HMS ''Medusa'' (A353) (formerly ''HDML 1387'') is a harbour defence motor launch of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

that saw service in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, constructed by Newman, R A & Sons Ltd,

Poole Poole () is a large coastal town and seaport in Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester and adjoins Bournemouth to the east. Since 1 April 2019, the local authority is Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Counc ...

in 1943.

Service history

''HDML 1387'' took part in exercise Fabius 1 in May 1944, which consisted of practise amphibious landings at Slapton Sands, Devon. She later served at

D-Day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D ...

as a Navigation Leader, marking German minefields to be cleared by minesweepers, and then staying at the entrance of the cleared channel to direct parts of the invasion force. In 1945, she patrolled near Scheveningen, Netherlands and accepted the surrender of German forces at

Ijmuiden IJ_(digraph).html" ;"title="n IJ (digraph)">n IJ (digraph) and that should remain the only places where they are used. > IJmuiden () is a port city in the Netherlands, Dutch province of North Holland. It is the main town in the municipality ...

Postwar

After World War II, she received a refit and was converted into a Fast Despatch Boat, being renamed ''FDB 76''. In 1946, she became a training ship at Cardiff University Naval Division. In 1947, she was transferred to Severn Division RNVR Unit, and she was again transferred in 1949 to London Division RNVR. After her move to London Division RNVR, she was renamed ''SDML 3516''. She was converted into a

hydrographic survey vessel A research vessel (RV or R/V) is a ship or boat designed, modified, or equipped to carry out research at sea. Research vessels carry out a number of roles. Some of these roles can be combined into a single vessel but others require a dedicated ...

in 1961, receiving the name HMS ''Medusa'' (A353). ''Medusa'' was paid off on 30 November 1965 at Devonport, sustaining damage from a fire that started on the final day of her service in the Royal Navy. She was sold in 1968, and became privately owned. A restoration in 1972 included repairs to the ship's hull and superstructure, and she visited

Omaha Beach Omaha Beach was one of five beach landing sectors designated for the amphibious assault component of operation Overlord during the Second World War. On June 6, 1944, the Allies invaded German-occupied France with the Normandy landings. "Omaha" r ...

and

Juno Beach Juno or Juno Beach was one of five beaches of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944 during the Second World War. The beach spanned from Courseulles, a village just east of the British beach Gold ...

in 1994 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of D-Day. In 2003, a charity called The Medusa Trust was created to preserve the ship. She was also listed on the

National Register of Historic Ships National Historic Ships UK is a government-funded independent organisation that advises UK governments and others on matters relating to historic ships.

in 2003. ''Medusa'' has been present at events such as the Fleet Review marking the 200th anniversary of the

Battle of Trafalgar The Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805) was a naval engagement between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French and Spanish Navies during the War of the Third Coalition (August–December 1805) of the Napoleonic Wars (180 ...

in 2005, and the Diamond Jubilee Pageant in 2012. ''Medusa'' is based at Haslar Marina,

Gosport Gosport ( ) is a town and non-metropolitan borough on the south coast of Hampshire, South East England. At the 2011 Census, its population was 82,662. Gosport is situated on a peninsula on the western side of Portsmouth Harbour, opposite t ...

References

External links

Medusa Trust website
{{National Historic Ships 1943 ships Patrol vessels of the United Kingdom World War II patrol vessels of the United Kingdom Ships and vessels of the National Historic Fleet

Service history

Postwar

See also

References

External links