Motor Mine Sweeper MMS 110 foot type

The class was known as Motor Mine Sweepers 110 foot and had the following main specifications:

Hull                 105pp/114oa/23/9.5 ft

Displacement 165 tons

Engine            500 bhk diesel engine of various makes

Speed             11 knots

Armament      2x0.5” machine guns

Manning         20 officers and men

The vessels were to be of simple construction in order to be built by yards for fishing vessels and leisure craft. Building commenced in the autumn of 1940, and completions followed throughout 1941.

In total 308 MMS 110-footers were built. In addition to Great Britain and Canada, vessels were also built in India. Ceylon, Burma, Jamaica, Beirut and Tel Aviv.

The type was said to have poor towing ability for paravanes, but better for LL-sweeping for magnetic mines that German submarine began laying off the British coast. Against acoustic mines Kango-hammers were later fitted on the bows.

At the end of the war most were laid up for disposal through the Director of Small Craft Disposal in Cobham, Surrey.

Diesel-driven MMSs appeared quite attractive to Norwegian fishermen and coaster owners, and the first purchased were reported in March 1946. A total of 74 MMS 110 footers were imported to Scandinavia.

Some buyers bought an MMS together with an escort trawler and had the diesel engine fitted in the trawler hull.

Following conversion in 1946-50, the MMSs had a useful service life of 10-15 years. In time the hulls proved rather lightly built for heavy cargoes, and the loss rate was extensive. Some kept on into the 1970s, and the last remaining in Norway is the MMS173, still being used as a charter day-trip yacht in Oslo as Lady Mack.

MMS 76 as mv KIDD. NSS Jenssen Collection