montecuccoli+range&pg=PA164|title=In Passage Perilous: Malta and the Convoy Battles of June 1942|date=2012|publisher=Indiana University Press|isbn=978-0-253-00603-5|pages=164|language=en}}</ref>)

According to post-battle reports from both sides, ''Raimondo Montecuccoli'' scored a hit on ''Hebe'' at "''approx. 26,000 yards''". Fires erupted aboard ''Hebe'', which received extensive splinter damage.<ref>Da Zara, Appendix 1, p. 38-9</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=O'Hara|first=Vincent P.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=clT5gTn25l8C&dq=%22Hebe%22+Montecuccoli+range&pg=PA164|title=In Passage Perilous: Malta and the Convoy Battles of June 1942|date=2012|publisher=Indiana University Press|isbn=978-0-253-00603-5|pages=164|language=en}}</ref> Electrical cables to sweep magnetic and acoustic mines, [[Low-power broadcasting|low power]] wires, steering gear, echo sounding gear and voice pipes were broken, the [[Kelvin Hughes|Kelvin sounding machine]] and the Commanding Officer's Cabin damaged,  while a whaler was left unseaworthy.<ref>{{Cite web|title=HMS Hebe 1942 Halcyon Class Minesweeper: C.A.F.O 2972/39|url=http://www.halcyon-class.co.uk/hebe/hebe_1942.htm|access-date=2021-11-25|website=www.halcyon-class.co.uk}}</ref>

''Hebe'' also participated in [[Operation Torch]], and the invasion of [[Pantelleria]]. She was sunk by a [[naval mine|mine]] off [[Bari]] on 22 November 1943. Thirty-seven men from her complement were lost with the ship.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Royal Navy casualties, killed and died, November 1943|url = http://www.naval-history.net/xDKCas1943-11NOV.htm|website = www.naval-history.net|access-date = 2015-10-27}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
* {{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=Lenton|first=H. T.|author-link=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}}

==External links==
* [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/3673.html HMS Hebe J 24]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060417232703/http://www.cronab.demon.co.uk/malta3.htm Minesweeping at Malta]
{{coord|41|8|N|16|52|E|display=title}}

{{Halcyon class minesweeper}}
{{November 1943 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hebe (J24)}}
[[Category:Halcyon-class minesweepers]]
[[Category:Ships built in Plymouth, Devon]]
[[Category:1936 ships]]
[[Category:World War II minesweepers of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:World War II shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in November 1943]]
[[Category:Ships sunk by mines]]