HMS Apollo (M01)

Apollo in August, 1945
History
United Kingdom
Name	Apollo
Namesake	Apollo
Ordered	1940
Builder	Hawthorn Leslie, Hebburn
Laid down	10 October 1941
Launched	5 April 1943
Completed	12 February 1944
Commissioned	1944
Decommissioned	1946
Recommissioned	1951
Decommissioned	1961
Identification	Pennant number M01/N01
Motto	Fortis et benignus ("Strong and kindly (or merciful)")
Honours and awards	NORMANDY 1944
Fate	Sold for scrapping, 1962
Badge	On a field Blue, a sun in splendour Gold
General characteristics
Class and type	Abdiel-class minelayer
Displacement	2,650 long tons (2,693 t) standard 4,000 long tons (4,064 t) full load
Length	418 ft (127 m)
Beam	40 ft (12 m)
Draught	16 ft (4.9 m)
Propulsion	4 × Admiralty 3-drum boilers Geared turbines 2 shafts 72,000 shp (53,690 kW)
Speed	40 knots (74 km/h; 46 mph)
Range	1,000 nmi (1,900 km) at 38 kn (70 km/h; 44 mph)
Complement	242
Armament	4 × 4-inch (100 mm) AA guns (2×2) 4 × Bofors 40 mm guns (2×2) 12 × Oerlikon 20 mm cannons (6×2) 160 × Naval mines

HMS Apollo was an Abdiel-class minelayer of the Royal Navy, the eighth RN ship to carry the name. She served with the Home Fleet during World War II, taking part in the Normandy Landings before being transferred to the British Pacific Fleet. Put into reserve in 1946, she was recommissioned in 1951, serving until 1961, and was sold for scrapping in 1962.^[1]