Belgian ship A4

Patrol vessel A4 (French: Patrouilleur A4) was a small Mersey-class trawler operated by Belgium during the Second World War. Originally built for the British Royal Navy, as HMS John Ebbs, the ship is notable for its role in evacuating Belgian gold reserves to England during the Battle of Belgium in May 1940. The success of the operation not only allowed the Belgian government in exile to fund its operations but deprived the German occupiers of an important asset to support their war effort. After the Belgian surrender, the vessel and its crew interned themselves in neutral Spain. Both crew and vessel were released in 1946 and A4 was scrapped soon afterwards.

Belgian ship A4
Sister ship George Bligh
History
United Kingdom
NameJohn Ebbs
Ordered1916
BuilderCochranes, Selby
Launched2 October 1917
Out of service1920
FateSold to Belgium
Belgium
Name
  • Pilote 4 (1920–1939, 1946)
  • Patrouilleur A4 (1939–1945)
Acquired1920
Decommissioned1946
FateScrapped in Spain, 1948
General characteristics
Class and typeMersey-class Trawler
Displacement339 tonnes (334 long tons; 374 short tons)
Length45 metres (148 ft)
Draught4.5 metres (15 ft)
Installed power600 horsepower (450 kW)
Speed9 to 10 knots (17 to 19 km/h; 10 to 12 mph)
General characteristics Royal Navy
Armament
  • 1 × 5.4 kg (12 lb) gun
  • 1 × 89 mm (3.5 in) bomb thrower
General characteristics Belgian Navy
Complement27
Armament
  • 1 × 47 mm (1.9 in) gun
  • 2 × Maxim machine guns
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