HMS ''Guardian'' was a Net laying ship, net laying ship of the Royal Navy, launched in 1932 and scrapped in 1962. She was also equipped for target towing and gunnery photography.Francis E. McMurtrie,''Ships of The Royal Navy'', Sampson Low, Marston & Co, 1941 A second net-layer, , was built to a modified design. Launched in 1936 ''Protector'' was scrapped in 1970.

Service history

''Guardian'' was ordered as part of the 1930 naval programme,Parkes 1931, p. 73. the first purpose built netlayer for the Royal Navy.Gardiner and Chesneau 1980, p. 79. She was laid down at Chatham Dockyard on 15 October 1931, was launched on 1 September 1932 and completed on 13 June 1933.Blackman 1960, p. 39. ''Guardian'' served in the Indian Ocean between 1941 and 1942. She took part in the Battle of Madagascar, invasion of Madagascar and helped build a base in the Maldives at Addu Atoll in 1942 in case Ceylon fell into Japanese hands. She also built two more bases for the protection of merchant ships assembling for convoys: one was near Mombasa and the other near Cape Town. ''Guardian'' then returned to Gibraltar and took part in the Operation Torch, invasion of Algeria at Oran (Mers-el-Kebir) in 1942. Afterwards, she returned to Belfast for a refit and the fitting of additional anti-aircraft weaponry. Later, she took part in the Allied invasion of Sicily, invasions of Sicily (Operation Husky) and Allied invasion of Italy, Italy. In 1952, ''Guardian'' was taken out of the Reserve Fleet (United Kingdom), Reserve Fleet storage on the River Tamar between Devonport, Devon, Devonport and Saltash and towed to Newport, Wales, Newport for a refit and modernisation, which was completed in 1954. She was then mothballed and returned to rejoin the reserve fleet at Plymouth.

References

* * * {{WWII British ships 1932 ships Ships built in Chatham World War II naval ships of the United Kingdom Boom defence vessels of the Royal Navy