A unique blend of speed and versatility made the Abdiel-class minelayers some of the most utilitarian warships of World War Two John Ash profiles the Royal Navy’s 40kt thoroughbreds
In Very Special Ships, Arthur Nicholson quotes Edward Pleydell-Bouverie, first captain of HMS Abdiel, writing to his wife: “I go to a new ship… Name is Adbiel and she is brand new... More than that I can’t say, but she’s of a new type and can (or will) go like the very devil... this outfit will, I think, be a most independent and command in many ways and with every chance of a bit of excitement.”
Nicholson’s designation of Abdiel and her sisters was apt, and Captain Pleydell-Bouverie was also correct, for his new charge was capable of incredible pace and her versatility would mean she would have a busy war.
Ordered in 1938, the Abdiel-class were a legacy of a World War One problem, where surface minelaying had proven effective but delivery of that capability lacked. The Royal Navy developed its first minelayers in 1907 by modifying two ageing cruisers, and relied on more conversions throughout the war. Commerce raiders and merchant ships carried many mines, but their activities were visibly obvious an…
