- Yes
- No
- (independent) BeNeLux tree
- France: BeNeLux subtree
- other
- no/negative
History
History
27 Nov 1943 – Laid down at Harland & Wolff, Belfast.
22 Aug 1944 – Launched as HMS Liberty (J391).
18 Jan 1945 – Commissioned into Royal Navy service.
1945–1949 – Served as J391; redesignated M391 in 1949.
Sailing under Belgian flag, but with the M391 designation29 Nov 1949 – Transferred to Belgium as M900 Adrien de Gerlache, christened at Antwerp by Baronne Gerlache de Gomery in presence of Defence Minister Devèze. First Algerine in Belgian service.
1950 – Took part in mine clearance operations in the North Sea (June, ~25 km off the coast). Hosted Prince Baudouin aboard during service. (https://youtu.be/n79kBqVO7Rs and others)
1951–1954 – Continued demining and patrol duties. Command rotated among senior officers, including Cdr Depoorter, Cdr Lurquin, and Lt Poskin.
1959 – Reclassified as A954 (auxiliary), retaining training and patrol duties.
1965 – Major NATO deployment: departed Ostend (19 Sep) to the Mediterranean. Exercise near Sardinia, with calls at Gibraltar, Palma de Mallorca, Cagliari, and Cadiz. Returned 28 Oct.
11 Jun 1970 – Decommissioned and sold for 2,210,000 BEF to M. Bakker P.V.B.A., Bruges. Scrapped thereafter. Her superstructure was later preserved as part of the Belgian Navy’s NBCD training school at Rijckevelde.
Adrien de Gerlache holds a unique place as Belgium’s first Algerine, bridging wartime Royal Navy service with two decades of peacetime Belgian operations.
Specifications
Shipyard: Harland & Wolff, Belfast
Laid down: 27 Nov 1943 — Launched: 22 Aug 1944 — Commissioned: 18 Jan 1945
Displacement: 990 t (standard) / 1,237 t (full load)
Dimensions: 71.6 m length (68.6 m pp) × 10.82 m beam × 3.20 m draught
Propulsion:
– M900: 2 geared steam turbines, 3,000 hp
– A954: 2 Admiralty geared turbines, 2,000 hp
Fuel: 235 t oil fuel
Speed: 15.5 knots max / 12 knots cruise / 11 knots sweeping
Range: 5,000 nm at 10 knots
Crew: 95 (6 officers, 31 NCOs, 58 ratings)
Radars: Types 271, 242, 253Armament (Belgian fit)
Weapon Mounts Notes 1 × 102 mm/50 Mk XIX DP single main gun 4 × 1 40 mm Bofors single AA 60–70 depth charges racks & throwers ASW
Place in War Thunder
In-game, Adrien de Gerlache would represent the “first Algerine” of Belgium, predating the Congo-deployed N’Zadi and the patrol-oriented Van Haverbeke.
- Similar performance to M902 Van Haverbeke, but with heavier depth charge stowage instead of Squid/Hedgehog.
- Fills the role of a Rank II/III coastal minesweeper escort (BR ~3.0).
- Could appear as:
– Tech tree: early Belgian Algerine.
– Premium/event: as Belgium’s first postwar minesweeper.With her long service and symbolic name, she would make an excellent “flagship” addition to a BeNeLux coastal lineup.
Pictures
Pictures
Prince Baudouin aboard, 1950.
NATO exercise deployment photos, 1965.
As A954
Sources
Sources
Marine Belge. (n.d.). M900/A954 Adrien de Gerlache. Retrieved Aug 26, 2025, from https://www.marinebelge.be
Chesneau, R. (Ed.). (1980). Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich: Conway Maritime Press.
Macpherson, K., & Barrie, R. (2002). The Ships of Canada’s Naval Forces 1910–2002. Vanwell Publishing.
Brown, D. K. (1990). Nelson to Vanguard: Warship Design and Development 1923–1945. Naval Institute Press.