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The ''Fundy''-class minesweepers were a class of four minesweepers operated by the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. All four ships entered service in 1938 and the class were discarded in 1945, sold for mercantile service. Three ended up sold to Chinese interests, while one remained active in Canada until 1987.〔Macpherson and Barrie, p.32-3〕 The class derives its name from the lead ship and are all named after . The ''Fundy''-class minesweepers were modified versions of the British ''Basset''-class trawler minesweepers. The Canadian ships were given extra strengthening for ice conditions. Two were initially assigned to the west coast and two, including ''Fundy'', to the east coast.〔("Minesweepers", ''Canadian Naval Heritage Website'' ) 〕 == Design and description == By 1930 the s which had been re-designated as minesweepers in November 1922〔Johnston et al., p.909〕 were coming to the end of their effective service lives. In 1935, all three remaining minesweepers active in the Royal Canadian Navy were laid up.〔Johnston et al., p.1071〕 In the naval estimates of the 1936 budget, provision was made to replace two of the Battle class with two new, modern minesweepers.〔Johnston et al., p.979〕 In 1938 four hulls were laid down in four shipyards across the country to be completed by the end of the year.〔Johnston et al., p.1073〕 The two minesweepers built on the east coast would cost $318,000 per vessel and the two constructed on the west coast, $403,000 per vessel.〔Johnston et al., p.1075〕 At the outbreak of the Second World War, the Royal Canadian Navy considered constructing more, but chose to build s instead upon learning of that design.〔Macpherson and Barrie, p.167〕〔Pritchard, pp.21-2〕 The ''Bangor''s burned oil instead of coal and had much greater endurance. The vessels, based on the British ''Basset''-class trawlers,〔〔Chesneau, p.65〕 displaced . They were long, with a beam of and a draught of . They had a complement of 38 officers and ratings.〔Macpherson and Barrie, p. 32〕 The ''Fundy'' class was powered by a one-cylinder boiler creating between . This powered a vertical triple expansion engine driving one shaft,〔 giving the vessels a top speed of 〔 The ships were capable of carrying between 180 and 196 tons of coal.〔 The ships were armed with one QF 4-inch (102 mm) Mk IV gun mounted forward on a raised platform.〔〔〔Macpherson and Barrie state that the ships were equipped with one QF 12-pounder 12 cwt naval gun.〕 They were later equipped with 25 depth charges.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア(Wikipedia)』 ■ウィキペディアで「Fundy-class minesweeper」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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