HMS Cordella

HMS Cordella was a Royal Navy auxiliary mine countermeasures vessel that served during the Falklands War as part of 11th MCM Squadron.

Service history
F/V Cordella was a 1,238 ton fishing trawler built in 1973 by Clelands Shipbuilding Company at Wallsend, England.

Cordella was one of five Hull-based trawlers that were taken up from trade by the Royal Navy in 1982 for service as naval trawlers (auxiliary MCM vessels) during the Falklands War. The trawlers were fitted with Oropesa towed minesweeping equipment and Extremely Deep Armed Team Sweep (EDATS) equipment at HMNB Rosyth and crewed by Royal Navy personnel prior to operational deployment.

During night of 10 June 1982, Cordella assisted sister ship HMS Pict in sweeping Berkeley Sound. No mines were found and they reported back that there was low risk to ships engaging in naval bombardment of Argentine positions.

During nights of 12, 13, and 14 June she conducted covert operations resupplying SAS and SBS patrols deployed variously along the coast.

Post-war
After the war she returned to the United Kingdom and returned to her peacetime role as a fishing vessel.

In 2000, Cordella was sold a Latvian owner as F/V Olga. Renamed again as F/V Gideon, she was lost off Newfoundland in 2005.