| Navy | The Royal Navy |
| Type | Minesweeper |
| Class | Halcyon |
| Pennant | J 87 |
| Built by | William Hamilton & Co. (Port Glasgow, Scotland): William Beardmore & Co. (Dalmuir, Scotland) |
| Ordered | 2 Mar 1934 |
| Laid down | 20 Jun 1934 |
| Launched | 21 Mar 1935 |
| Commissioned | 30 Sep 1935 |
| End service | |
| History | During the war HMS Speedwell took part in the Dunkirk evacuations, convoy duties in the North Atlantic, a raid on the Norwegian Lofoten Islands in December 1941. From early 1942 she operated from Murmansk, Russia. In December 1942 she participated in the North Africa landings. Later she returned to Russia. She returned home to prepare for the Normandy landings. When the war in Europe was over she participated in minesweeping operations in the North Sea. Sold on 5 December 1946. |
Commands listed for HMS Speedwell (J 87)
Please note that we're still working on this section.
| Commander | From | To | |
| 1 | Lt.Cdr. (retired) Frederick Richard Guy Maunsell, RN | 15 Jun 1939 | 26 Feb 1941 |
| 2 | Lt.Cdr. Joseph John Youngs, RNR | 26 Feb 1941 | 10 Jul 1942 |
| 3 | Lt.Cdr. Thomas Edward Williams, RNR | 10 Jul 1942 | 13 Dec 1944 |
| 4 | T/A/Lt.Cdr. Herman Arnold Ledeboer, RNR | 13 Dec 1944 | 20 Jun 1945 |
| 5 | A/Lt.Cdr. Roderick Charles Oliver, DSC, RN | 20 Jun 1945 | mid/late45 |
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Noteable events involving Speedwell include:
29 Jun 1941
German U-boat U-651 was sunk south of Iceland, in position 59?52'N, 18?36'W, by depth charges from the British destroyers HMS Malcolm )(Cdr. C.D. Howard-Johnston, DSC, RN), HMS Scimitar (Lt. R.D. Franks, RN), the corvettes HMS Arabis (Lt.Cdr. J.P. Stewart, RNR) and HMS Violet (Lt.Cdr. K.M. Nicholson, RNR) and the minesweeper HMS Speedwell (Lt.Cdr. J.J. Youngs, OBE, RNR). (see map)
13 Apr 1942
HMS Speedwell (Lt.Cdr. J.J. Youngs, OBE, RNR) picks up 21 survivors from the Panamanian merchant El Occidente that was torpedoed and sunk in the Arctic in position 73°28'N, 28°30'E by German U-boat U-435.